Anita and Me

Anita and Me is a coming-of-age novel about Meena Kumar, a nine-year-old British-Indian girl growing up in a small English village in the 1970s. Through her friendship with the rebellious Anita, Meena navigates questions of identity, belonging, and cultural difference.

• 1Meena lives in Tollington, a mining village, as one of the few non-white families
• 2She becomes friends with Anita Rutter, a wild older girl she admires
• 3Meena struggles between her Indian heritage and desire to fit in with English culture
• 4She witnesses and experiences casual racism in the community
• 5Extended family visits reinforce Meena's connection to her Indian roots
• 6Anita's family falls apart, and Anita becomes increasingly troubled
• 7A serious accident leads Meena to reassess her friendship with Anita
• 8Meena's family prepares to move, and she gains a stronger sense of her identity

• •Identity and belonging
• •Cultural clash and integration
• •Racism and prejudice
• •Childhood friendship and hero worship
• •Family and community
• •Growing up and self-discovery

• Meena Kumar: The narrator and protagonist navigating two cultures
• Anita Rutter: The rebellious girl Meena idolizes
• Meena's Papa: Her educated, principled father
• Meena's Mama: Her traditional but strong mother
• Nanima: Meena's grandmother who embodies Indian tradition
• Sam Lowbridge: A racist youth who represents intolerance

• Published in 1996 but set in 1970s England
• Reflects the experience of first-generation British-Asian children
• Set during a time of significant immigration to Britain
• The mining village represents working-class England
• Syal draws on her own experiences growing up in the West Midlands

• Analyze how Syal presents Meena's struggle with dual identity
• Examine the portrayal of racism, both casual and overt
• Discuss the role of family in maintaining cultural identity
• Consider how Meena's friendship with Anita shapes her understanding of herself
• Explore the use of humor in addressing serious themes