Refugees In 'Inside Out And Back Again'

Rough Draft

Refugees are common people who must flee their home country, due to the fear of all the war-driven chaos going on. In the novel Inside Out & Back Again, written by Thanhha Lai, Ha must go through the feeling of losing her father, although she never really knew him she could feel the absence of him. She must also leave almost all her belongings behind.The article Children of War shows great examples, such as Amela Kantenica, she just isn’t the same person now that her father is gone. Before she fled her home, Ha was an average girl, she went to school, she had friends, she was accepted. But in America, things aren’t the same, when they turn “Inside Out and back again”. When families leave, they must leave many of their belongings behind, and some even lose loved ones. Attempting to flee their country and find a new home as a refugee is what makes them feel inside out.
Refugees do not get to take many of their belongings with them when they flee their home.
For instance, Ha’s family puts their essential belongings into a brown sac, such as clothing. And out of all Ha’s belongings, she only is able to bring one thing, she chooses the doll scarred with rat bites. This piece of evidence is significant because it relates to the universal refugee experience. when refugees leave on their voyage to their new home, there is barely any room for luggage, not to mention the overcrowded people. Also, Amela Kantenica, 17 years old at the time, shows how her life was turned inside out. “After I found out about my father’s death, everything seemed so useless. I couldn’t see any future for myself. I wasn’t the same person anymore.” (Arthur Brice). It is very unfortunate to say, but this feeling of losing loved ones, has occurred with many refugees, including Ha with her father. The feeling of turning “inside out” relates to the universal refugee experience when they lose their loved ones, and cannot bring all of their belongings with them on their
voyage. As a refugee, not everything is so bad forever, their lives will eventually turn “back again”. For example, Amela Kantenica says to the interviewer, “Things are getting better because we can go to school.” (Arthur Brice), Kantenica is just like the average refugee, she and many others do begin to get accepted into their new culture. Their lives turn “back again” into their old lives in their home country. The novel Inside Out And Back Again shows us the same feeling from Ha, “someone is always inviting us to a party,” (Thanhha Lai). Ha has begun to make friends in Alabama, showing signs of Vietnam, her homeland, where she had many friends from school.