Considered young adult fiction, Maniac Magee confronts racism and homelessness. Author Jerry Spinelli creates a hero who not only questions racial boundaries but streaks right past them. Throughout the story, food serves as a metaphor to construct family, identity and race. The novel's accolades include the 1991 Newbery Medal and the 1993 William Allen White Children's Book Award.
Maniac loses his parents at 3 and moves in with his cold aunt and uncle. An amazing athlete, he runs away from home at 11 and eventually lands in Two Mills, Pennsylvania. Maniac quickly learns about the town's main drag, Hector Street, which sharply divides black and white residents. Hector doesn't stop Maniac from forging friendships with the town's residents young and old, no matter their skin tones.
Meet Mars Bar, the antagonist. There’s more to Mars' nickname than his penchant for the candy bar. His chocolate “cigar” demonstrates his role as a leader of the Cobras with tough, adult-like street smarts. He represents the racial “war” that the East and West Ends are fighting. If the East End is going to become more accepting of white people, Mars will lead the change and others will follow.
While the candy bar plays a major role in illustrating character, it also highlights the racial segregation in Two Mills. When Maniac and Mars Bar meet, Maniac does the “unthinkable” by taking a bite of Mars Bar’s candy bar. Spinelli uses this scene to illustrate the racism in Two Mills:
"Not only that, but white kids just didn’t put their mouths where black kids had had theirs, be it soda bottles, spoons, or candy bars. And the kid hadn’t even gone for the unused end; he had chomped right over Mars Bar’s own bite marks."Food and Race in Maniac Magee
Food also plays a role in Maniac’s attempts to show his friends that East Enders are "just regular people." Grayson’s ignorance is on display when he asks Maniac if black people eat mashed potatoes. When Maniac realizes Grayson is serious, he uses a variety of foods, including potatoes, meatloaf, peas, corn and cake, to prove to his elderly friend that black and white people are alike.
And like all the stories in our Black History month series, Maniac Magee features foods that describe the shades of people:
"… he couldn’t figure why these East Enders called themselves black. He kept looking and looking, and the colors he found were gingersnap and light fudge and dark fudge and acorn and butter rum and cinnamon and burnt orange. But never licorice, which, to him, was real black."Challenging Racial Stereotypes in Children's Literature
In brilliant fashion, Spinelli uses food to challenge racial stereotypes and remind readers we all share basic common needs. Maniac’s quest for food and survival parallels his search for a loving home. He’s searching for two things everyone needs: sustenance of the heart and body. In the end, Maniac finds them both.
Much has been written about this legendary character. If you're interested in starting a conversation, you'll find Maniac Magee study guides and discussions all over the web.
Until next time,
Tricia
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