Character Analysis Of Ha In Inside Out And Back Again

Ha is a little girl who was living in Saigon during the Vietnam war and survived it. Her and her family fled the country avoiding death during this time. During the escape they came across many many obstacles. They were all gone through without her father who had been missing from his service in the military. After going through all these hard times Ha was able to grow stronger as a person. In Thanhha Lai’s book, Inside Out and Back Again, Ha is a dynamic character because she becomes caring and learns a lot. First, Ha learns new ways of living life. One of the things was that her everyday life in Saigon changed from the starting of the war. “School’s now closed; everyone must go home a month too soon”(Lai 38). Ha even learns how to speak english. She keeps getting frustrated with herself because she can't speak it as well as she wants to but is still not giving up. “MiSSSisss WaSShington makes me memorize a new word a day and practice it ten times in conversations”(Lai 166). She also finds out that for her neighbors to talk to her and her family in Alabama they need to get baptized. “...We agreed to something at the Del Ray Southern Baptist Church”(Lai 169).

After being on the ship for weeks her brother started to smell really bad. He had a dead chick in his pocket that he didn't want to leave in Saigon. Ha only brought her doll that she cared so much about. “Alone on the back of the ship I open mother’s white handkerchief. Inside lies my mouse-bitten doll, her arms wrapped around the limp fuzzy body of his chick”(Lai 86). Ha has started to have sympathy for her family. “ When is it going to be my turn?”(Lai 112). She wants to help her mom set up their new home; Ha feels left out. “At least we no longer live in waiting”(Lai 256). Ha is trying very hard to make-do with her father’s death, even though she still gets tears in her eyes when looking at his