45 pages • 1 hour read
Hanna AlkafA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Mel recounts how she is perpetually tormented by visions of her mother’s death, attributing those visions to her Djinn. Using evidence in the text, speculate on why Mel’s obsessive thoughts focus on her mother dying. As the novel progresses, why does Mel start envisioning other characters’ deaths?
Saf is only present for the first few chapters of the novel, but she is quickly established as Mel’s best friend. What evidence in text shows their close relationship, and why is Mel still uncomfortable telling Saf about her OCD? What is the significance of Mel and Saf’s separation, and how does the ending of the novel inform an understanding of Saf’s importance in the novel?
Mel refers to her OCD as a Djinn, a spirit in Islamic tradition, who forces her to watch visions of death and tap or count to ward off those visions. Why is Mel’s mental health portrayed through this religious or spiritual lens? How does the novel show stigma against both possession and psychological needs?
Mel is Malay, but the Chinese gang members believe Auntie Bee when she claims that Mel is Eurasian. Quickly review the ethnic diversity of Malaysia and note how there are many races outside of Malay and Chinese in the country. What does Auntie Bee’s claim, and the fact that the gang members believe her, reveal about race in the novel? What other races are represented in the text, and how does their experience inform Hanna Alkaf’s portrayal of the race riots?
As Vincent, Mel, and Jay go out on Red Cross excursions, Vincent emphasizes how the Red Cross is only there to help people, meaning they will not likely be targeted for violence. Still, Jay, who is neither Chinese nor Malay, is captured and never heard from again. What is Jay’s significance in the novel? Use evidence from the text to show how Jay represents the broader minorities of Malaysia during the riots.
When Vincent snaps at Mel, he accuses her of being selfish, and he implies that he would not have joined the Red Cross if not for Mel’s presence. How does this scene contradict Vincent’s character in the rest of the novel? How does his outburst affect Mel and her perception of her visions and compulsions?
When Mel hears the voice in her mind encouraging her, why is Paul McCartney’s voice included? Why is Salmah’s voice not included? How does Mel’s father’s comparison of himself and Salmah to Paul McCartney and John Lennon, respectively, influence Mel’s relationship with her parents?
Pakcik Adnan, breaking his usual composure, criticizes Mel for leaving Saf. After the riots, Mel avoids Pakcik Adnan out of fear of further criticism. How does the divide between Mel and Pakcik Adnan reflect the lasting damage of the riots, even between members of the same race?
The ending of the novel presents both positive and negative consequences to the riots for Mel’s personal life. Why is Mel growing closer to Vincent, Auntie Bee, and Uncle Chong, but not Frankie? What about Mel and Frankie stops them from being friends, and what about their experience makes their bond inescapable?