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1975: Year of the Cat
Today is Tet. Ha's mother wants her brother to wake up first and bless their home. Ha does not think this is fair. So, she wakes up before her brother to bless the house herself. "I decided to wake up befoe dawn and tap my big toe to the tile floor first." (page 3) This shows that Ha is a rebelious character. -
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Ha
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Kim Ha
Ha is 10 years old and has three brothers. The oldest is Quang who is 21. The middle brother is Vu who is 18. And the youngest brother is Khoi who is 14. Ha's brothers make fun of her name and tease her by calling her "Ha Ma" which means River Horse or by screaming "Ha Ya!!" They also make fun of the ways she follows her mother around. Her mother tells her, "They tease you because they adore you" (page 6). -
Papaya Tree
Ha has a papaya tree that she cares for. Her brothers always notice the growth of the tree before Ha does because they can see much higher on the tree then she can. Ha promises herself that she will be the one to see the first papaya. "I vow that I will rise first every morning to stare at the dew on the green fruit shaped like a lightbulb. I will be the first to witness it's rippening" (page 9). -
Ti Ti Waves Goodbye
Ha's best friend Ti Ti is moving to Vung Tau. Vung Tau is where the rich people are going to flee Vietname on Cruise ships. Ha is happy that her family is poor so they don't have to leave like Ti Ti's family. Ha says, "I'm glad we have become poor so we can stay" (page 11). -
Current News
On Fridays in Ha's class they talk about current news that is going on in the world. They talk about the communist, rising prices, and distant bombs. Ha's teacher finally anounces that they will only be talking about happy news from now on. In the story it says, "No one has anything to say" (page 18). THis shows that there are no good things going on in the world at this time. -
Birthday Wishes
On Ha's birthday she wishes for many things. Some of the things she wishes for are very childish and imaturee like wanting long hair, wanting to loose her chubby cheeks, or wanting a sister. But, some of the things she wishes for are alittle more seriouse like wishing she knew her father or wanting him to come home so her mother won't be sad anymore. She says, "Mostly, I wish father would appear in our doorway and make mothers lips curl upward, lifting from a permanent frown of worries"(page 31) -
Closed to Soon
When Ha is in school a siren goes off ans school is now closed for the rest of the year because of the war coming closer. But Ha isn't worried about the war. She is worried about more childish things like finishing her riddle to win a sweet potato plant or being mad at Tram, the teachers pet. "Again I pinch Tram knowing the plant will be awarded today to the teachers pet, who is always skinny and nervous and never me" (page 40). -
Sssshhhhhhh
Ha's brother Kohi wakes up Ha and brings her to the backyard. He tells her that they can't leave because of his chick and her papayas. He makes her pinky promise that they will not leave. "No matter what Mother desides, we are not to leave. I must protect my chick and you your papayas" (page 46). -
Quiet Desision
Ha is helping her mother prepare for dinner. When she is cutting the potatoes she cutts of a big slice and then decides to only cut a small piece and save the rest. Ha thinks that this is smart and is proud of herself for saving food. But mother feels bad. She says, "You deserve to grow up where you don't worry about saving half a bite of a sweet potato" (page 47). -
Saigon is Gone
Ha and her family are now on the boat fleeing Vietnam. There here bombs over head and everyone is in a panic. Every is ordered to go below the deck. A helocopter pilot from their side jumps into the water and climbs on the boat, he comes with bad news. " It's over; Saigon is gone" (page 69). -
Last Respects
Brother Khoi's chick has just died. Ha is sympatetic to his pain and decideds to wrap the dead chick in her dolls arms and throw it over board. "Brother Khoi nods and i smile, but i regret not having my doll as soon as the white bundle sinks into the sea" (page 86). This shows how Ha is both mature and childish. -
Amethyst Ring
Ha's mother wants to buy needle, fabric, and sandals from the market at the camp. She wants to get the money by selling the ring that their father brought back frm America. Quang and Ha both stop her. " NO!! What's the point of new shirts and sandals, if you loose the last tangible remnant of love?" (page 104). This shows that Ha and her siblings miss their father very much and are still hopefull that he will retern. -
Alabama
Everyone at the camp is looking for sponsers. But, no one wants Ha's family because it is very large. Until one man comes who is looking for a young man who is looking to be a mechanic. The man picks Quang, who studies in engenering. But Ha's mother gets the man to take all of them. "By the time she is done staring, blinking, and wiping away tears, all without speaking english, our our entire family has a sponser to Alabama" (page 110). -
American Chicken
Most of the food in America is either wrapped in platic, canned, or frozen. Ha's sponser brings her family a bucket of fried chicken. Ha takes a bite. "I bite diwn on a thigh; might as well bight down on bread soaked in water" (page 121). They gag and spits it out, used to the taste of the fresh chicken they get from their yard. -
Loud outside
It's Ha's first day of school. None of the students look like her. A pink boy with white hair pulls Ha's long dark arm hair. Ha wonders if he is just curious until everyone starts laughing at her. "He pokes my cheek, howls from everyone, he pokes my chest. I see nothing but sqeezed eyes and twisted mouths. No, they're not curious" (page 146). -
The Vu Lee effect
Ha's brother Vu Lee now picks her up from school everyday. No one makes fun of her anymore because they all like her brother. Not only do they stop making fun of her, they also sit with her at lunch and invite her to parties. "Someone is alsways hoping Vu Lee will offer her a ride" (page 229). Even pink boy stops bullying her.