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Year of the Cat
This day is Tet. Tet is the Vietnamese new year. The Vietnamese calender is a luner calender so their new year is on a different day each year. For every Vietnamese recieves one more year in age. ''Every Tet we eat sugary lotas seeds and glutious rice cakes. We wear all new clothes, even underneath... Everyone must smile no matter how we feel." Page 1 -
Period: to
Ha
The charicter development of Ha in the book Inside Out and Back Again. -
Inside Out
This day is when Ha's mother went to see a fortune teller like she does each year. "Every new year Mother vists I Ching Teller of Fate. This year he predicts our lives will twist indside out." Ha thinks that her life is bad so she thinks it'll change for the better. Page 4 -
Papaya Tree
Ha speaks about the growing of the papaya tree and how her brothers each reconizes different stages and different parts of the tree. "Brother Khoi spotted the first whte blossom... Brother Vu later found a baby papaya... Brother Quang is the oldest... Who knows what he will notice before me." page 8 -
TiTi Waves Good-bye
Ha's best friend TiTi is moving out of Vietnam to avoid the war. This tears a long friendship apart although she feels fortunut that she is poor so she can stay in Vietnam. "they're heading to Vung Tau, he says where the rich go to flee Vietnam on cruise ships." page 11 -
Quiet Decision
As poverty takes it's toll on Ha and her family, Ha rations her food to try and perserve what ever food their family could get there hands on. "I start to chop off a potato's end as wide as my thumbnail, then decide to slice off only a sliver.... I see tears in Mother's deep eyes." page 47 -
Wet and Crying
As the war approaches Ha and her family are forced to flee there home so they decide to cut down the only papaya suitable for consuption. Mother tells the children to eat while fresh fruit is still avalible. "Black seeds spill like clusters of eyes, wet and crying" Seeds of hope. page 60 -
Saigon Is Gone
A day after bording the ship that's trveling to America, a soldier arrives on the ship telling the people on the vessal of the status of Saigon. "Its over; Saigon is gone." Those became the dreaded words to be uttered by the soldier. There's no going back home for Ha. page 67-69 -
The Moon
With all the things that have changed and with all the things that are going to change mother tells Ha the moon doesn't change nor will it ever. "Your father could be looking at the same round moon. He may already understand we will wait for him acroos the world." (Quote said be Mother directed to Ha). This made Ha feel a little better about their situation. Page 90 -
Tent City
After a long travel Ha arrives in a"Tent City" in Guam. Although now away from the Communists life didn't improve much for Ha and her family. "Many others arrive leaving before us and are living in green tents and sleeping on cots... We only eat canned fruit in thick syrup and evryone wants extras but we only get a cup" page 96-97 -
Alabama
A sponsor becomes interested in Quangs eduucation in egineering and just like that Ha and her family are selected to go to America. "...our entire family has a sponsor to Alabama." Ha and her family experience a time of relief now having somewhre to go. page 109-110 -
Third Rule
As Ha learns more and more Englidh frustration sets in. Ha doesn't understand why there are so many rules, especially why certian nouns, when plural don't require an s at the end of that word. "Who ever invented English should be bitten by a snake" page 128 -
The Outside
As Ha's first American school year towers near, she worrys about how school is in America. Ha's being insecure. "...What friends? (Ha speaking)
You'll make some. (Mother)
What if I can't?
You will.
What will I eat?
Be surprised.
I hate surprises.
Be agreeable."
page 136- 138 -
Loud Outside
When Ha attends her first day of school in America, she gets put down and bullied by other kids for being Vietnamese, for being different. ('they' in the following quote refers to the children that make fun of Ha) "A pink boy with whte hair on his head and white eyebrows and white eyelashes pulls my arm hair... I want to pluck out every white hair to see if the boy's scalp matches the pink of his face." page 145-146 -
Hiding
In school Ha hides from her peers to avoid being bullied, but at home she recieves fighting lessons from her brother, Vu. Ha does so with hopes that she will be able to defend herself one day. The determination brings out the best in Ha. "I need the lessons...I'm hiding in class...I'm hiding during lunch...I'm hiding during outside time... I'm hiding after school... With Vu Lee I squat in dung tan... I'm practicing to be seen." page 160-163 -
Most Relieved Day
After Ha opens up to Miss Washington, Miss Washington makes it so Ha can eat hear lunch in the classroom instead of the bathroom. With that so, Ha eats her lunch in Miss Scott's classroom the following day. That's when Ha's most relieved day begins. "Two students run into class, giggling... smiles appear... the girl... Pem... the boy... SSsi-Ti-Van... I will write in my journal October 14 is Most Relieved Day." This makes Ha feel a little more comfortable when in school. -
War and Peace
Miss Scott shows her class photos of Saigon, but not the good ones. Ha would sometime pick war time in Saigon over peacetime in Alabma. "MiSS SScott shows photographs of a burned, naked girl.. of people climbing, screaming... She should have shown something about papayas and Tet." page 194-195 -
Confessions
Ha lets all thats she's hiding go by telling her mother about all of the bad that she has done.. "I used to buy less pork so I could buy fried dough... I used to like making the girl that shared my desk cry... Now they make me cry. Will I be punished forever?... I hate being told I cant do things because I'm a girl!... They chase me... Can I hit them?... (Ha)
Preferably nt with your fists." (Mother) This makes Ha feel better about who she is. pages 213-216 -
A Shift and WOW!
After brother Khoi hears about how Ha was going to get beat up, he and Ha made a pan to leave school in such a way that Ha would avoid the fight completely. Ha does her part but when Khoi wasn't at the pick up location Ha was forced to fend off pink boy until... "A roar.. A gigantic motorcycle... VU LEE!... Pink boy disappears... We fly home." At this point Ha will nver be bothered by Pink Boy again. pages225-228 -
The Vu Lee Effect
Now after Vu Lee saved Ha from Pink Boy Ha is the center of attention but this time for good reaons. "...someone is always saving lunch seats for me... inviting us to a party... Pink Boy avoids us , and we're glad." page 229 -
Eternal Peace
Ha and her family accepted their father's death and are wishing him safe passage to eternal peace. "Father won't leav if we hold on to him... At least we no longer live in waiting." (Mother) page 251-252 -
1976: Year of the Dragon
It's been a year since Ha's life began to change, So she reflects and learned to appreciate what she had. Now she faces every challenge as if it was a obstacle that she must over come. Change is good when you look at it in the right light. "This year I hope I truly learn to fly-kick, not to kick anyone so much as to fly." Pages 257-260
