Does My Head Look Big in This? characters

Also known as Amal

Appears from the start

A sixteen-year-old Palestinian-Australian Muslim attending an affluent private school in Melbourne. After long consideration, Amal decides to wear the hijab whenever she is in public. She is witty, fashion-conscious, devout, and determined that classmates see the headscarf as her own choice rather than a complete definition of her.

First appears in chapter 2

Amal's mother, a professional woman whose faith and Palestinian heritage are central to family life. Jamila supports Amal's religious commitment but knows that wearing hijab will expose her daughter to prejudice and wants the decision to be carefully considered.

First appears in chapter 2

Amal's father, affectionate, protective, and alert to the discrimination his family can face. Mohamed is proud of Amal but shares Jamila's concern about the social consequences of her decision.

First appears in chapter 4

One of Amal's closest school friends. Eileen is intelligent, observant, and prepared to stand beside Amal when the hijab draws unwanted attention at school.

First appears in chapter 4

One of Amal's closest friends at school. Simone is warm and loyal but deeply self-conscious about her body, especially under the pressure of a mother who treats her weight as a constant problem to solve.

First appears in chapter 5

Amal's Muslim friend outside McCleans. Leila is academically ambitious and wants to choose her own education and future, but her conservative household places restrictions on her that Amal's parents do not impose.

First appears in chapter 5

A Muslim friend with whom Amal and Leila can discuss faith, family expectations, and the different ways young women express their identities.

First appears in chapter 6

A popular boy at McCleans who treats Amal with curiosity and respect. Amal is attracted to him, but their growing closeness also forces her to explain the personal and religious limits she has chosen for romantic relationships.

First appears in chapter 6

A socially powerful classmate who responds to Amal's hijab with hostility and repeated needling. Tia presents her remarks as jokes or ordinary questions, making the prejudice harder to challenge without appearing oversensitive.

First appears in chapter 9

The elderly Greek woman who lives near Amal's family. Mrs Vaselli initially seems irritable and distant, but her own experience as an immigrant gives her an understanding of exclusion that gradually creates common ground with Amal.

First appears in chapter 3

The head of Amal's private school. Mr Pearse is concerned with rules and the school's public image, and he discusses how Amal's hijab will fit the uniform while acknowledging her right to wear it.