Target

Target is the most important setting of the novel, and represents the theme of the connection between the personal and political, and the motif of time. The novel begins and ends in Target, and Maya and Jamie spend significant time there throughout. Target is an American superstore with items ranging from clothing to books, to food, and other household goods. It is a safe space for Maya and Jamie as it is affordable for an average American teenager. For both Maya and Jamie, Target represents a safe space they can hang out with friends and shop, or hang out alone. Both Jamie and Maya also note how “Time moves differently in Target,” reinforcing the motif of time (100). The space evolves over time though, and changes from a place they merely purchase items, or hang out with friends, to one where they develop their activism and then their relationship...