Character Analysis: Everything I Never Told You

In the novel Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng introduces her reader to a Chinese American Family living in Ohio in the 1970s. The parents, James and Marilyn Lee, push their child Lydia to fulfill the dreams that they themselves aren’t able to pursue. At first Lydia is able to keep her parents happy by living up to their expectations but as time progresses, the expectations start to build up. In order to live up to her parents’ expectations and keep them happy, Lydia begins to lead a life of lies which eventually leads to her death. Marilyn pushes Lydia into pursuing the dream of becoming a doctor which she herself isn’t able to do. Lydia is determined to do whatever her mother tells her especially after Marilyn leaves the family. Lydia believes that it’s her and her brother Nath’s fault that Marilyn leaves. “It’s not your fault, her father had said, but Lydia knew it was. They’d something wrong, she and Nath; they’d made her angry somehow” (137). Marilyn leaves because she

Her parents push her into pursuing the dreams which they aren’t able to pursue. At first it seemed like a small thing to keep her parents happy but as time progresses, she begins to realize that she can’t live up to her parents’ expectations. Lydia finally receives a gift from her parents which she likes, a necklace, but that also turns into one of the things that the parents want from Lydia, to have friends. All her life, Lydia does everything her parents want from her and not doing what she likes to do. Eventually Lydia decides to let her parents know her real self. She wants to change her life and do what pleases her and not her parents. But it is too late as Lydia steps into the lake and disappears. The idea of going in the lake and coming out symbolizes a new beginning for Lydia where she would just be herself but she doesn’t overcome this challenge and leaves her parents wondering where they might have gone