Inside Out And Back Again Analysis

The novel Inside Out and Back Again is full of meaning, especially the title, referring to the journey most relocated refugees embark on. This novel written by Thanhha Lai, is about a young girl named Ha who is forced to flee her home Saigon after the communist North Vietnamese take control of her city. Before Ha left her home, she was a rebellious and curious kid. When the war hits home, she is hardened in a way, she lets go of her childhood. The war turned Ha “inside out”. The title Inside Out and Back Again, has two parts. The “inside out” represents the feeling of having to flee very quickly leaving everything behind. The “back again” is the settling in their new country or their country of origin, a return to normal life and safety from

They have little to no knowledge about ways of doing things in different countries such as these and have to relearn simple tasks. The takeover “At noon today the Communists crashed their tanks through the gates of the presidential palace and planted on the roof a flag with one huge star” (Lai 69), could be considered the very moment Ha’s life turned “inside out”. The militant capture of Saigon deeply affected Ha forcing her to flee her home and relocate. Ha fled onto a ship leaving Saigon behind in multiple ways, “Inside lies my mouse-bitten doll, her arms wrapped around the limp fuzzy body of his chick. I tie it all into a bundle. Brother Khoi nods and I smile, but I regret not having my doll as soon as the white bundle sinks into the sea” (Lai 86). This symbolizes the destruction of her past from the now non-existent South Vietnam and in turn, her innocence. She now has had to experience leaving her home and surviving off very little. The sudden uprooting of a refugee’s life such as Ha’s, or turning “inside out” forces them to transfer to another area and look for a new