Symbolism
Hà’s brother, Khôi, refuses to let go of this dead object, representing the loss of innocence and the physical toll of their journey
What is the chick?
Hà describes English grammar rules, specifically plurals and tenses, using this adjective that reflects her frustration and the language's "pointy" nature.
What is "sharp"?
This city, Hà’s home, is renamed Ho Chi Minh City after its fall in April 1975.
What is Saigon?
This is the nickname Hà gives to her primary bully at school, a boy with hair the color of a specific summer fruit.
Who is Pink Boy?
This is the Vietnamese New Year, the opening setting of the book, where Hà’s mother warns that their behavior on this day determines their luck for the rest of the year.
What is Tet?
This fruit serves as a metaphor for Hà’s life: green and firm in Vietnam, but "black and smeared" when processed in Alabama.
What is the papaya?
When Hà’s classmates bully her, they use this derogatory "rhythmic" chant that mocks her heritage.
What is the poem title?
What is "Fly Kick"?
To be sponsored to leave the refugee camp in Florida, Hà’s family discovers that Americans are most likely to pick families of this specific religion.
What is Christianity (specifically Baptist)?
While most neighbors are cold, this character becomes Hà's tutor and friend, helping her bridge the gap between her two worlds
Who is Mrs. Washington?
Because she is the youngest and a girl, Hà is forbidden from being the first to do this on New Year’s morning, a tradition reserved for the men in the family.
What is touch the floor (or "step on the floor")?
Hà’s mother chooses to burn these items before they leave, symbolizing the total severance of their ties to their past life to ensure their safety.
What are the photographs?
This is the specific literary format Thanhha Lai uses to write the novel, which allows for brief, intense bursts of emotion.
What is free verse poetry?
This is the name of the naval operation or the general "event" that forced thousands of South Vietnamese citizens to flee by sea.
What is the Fall of Saigon?
Hà’s brothers each have different ways of coping; this brother obsesses over Bruce Lee and martial arts as a way to protect himself from bullies.
Who is Brother Vũ?
To make their sponsorship official, the family must undergo this religious ritual at the local Del Ray Baptist Church, even though they do not fully understand it.
What is a baptism?
This specific piece of jewelry represents the family’s ultimate sacrifice and the "weight" of their father’s memory that Mother must eventually let go of.
What is the amethyst ring?
Hà is confused by this English idiom used by her "Cowboy," which suggests that someone is very kind, though she takes the anatomy literally.
What is "Golden Heart" (or Heart of Gold)?
Hà’s "Cowboy" sponsor lives in this specific U.S. state, which Hà finds confusing because there are no actual cows in his yard.
What is Alabama?
When Hà first arrives in Alabama, her sponsor’s wife shows her disapproval through this specific "silent" action involving the family’s presence in her house.
What is staying in her room (or refusing to look at them/ignoring them)?
At the end of the novel, the family celebrates a "modified" Tet; instead of traditional ingredients they cannot find, they use this common American snack to represent the crunch of rice cakes.
What are puffed rice (or Rice Krispies)?
"I always wish of her eyes,/ but Mother says no./ Eyes like hers can't help/ but carry sadness;"
What is the poem title?
What is "Birthday"?
The title of the poem "Missing in Action" refers to this person, whose absence is the "hole" in the center of the family’s life.
Who is Hà’s father?
Why were people so outraged about the Vietnam war?
First televised war
In a moment of intense frustration, Hà wishes this "physical" trait upon her bully, hoping he would experience the same vulnerability she feels.
What is hair on his face (or wishing he would trip/be embarrassed)?
Hà often uses this literary device to compare herself to a "clump of rice" or a "tiny chick," highlighting her feelings of insignificance.
What is a simile?