A Place at the Table

Elizabeth Shainmark is a Jewish, 11-year-old middle school student from the US whose mother emigrated from England. She serves as the novel’s second POV voice. Sara notices that Elizabeth “has wavy brown hair with bangs so long, they threaten to cover her glasses” (6-7). The authors’ use of the adjective “wavy” alludes to the stereotype of Jewish individuals having curly hair; waves are not curls, which parallels how Elizabeth has one Jewish parent. She belongs to multiple cultures—she is not entirely American, Jewish, or anything except herself. She wears a charm bracelet with three specific charms: the Union Jack, a cup of tea, and the TARDIS from Doctor Who. While all three can symbolize her status as part English, they have also become global images—tea and Doctor Who, in particular, have influence worldwide and in many distinct cultures. Elizabeth’s central character arc revolves around her identity crisis. She wants to know where she belongs, and her physical characteristics suggest her lack of concrete belonging.

Elizabeth fits the hero archetype; however, she is a flawed hero. She must undergo a version of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, where a protagonist attains knowledge and reaches a place of growth and strength. She learns how to ally with friends being bullied, particularly friends experiencing racism. She grows from a place of selfishness to self-awareness. She has several revelatory moments, including when she first confesses to using the ice cream machine. At that moment, she self-reflects: “Once I decided ice cream was the winning ingredient for the contest, I blocked out every other thought. I didn’t consider how angry Mrs. Kluck would be that we used her brand-new machine. I didn’t consider that Mrs. Hameed might get blamed. And I didn’t consider Sara” (259). While she recognizes that she is not entirely at fault, she accepts responsibility for her actions and stands up to Maddy, growing beyond her fear and insecurities to do the right thing even though it is not an easy option.

Mrs. Hina Hammed is Sara’s mother and a prominent figure in the novel’s plot. She teaches the cooking club class to earn extra money for her business loans. Elizabeth describes Mrs. Hameed’s appearance: “She’s wearing a green headscarf decorated with white teardrops, and makeup that shows off her dark eyes” (13). The authors do not provide many physical descriptions of Mrs. Hameed. When they do, they focus on which hijab she wears and how her physical appearance reflects her mental state, such as how her clothes become disheveled when Mrs. Hameed is overwhelmed and worn out.

Mrs. Hameed assumes the role of caregiver in the novel. She endeavors to provide for and protect her family at all costs. She also extends her caregiving to Sara’s close friends, protecting and assisting Rabia and Elizabeth when needed. The authors portray the positive impact of Mrs. Hameed’s caregiving nature. Because Mrs. Hameed cares for her daughter and her students, they, in turn, care about her. They unite against the racist and bigoted forces that attempt to push families like the Hameeds down by celebrating their differences. Though the International Festival is a competition, Mrs. Hameed’s nature inspires the students to collaborate and aid each other to be their best rather than pull each other down.

Mrs. Hameed’s caregiving nature aligns with the archetype of the profound sage. She uses her experience and wisdom to present an example for Sara, who needs to learn how to defend and assert herself rather than hide. Mrs. Hameed teaches Sara how to correct others when they mispronounce names. Through Elizabeth and Sara, the authors reflect that not all individuals will know how to speak up; they provide the caregiver and sage, Mrs. Hameed, as an example of how to be firmly but politely assertive.

Maddy Montgomery is Elizabeth Shainmark’s lifelong best friend. They share many interests, including Doctor Who. Maddy has grown up surrounded by her parents’ racist ideologies about immigrants and people of color. She knows no better, and has internalized these ideals as her own. When the authors introduce Maddy, Sara describes her appearance: “Her name-brand jeans and fleece are the preferred uniform of Poplar Springs students, and if she weren’t so outspoken, she’d blend in with everyone else” (7). This indicates how Maddy is a conformist. One of Maddy’s most defining characteristics is that she does not stand out and reflects the characteristics of those around her. Throughout the book, Elizabeth struggles to maintain her friendship with Maddy while Maddy publicly associates herself with Stephanie Tolleson.

Maddy has a limited individual personality. The authors craft her as the unknowing everyman character archetype, creating a space for readers who struggle with racial and cultural acceptance to see themselves in Maddy. They use Maddy to issue a call to action, encouraging their audience to question and challenge their assumptions about other people. In Maddy’s final moments, she opposes her father’s views and stands with Mrs. Hameed and Sara. In this way, she grows and reflects the book’s message that one should embrace tolerance and reject racism.

Maddy physically represents Elizabeth’s internal conflicts. Elizabeth struggles with her prejudices and beliefs as she positions herself relative to the Hameeds and her peers at Poplar Springs. Elizabeth’s regular conflicts with Maddy function as a mirror that Elizabeth must look into to learn more about herself. Maddy represents what Elizabeth could become if she does not act as an ally to her friends and stand against racism. As Elizabeth learns to speak out against racism, she encourages her friends to act the same way and speak out positively. Elizabeth’s growth powers Maddy’s character development.