A Place at the Table

Sara Hammed is an 11-year-old Pakistani American middle school student who serves as one of the novel’s point-of-view voices. Physically, she “has long black hair clipped back with a silver barrette” (14). Rather than focusing on how Sara stands out at Poplar Springs, Elizabeth describes how she fits in. However, Sara believes she does not fit in, and believes it’s because she has little in common with her peers. She cannot see similarities.

Sara is akin to the archetype of the Creator. She enjoys her artistic pursuits and uses them to assist her mother and the school. When Sara encounters conflict, she addresses it through her artwork. She says: “The art consumes me in a deeper way than it has before, the colors on the poster more real, throbbing with all the emotions in my heart” (283). Sara’s art becomes a way to help process her emotions when she does not know how to think or feel.

Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan challenge traditional portrayals of the Creator archetype, imbuing Sara with selflessness rather than stereotypical self-absorption. When she and Elizabeth get in trouble for using the ice cream machine without permission, Elizabeth focuses on Sara getting in trouble.