Chapter 18 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"It's rare that Abba says much these days. I think it's gnawing at him, all those weeks in detainment."

I think that, after reading the end of the book, there have been several character changes, or switches. Aisha and Nadira, though they didn't completely switch places, became more like each other. Nadira became more confident and strong like Aisha, and Aisha, overwhelmed by how she can't easily fix her family's situation, lost confidence and became more sensitive and more of a follower like Nadira. Also, I think that Abba and their mom almost switched places, too. Their mom becomes more comfortable in her surroundings, while Abba seems to draw back into a more quiet character, like their mom was in the beginning. I am not necessarily happy about some of these changes, but I hope everything works out well for their family.

Chapter 16 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"Now all the stars are no more than rubber stickers on a ceiling; they've come unfastened and they're whirling around one another, not sure which will settle where."

This quote refers to how Aisha, who had been helping and guiding the family along, has fallen apart. The rubber star metaphor reminds me of those little glow-in-the-dark stars that you stick to your ceiling. The idea behind them seems neat, but they don't always work as well as you might think they do. (Last sentence not totally relevant to Aisha situation.) In Aisha's case, though, it seems like people think highly and expect a lot from her. Her wisdom and insight is taken for granted. And we can now see that she is not very reliable anymore to solve everyone's problems. She's not all she's cracked up to be. Therefor, Aisha is like those glow in the dark stars, in my mind.
Nadira, on the other hand, is like a flashlight in my opinion. Not as obvious as the little stars on the ceiling, but the guidance she gives is more reliable. Nadira stays strong, while Aisha breaks down easily.
Getting back to the actual quote, I think that this was a great metaphor for Aisha. Her change turns her into an almost completely different character from who she started out as. I hope that Nadira can help Aisha get her strength and confidence back, too.

Chapter 15 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"She does all this like she's been doing it for years."

The way Ma is described in this part of the chapter, comfortable and used to her routine, I wondered what it would be like for Ma to adjust to the New York City life again. She had made many friends during her time in Vermont, and got to know a lot of the locals. I think that maybe this may have reminded her of Bangladesh, where she and her family were friends and knew a lot of the local people in their area. When she moves back to New York City, though, which is much bigger and busier than Vermont, I'm curious to see how she will handle another move.

Chapter 14 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"Then I run again, blindly, into the dark streets."

In the context of the book, this quote seems literal at first. But when I looked at it again, I thought that it seemed more like a metaphor. This seemed like a metaphor for Nadira having no idea what to do or where to go next. She knows that Aisha can't help her, and their mom is also too weak to help. So, in a sense, Nadira has taken off, with no idea where to go or how to get out of her family's problems.

Chapter 12 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"'They say she never showed up for her appointment.'"

I kind of already guessed that this was going to happen. Aisha had been losing confidence in her ability to get into college, along with losing her confidence in pretty much everything else. I can sympathize with Aisha if she actually was feeling sick, but if it was just nervous sick, which I think was the case, I would find that puzzling. Before her breakdowns, Aisha had so much confidence in her abilities, but now, she's totally lost confidence. In a way, I think, the two sisters are switching places, and becoming more like the other's personality. I hope Nadira doesn't get too snobby, though.

Chapter 11 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"After that, something shifts between Aisha and me. It's like she's opened the door and wriggled over to let me into her private little world."

This part made me happy that Aisha and Nadira started to actually talk to each other. Nadira explained how she felt like she was in the shadow of Aisha, and it seemed like Aisha was about to get mean and defensive for a moment, but instead she backed down and gave Nadira advice about what she should be doing. I'm glad that the two sisters have started to talk to each other, even if there is still some tension between them.

Chapter 10 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"Aisha shoves her plate aside and starts to cry. 'It's all my fault. I should have been able to convince them to let Uncle out.'
...
Aisha is sobbing harder now. 'No, you're wrong. I should have convinced them. If only I'd said the right thing. If only I said more - '
No matter what we tell Aisha, she won't listen. She sobs harder and harder,her head banging against the cushioned booth."

I think that this breakdown of Aisha could be taken several ways. From one perspective, I think it seems as if the author changed her mind about Aisha's character aspects, making her less self-confident with all the recent losses of confidence and determinations she's had. But this idea could be countered with another thought, where Aisha is just acting more sensitive because of the situation with her and Nadira's parents being taken away.
Or, you could say that this is Aisha's big breakdown, making an about-face from being slightly more conceited to a more sensitive and helping character. It seems hard to tell if this is her big breakdown right now, but it will probably be easy to tell soon if it is or not. I atually wouldn't be surprised if Aisha didn't have one big loss of confidence but a slow decrease, if you look at the few small losses of determination to her spirit, which were mostly caused by Nadira. In my opinion, it kind of looks like Aisha is turning more into Nadira, and Nadira is turning more into Aisha. I just hope that this isn't actually the situation.

Chapter 9 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"Aisha and I can't stop laughing, and the sounds widen, making bright circles in the room."

Through the book, Aisha and Nadira always had a sullen and downcast air to them. To see them laughing and being cheerful seems like it could be a good boost to their confidence to get all of the immigration paper sorted out. When Aisha has a plan, Nadira breaks her down too easily. Now even Aisha needs to feel more self-confident. I hope that Aisha and Nadira can think of a plan for getting their family back together.

Chapter 7 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"Generation after generation the water and the land melt and blur; people move across borders that make no sense."

I really like this quote. I think it shows Nadira's real thought about borders and boundaries. What is the real meaning of a fence, or a line on a map? Even though Nadira does, it almost seems like she doesn't understand laws surrounding immigration and border crossins. She takes the subject of immigration lightly, I have noticed, and doesn't seem too worried about what would happen if Canada didn't let them apply for asylum, which is what happened.

Connections from "Wetback" to "Ask Me No Questions"

In the first bit of the movie "Wetback," I think that it seems like Nayo, the older man, is a bit like Aisha, and Milton, the younger guy, seems like a version of Nadira. I would say that these are the best character matches for these two men, but they are not totally like Aisha and Nadira. Nayo is confident and a leading figure, like Aisha, but he doesn't put others down by being the "perfect," I guess, companion compared to Milton. And as for the way Milton compares to Nadira, Milton is a little doubtful and less confident, but he is not in the shadow of Nayo, his companion.

Chapter 5 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"But sometimes I feel like shaking their sleeves and blurting out, Ask me. Please."

It seems like Nadira really doesn't want to keep anymore secrets. It shows in her thoughts that she needs to and really wants to tell someone about everything, about all she and her family's been through, but she can't. Her family won't let her, either. It could risk being exposed to the government and being deported. I don't blame Nadira, though, for wanting to tell people her secrets - her real life is masked by a layer she puts on at school.

Chapter 6 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"Aisha says nothing. Her slim body seems to take it in, but by bit, until she's shivering just a little. I notice the gravy stain on her shirt. The ragged edges of it are brown. Aisha picks up her book bag and turns toward Taslima's bedroom.
'Aisha?' Auntie calls after her.
There's no answer on the other side of the door."

I think that this quote shows where Aisha starts to become less self-centered. After Nadira gets mad at her at lunch, Aisha seemed to be more quiet and sullen. I think that Nadira should've taken this chance to try and talk to Aisha about everything, but instead Nadira takes advantage of Aisha's quietness to become louder and bossier. I don't think that Nadira made the right choice. She may've wanted revenge, but I really wish the sisters would bond with eachother more.

Response to Julianna's Blog

I agree with Julianna's response to the quote about storytelling. It really creates a picture of what it may have been like in Bangladesh, where children would listen to the elder's stories in the evening. I also think that the theme of Chapter 3 was a good idea, where he story takes a break to tell you about their first home. The way the family thinks about it and the book describes their home makes it seem like they wish they hadn't left. The descriptions are very pretty, and have a sort of nostalgic air to them. I wonder why they moved to New York.

Chapter 3 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"You're on the road with your sister, and your father is in INS detention, and your ma is sleeping on a shelter cot, and you figure maybe the two of you have a lot to talk about.
We don't.
This registration thing. Going to Canada. Deportation. Aisha hasn't said a word. She doesn't have an answer, the right phrase or sentence to make it all better. Most of the time she drives in angry silence. She won't even let me turn on the radio."

I think that this quote shows a good example of what Aisha and Nadira's relationship is really like. Nadira doesn't have the confidence to speak up to Aisha, and Aisha is so full of contempt for Nadira that she won't talk either. Especially for this recent part of the book, where they are driving back to New York, Aisha and Nadira should really start to accept each other, if that means that Aisha needs to swallow her pride once in a while or that Nadira needs to gain confidence. I hope the sisters bond more later in the book.

Chapter 1 - "Ask Me No Questions"

"We keep driving even as the snowflakes clump on the wipers, and poor Abba can barely see. Coconut flakes, Ma jokes. We'll go outside and scoop them up, and I'll make you some polao. But the jokes lie still in our throats."

I think that this quote really sets the mood of the family's anxiousness on the trip. They were taking a big risk by heading up to Canada for asylum, as they had no idea if they would be accepted or not. This quote helps to understand that basically the only thing on their minds was what would happen if Canada denied asylum.