44 pages • 1 hour read
Marina BudhosAsk Me No Questions
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 11-14Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 11 Summary
With the men detained, the women of the household work to resolve their family’s situation. Despite their efforts, which include contacting Mr. Rashid and standing outside the detention center, uncertainty looms. A few days after Uncle’s detention, Aisha and Nadira write letters to Homeland Security. While Aisha’s friends discuss summer plans, she is consumed by her family’s crisis. Her facade of control cracks under the pressure, as she boasts about getting a C in American Government, shocking her academically inclined friends.
Aisha’s guilt and obsession with the idea that she could have prevented Uncle’s arrest continue to overwhelm her. Her anxiety intensifies when Homeland Security does not respond, and she withdraws from her social circles and confines herself to the apartment. Similarly, Taslima begins to rebel, staying out late, fighting with Auntie, and even cutting her hair short in a sign of defiance. Nadira encounters Lily Yee, whom she has been avoiding. Nadira agrees to help Lily uncover the truth about her father’s infidelity, leading to a discovery that he has been living a double life with another women and their baby.
That night, Auntie tells Nadira that Uncle is being released; however, he only has 30 days to resolve his immigration status. Uncle returns home frail and traumatized. Amidst these developments, Aisha’s interview with Barnard College is approaching. Aisha is haunted by nightmares of police raids and expresses doubt about attending the interview. Nadira encourages her, telling her she needs to go, and reassures her that she will attend for support.
Chapter 12 Summary
The girls are shocked when they arrive at Barnard, which doesn’t look like the brochures. Aisha, usually composed and ambitious, is nervous before her interview. While Aisha attends the interview, Nadira takes a walk near the river, where she encounters a geology student. Nadira momentarily envisions a future for herself in college, but her hope dissipates when she finds Aisha vomiting after the interview.
Back at school, Aisha faces questions from her debate team teacher about missing the citywide finals. Nadira observes as Aisha lies and quits the team. Aisha’s resignation from the team, coupled with her comment about possibly not being in the country much longer, worries Nadira.
The next day, Nadira learns from the principal that Aisha’s valedictorian nomination is in jeopardy and that Barnard reported that she skipped her interview. This leads the school administration to question the sisters’ home life. Nadira confronts Aisha on the bleachers, and Aisha confesses that she doesn’t want to stand out or strive for big things anymore, finding it too difficult and overwhelming. Nadira hugs Aisha.
Chapter 13 Summary
Nadira reflects on her memories of Abba, particularly recalling his skills as a swimmer back in Bangladesh. She remembers how he taught her to swim at a pool in Queens.
At the apartment, Nadira receives a message from Ma about Abba’s impending hearing, which could result in either his release or deportation. This news propels Nadira into action, and she retrieves a folder containing all the letters she and Aisha wrote to officials, believing she has the solution to free Abba. She calls Tareq, who agrees to assist for a price of $3,000. Leaving a note at the apartment to reassure her family, she sets off to fulfill her plan, starting at the mosque, where she obtains the necessary funds from Ali-Uncle. She then heads to Dunkin’ Donuts to meet Tareq.
Chapter 14 Summary
Nadira meets Tareq in his car, where he unveils a gun in his glove compartment. He instructs Nadira to feign ignorance when they arrive at their destination, promising to provide her with a legitimate social security number and green card. Tareq drives them to a brick house. Inside is a group of men gathered around a table upon which is both food and a gun.
Nadira decides she no longer wants to go through with the plan. Longing for simpler times before Canada rejected her family’s bid for asylum, she tells Tareq she can’t go through with it and makes a quick exit, running down the street.
Chapters 11-14 Analysis
At the core of the narrative lies the evolving relationship between Nadira and Aisha. Their collaboration in writing letters signals a shift in their dynamic that brings Nadira closer to her sister, making her feel more valued and included. It also serves as a beacon of their mutual support amidst instability. Nadira’s request to accompany Aisha to the interview further signifies her desire to support her sister. Their increasing closeness, however, is juxtaposed against Aisha’s growing isolation from the outside world. As her peers make summer plans, Aisha can only think of her family’s crisis; her diminishing academic performance, decision to quit the debate team, and lack of enthusiasm for her valedictorian status emphasize her growing discouragement and loss of motivation.
Aisha’s missed interview holds particular symbolic weight, as the visit to Barnard College, an emblem of Aisha’s aspirations, becomes a moment of disillusionment. The disappointment begins even before the interview itself; the college’s idyllic representation in brochures contrasts with the reality, as perceived through the girls’ troubled lens. Aisha’s unease before her interview marks a drastic change from her usual composed demeanor and reflects the immense pressure she is under. Aisha’s eventual confession about the interview—and her broader reluctance to stand out or pursue significant achievements—illustrates the “ask me no questions” motif. It is not simply that Aisha lacks the emotional resources to strive for excellence amid her family’s troubles; rather, making herself visible through her achievements threatens her family’s safety and their ability to remain in the US. Nevertheless, the moment between the sisters not only underscores the emotional toll of their experiences but also highlights the strength of their bond, forged and solidified in shared adversity.
The side plot involving the double life that Lily’s father has been leading mirrors several aspects of the novel, from the double life that the Hossains must lead due to their undocumented status to the fragmentation of the Hossain family. Most of all, it mirrors Nadira’s internal conflict, echoing the anger and betrayal she feels toward her own father. Nadira’s emotional turmoil stems from their family’s situation, a predicament she attributes to her father’s decisions. This narrative thread comments on the broader theme of The Impact of Immigration Policies on Families. It highlights how these policies can create complex and often distressing situations, leading to feelings of betrayal, confusion, and frustration within family units. It further suggests that children often bear the brunt of these complexities, grappling with identity issues and cultural dissonance, all while trying to make sense of the adult decisions that dramatically reshape their lives.
However, for all her frustration, Nadira’s love for her father remains clear. At the beginning of Chapter 13, Nadira recalls her father teaching her to swim. This memory of swimming emerges as a symbol for her ongoing struggle to navigate life’s turbulent waters, the physical act of swimming mirroring the mental fortitude required to face her current challenges. That Abba taught Nadira this skill therefore suggests that she owes much of her endurance and determination to him.
Though misguided, Nadira’s decision to seek Tareq’s help marks an evolution in her character and similarly emphasizes The Resilience and Adaptability of Young Immigrants. Where Nadira has previously supported her sister’s efforts to help their family, she now takes action by herself, demonstrating newfound agency and boldness. However, the revelation of a gun in the glove compartment signals that she is going down a dangerous and illegal path. Tareq’s instruction for Nadira to feign ignorance further underscores the risk, pushing Nadira into a realm of moral ambiguity and potentially severe consequences. Her decision to leave ultimately represents a rejection of a course of action that could compromise her and her family’s principles. The episode highlights the complexities of the immigrant experience, illustrating how young immigrants like Nadira must often weigh their actions and decisions against a backdrop of ethical dilemmas, cultural differences, and the pursuit of stability in an unfamiliar world.
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By Marina Budhos
