Inside Out And Back Again Essay
Charlotte Russell 1/6/15
Essay period 2 In the novel “Inside Out and Back Again” by Thanha Lai, the universal refugee experience is expressed through the title, and Ha’s individual experience of fleeing and finding home. This essay will show the hardships of turning inside out and how hard it is coming back again. In “Inside Out and Back Again” an independent, determined girl named Ha flees her home in Vietnam because of war and poverty. Ha and her family flee to Alabama to start a better life. In Alabama, Ha faces challenges such as bullying, and racism that make her stronger to come back again. In “Inside Out and Back Again” Ha’s life is turned inside out. Ha’s father was in the Navy and was captured. Ha’s family was left with the uncertainty of him being dead or not. On Ha’s birthday she wishes “my father would come home so I could stop daydreaming that he will appear in my classroom in a white navy uniform and extend his hand toward me for all my classmates to see. (Page 57)” During wartime many refugee children can relate to Ha. In “Children of War” refugee children Amela and Emir’s father, and “economics professor was kidnapped and killed.” Having loved ones disappear in wartime is not an uncommon thing in fleeing refugees. Not knowing if Ha’s father is alive or not contributes greatly on how Ha is turned inside out. When refugee families flee, whether it’s because of war, poverty, religion, etc. they leave things behind. When Ha’s friend TiTi had to leave home because of war in Vietnam she must say goodbye to friends and her home country, saying goodbye is just as hard for the friends who must stay. Ha says, “I would still be standing there crying and waving if Brother Khoi hadn’t taken my hand.” Once Ha and her family have finally decided to flee home they must chose a limited amount of belongings to take with them. When looking through pictures “mother chooses ten and burns the rest. We cannot leave behind evidence of
Essay period 2 In the novel “Inside Out and Back Again” by Thanha Lai, the universal refugee experience is expressed through the title, and Ha’s individual experience of fleeing and finding home. This essay will show the hardships of turning inside out and how hard it is coming back again. In “Inside Out and Back Again” an independent, determined girl named Ha flees her home in Vietnam because of war and poverty. Ha and her family flee to Alabama to start a better life. In Alabama, Ha faces challenges such as bullying, and racism that make her stronger to come back again. In “Inside Out and Back Again” Ha’s life is turned inside out. Ha’s father was in the Navy and was captured. Ha’s family was left with the uncertainty of him being dead or not. On Ha’s birthday she wishes “my father would come home so I could stop daydreaming that he will appear in my classroom in a white navy uniform and extend his hand toward me for all my classmates to see. (Page 57)” During wartime many refugee children can relate to Ha. In “Children of War” refugee children Amela and Emir’s father, and “economics professor was kidnapped and killed.” Having loved ones disappear in wartime is not an uncommon thing in fleeing refugees. Not knowing if Ha’s father is alive or not contributes greatly on how Ha is turned inside out. When refugee families flee, whether it’s because of war, poverty, religion, etc. they leave things behind. When Ha’s friend TiTi had to leave home because of war in Vietnam she must say goodbye to friends and her home country, saying goodbye is just as hard for the friends who must stay. Ha says, “I would still be standing there crying and waving if Brother Khoi hadn’t taken my hand.” Once Ha and her family have finally decided to flee home they must chose a limited amount of belongings to take with them. When looking through pictures “mother chooses ten and burns the rest. We cannot leave behind evidence of