46 pages • 1-hour read
Miles Morales Suspended
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.
Miles Morales
Miles Morales, who is secretly Spiderman, is the novel’s protagonist. He grew up in Brooklyn but currently attends an academy that has very strict rules and expectations for its students. The inciting incident of the novel occurs when Miles is shocked to hear his history teacher, Mr. Chamberlain, making overtly racist comments in class and finding enjoyment in publicly humiliating Miles. When Miles takes action against this injustice and attempts to stand up to his history teacher with the support of his friends, his resulting punishment for disrupting class reveals the deeper systemic injustices that permeate the academy as a whole.
As Miles is forced to endure an in-school suspension along with a few other students, the story revolves around his inner growth, both as a teenager and as Spiderman. Because he is forced to remain in one place and focus on assignment after assignment as the interminable day drags on, most of the story’s “action” takes place within Miles’s active mind as he constantly contemplates The Duality of Identity. In particular, he reflects on the necessity of balancing his studies at school with his family’s expectations and his secret responsibilities as Spiderman, and he vainly attempts to keep these various aspects of his existence separate. One of the strongest aspects of his character is his empathy and concern for others, especially those who are marginalized or in need. For instance, his thoughts about his imprisoned cousin Austin reveal his compassion and his understanding of how dramatically people can be reshaped by their circumstances and environment. As the narrative states:
Miles had been thinking about Austin a lot. About how he was an unfinished story. A book slammed shut. A judged cover. But a sturdy spine. This was also why Miles thought about whether or not Austin and everyone else locked up with him had good books to read, and why they might’ve needed them (139).
In this light, Miles’s desire to run a book drive in order to improve his cousin’s quality of life represents his awareness of the importance of Language as a Tool for Empowerment. This belief also motivates his writing of poetry and his desire to learn, and his focus on providing others with books—and empowering ideas—stands in direct contrast to the recurring images of termite-infested books, which symbolize the idea that malicious concepts like racism can corrupt even the most wholesome of resources and societies. Faced with these multifaceted conflicts, Miles demonstrates the strength of his moral compass when he proves willing to act on his beliefs, and he repeatedly demonstrates his ability to see beyond the world’s immediate appearances.
Miles is also deeply introspective. He reflects on his family’s patterns and dynamics, undergoing a process of Reckoning with Family Legacy by contemplating his relationship with his late uncle Aaron, and he soon realizes the many ways in which his own identity has been influenced by those around him. His dual life as a student and a superhero creates additional challenges, forcing him to keep the essence of his identity a secret even as he navigates school dynamics, peer relationships, and larger social injustices. Miles’s internal conflicts illustrate the complexities of adolescence even as his teenage troubles develop new angles on the classic conventions of superhero narratives. At the same time, he reveals his sensitivity in his imaginative poems and subversively creative responses to his teachers’ assignments, and he is adept at expressing himself through all forms of poetry and metaphor. These talents allow him to process the social injustices to which he has been exposed, and he finds the power to assert his individuality despite the actions of those, like Mr. Chamberlain, who seek to suppress his voice. Miles thus embodies resilience in the face of systemic obstacles as he seeks to define himself honestly in a world that often seeks to categorize or diminish him.
Alicia
Alicia is a key side character in the story, and her kind, encouraging actions directly support Miles’s personal growth. She is both a love interest and a moral anchor for Miles, and as her interactions with the protagonist illustrate, she shares his love of poetry and his passion for spontaneous activism. Throughout the novel, she appears in several key scenes and works together with Miles to help him call out and confront instances of systemic injustice. For example she boldly stands up alongside Miles in Mr. Chamberlain’s class, thereby landing herself in suspension as well, and she also supports Miles’s book drive and exchanges poems with him throughout the day, supporting his creative spirit and encouraging him to remain more optimistic about his own circumstances.
With her own decisive actions, she encourages Miles to express himself and supports him in standing up to the subtle and overt racism that is tainting the dynamics of their school. Miles observes that Alicia has a strong energy and an inner warrior spirit, and these traits make her intensely attractive to him as a romantic interest. The earnestness of his tone conveys the full extent of his infatuation when he writes, “She got this way of moving // like she’s magnetized by the world // like she’s being yanked toward // whatever life is meant for her” (72). Her energy and determination mirror Miles’s own sense of justice, and her poems to him demonstrate her emotional intelligence and creativity, as well as her understanding of Language as a Tool for Empowerment.
Tobin
Tobin is an antagonistic figure who is later revealed as the villain connected to the termite infestations and attempts at censorship. He is a direct opposition to the theme of Language as a Tool for Empowerment, because he actively tries to destroy books and squash progressive ideas. At first, Tobin’s off-putting presence in the novel is suggested to be a red herring, as his behavior marks him as introverted and odd but essentially harmless. However, Miles grows increasingly suspicious as he witnesses Tobin engaging in uncharacteristic acts such as eating a termite and blowing blinding eraser dust into Miles’s face.
By the time the narrative reaches its climax, it is clear that Tobin is fulfilling a more deeply symbolic role. By consuming books and spreading termites, he represents both the physical and ideological erasure of knowledge, standing as a direct contrast to Miles, who actively works to spread knowledge by writing poetry, learning about many different subjects, and organizing a book drive for youths in prison, like his cousin Austin. Although Tobin’s attributes as an antagonist are based upon the overblown imagery typical of classic comic-book villains, his symbolic role renders him a quick enemy to Miles-as-Spiderman. The pair’s epic battle across school grounds thus represents an external manifestation the inner battles against injustice that Miles has been fighting in his mind during the long hours of his suspension. Tobin’s transformation into the termite monster is the culmination of the systemic and personal conflicts that drive the plot, and the altercation illustrates Miles’s determination not to let the corruption of racism and oppression spread any further. His heroic actions against the termite version of Tobin thus defend knowledge, literacy, and the very concept of individuality.
Ganke
Ganke is Miles’s best friend and roommate, and because he is fully aware of Miles’s identity as Spiderman, he fills the traditional role of a superhero’s sidekick and confidante. By supporting Miles without judgment, Ganke embodies the virtues of loyalty, trust, and unconditional acceptance. Miles sees Ganke as a positive influence, someone who makes his life better, and Ganke is one of the only people whom Miles fully trusts. The poem “Not to Mention” exemplifies this dynamic, especially when Miles relies leaves the full depths of his meaning unspoken by writing, “Ganke knows I’m—” // and he knows I can—” (141). Because the truth of his superhero status remains an unvoiced understanding, Miles’s halting yet emphatic acknowledgment shows the depth of his friendship with Ganke, and his reluctance to fully explain himself in this verse conveys the true weight of the secret they carry together. In short, Ganke bridges the gap between Miles’s two worlds, easing The Duality of Identity that defines the protagonist’s existence and providing a safe haven where Miles can be both a teenager and a superhero.
Mr. Chamberlain
Mr. Chamberlain, Miles’s racist history teacher, is the initial antagonist whose opinions sets the stage for many of Miles’s challenges in the novel. By openly promoting racist and historically inaccurate ideas and callously quashing his students’ attempts to challenge his oppressive views, he displays egregious behavior that illustrates the importance of Combating the Undercurrents of Systemic Racism. Notably, Mr. Chamberlain is never punished for propagating his racist views and his misrepresentations of how enslaved Black people historically regarded their circumstances. Miles demonstrates his own moral courage by challenging his teacher’s harmful views, and although the protagonist is driven by his frustration to break his desk, his teacher’s method of discipline is steeped in racism and designed to humiliate Miles.
When Mr. Chamberlain makes Miles sit on the floor, he cruelly asserts his hierarchical control and exhibits the full extent of his bigotry. People like Mr. Chamberlain reduce Miles’s dignity and place him below both his peers and the teacher, as well as the whole world. Mr. Chamberlain’s reprehensible actions compel Miles to reflect on the nature of systemic oppression and fuel his desire to seek justice and assert his own voice, helping to catalyze the internal conflict that he experiences during his suspension. However, the lack of punishment for the teacher’s actions also suggests that the presence of systemic racism continues in the academy in some form, even as the library’s decision to fumigate for termites celebrates the partial success of Miles’s efforts against injustice.
Unlock analysis of every major character
Get a detailed breakdown of each character’s role, motivations, and development.
- Explore in-depth profiles for every important character
- Trace character arcs, turning points, and relationships
- Connect characters to key themes and plot points