Challenges Faced By Characters In Inside Out And Back Again

Migrating to a new country, being stranded at sea, or surviving an abusive Prisoner of War (“POW”) camp can be daunting. Even though these difficult situations tend to weaken you, the main characters Ha (from Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai) and Louie Zamperini (from Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand) grew stronger through challenges. At first, both characters faced challenges that seemed impossible to overcome. Yet, Ha and Louie learned to adapt to situations, stand up for themselves, and remain hopeful. Ultimately, they both developed into braver, more resilient, and confident individuals. To start, in the book Inside Out and Back Again, the main character Ha had just migrated from Vietnam to America. It was challenging for Ha to get used to American culture; at first, she was stubborn to change. But later,

Because Ha was different from everybody else, she was constantly bullied and teased. At first, Ha didn’t do anything about it because she felt too embarrassed and hurt. But later, Ha learned to defend herself and show the bullies that she wasn't a weak girl. “Again, they’re yelling,/Boo-Da, Boo-Da/…Enough time/for me to shout Gee-sus, Gee-sus/…I love how they stop,/ mouths open” (Lai 219). Finally, Ha was done hiding in the shadows and being teased because she was different. She surprised Pink Boy and his jerks with her insults since she was always quiet. Her newfound confidence led her to stand up for herself on more occasions. “Pink Boy plows toward me/…When he’s close enough/for me to see the white arm hair,/I shift my upper body/to the left./…A thud./ Pink Boy writhes on the pavement” (Lai 225). Ha now has made her mark and showed Pink Boy that if he were to mess with her again, he’d be messing with trouble. Laura Hillenbrand, like Thanhha Lai, used adverse conditions to show how Louie stood up for himself and developed into a stronger, more confident