Anita and Me - Character

This GCSE English Literature quiz will challenge you on character. Meera Syal’s semi-autobiographical novel, Anita and Me, is narrated by its central character, Meena Kumar. Meena’s family includes her mother, father, brother Sunil, and grandmother. Anita is the older girl whom she idolises and Sherrie and Sally are the two friends who accompany Anita almost everywhere. Other characters who live in the village include neighbours such as Mr and Mrs Worrall, Mr and Mrs Christmas, the Mitchells, and Hairy Neddy, as well as authority figures such as Uncle Alan and Reverend Ince. The shopkeeper, Mr Ormerod, friends of Meena’s family, the Aunties and Uncles, and Meena’s own friends, including Sam and Robert, also play important roles in the novel.

Meena is much younger than the other key characters, with the exception of Tracey. The reader is therefore presented with a child’s limited understanding and sometimes can perceive the gap between Meena’s observations and her understanding of other people.