Inside Out and Back Again Whole Book
June 27, 2018
Inside Out and Back Againby Thanhha Lai
Literary Awards: Newberry Honor (2012), National Book Award (2011)
Focus: Poetry, Historical Fiction
About the Author
Thanhha Lai was born in Saigon, Vietnam. She immigrated to Montgomery, Alabama after the war in 1975. It took Lai 15 years to writeInside Out and Back Again,her semi-autobiographical novel. This was also her first novel. Many details in the story were inspired by her own memories. Lai currently lives in New York. She has a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA in writing from New York University. She also teaches writing at Parsons School of Design. She started a non-profit organization called Viet for Kids Inc. with the goal of buying bicycles for students who are unable to afford them and have to walk two hours to and from school. A bike allows them to spend their energy in the classroom. Each year, Viet Kids has been able to give away 30 to 50 bikes, plus funding for tuition, uniforms, and rice—basics that every student needs.
Summary
The story begins in 1975 in Saigon, Vietnam. Ha is a ten year old spitfire who shows defiance in the face of cultural traditions that don't allow her to be her true self. On the eve of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, Ha's mother insists that one of Ha's brothers must rise first to bless the house because only male's feet bring good luck. Ha decides to get up earlier than her brothers and "tap her big toe on the tile of the floor first." But, everything in her life changes as the Vietnam War reaches her home. Nine years ago, her father disappeared during a Navy mission. Ha's mother has to work hard to provide for the family. As the war moves ever closer, Ha's mother has to decide what the family should do; stay or flee Vietnam. In a family meeting, Ha's Brother Quang says it is shameful to leave the country when there is so much work to be done; Brother Khoi wants to stay in case father returns and Brother Vu wants to go. Mother's eyes, which always reflect her true feelings, conveys to Ha "You deserve to grow up where you don't have to worry about saving half a bite of sweet potato" (pg 47). Mother decides to go; Uncle Son, father's friend from the navy says he has a way for them to get passage on ship bound for Thailand. Mother shows the boys a portrait of father saying, "Come with us, or we'll all stay. Think, my son; your action will determine our future" (pg 53). For their mother, the boys decide to go.
The families' journey across the sea is a harrowing one. Because of the overcrowding on the boat, food and water are in short supply. But, Ha surmises,
"But no one
is heartless enough
to say
stop
because what if they had been
stopped
before their turn?"
April 29, Sunset
And so, they endure. They endure thirst, seasickness and hunger. They endure the stench of bodies and too many people crowded into one place. About a month later, they are rescued by an American ship and sent to a refugee camp in Guam. After two months, Mother must decide where they are to go next. With the promise of a better opportunities for her sons, she chooses America. The family is sent to another refugee camp in Florida.
For families to leave this camp, they must be sponsored by an American family. This is hard for Ha's family since there are so many of them. They wait and wait and finally Mother convinces a man from Alabama to take them all. In Alabama, Ha and her family are forced to learn a new way of living that is foreign to their own. In this new world Ha and her brothers are tormented at school and neighbors greet them with hostility and refusal to accept them. It is not easy, but the family bands together in love and support. Mother continues to encourage her children and reinforce this was the best choice for them, even though she too feels the emotional turmoil of leaving their old life behind. One of the neighbors, Mrs. Washington, is different from the rest. With acceptance and understanding, she becomes Ha's confidant and advocate. With her love and support, Ha is able to learn better English and come to terms with her new life in America. As the family finally lets go of the hope that father will return, they embrace a new existence where traditions from home can combine with American life to make something new and full of hope.
Author's Use of Language
Inside Out and Back Again is written as a verse novel. The author combines narrative poems, lyric poems and free verse poems to capture the honesty of Ha's experience as a refugee.
- Use of first person point of view in form of journal:By writing the story in the form of a journal, we see Ha in all her complexity and embrace her as a kindred spirit. Through her point of view, we are able to live the life of a Vietnamese refugee because the author captures Ha's emotional life. The titles of each "entry" summarize Ha's life in that moment and helps the reader understand what she is going through. This is especially true in Part III of the book where Ha and her family move to Alabama. Here, we experience firsthand the cruelty of the children towards outsiders, the harm of an unaware teacher and the prejudices of adults. Here is an example of where Ha's raw emotion explodes off the page:
- Use of humor:Throughout the story, the author is able to show us the humorous side of Ha's personality. We also see her resilience as she is able to keep her sense of humor even in the darkest of times.
The author cleverly inserts English grammar rules to show Ha's frustration with learning the language. Embedded in these rules we see Ha's sense of humor which also reflects her cleverness and poignant understanding of life.
- Figurative language: Through the use of figurative language, the author creates strong imagery in the reader's mind. We see the depth of characters through beautifully worded sentences and phrases.
This was one of my favorite poems that illustrated the power of Lai's use of figurative language. I can literally walk in Ha's shoes and feel her anxiety as she anticipates her first day of school.
- Understatement: Oftentimes, Lai allows the reader to draw their own conclusion without telling them exactly what to think. A great example of this is in the poem "Left Behind" on pages 57-59. Ha's mother is getting together the family's memorabilia; their sentimental treasures. Lai writes, "Mother chooses ten and burns the rest. We cannot leave evidence of Father's life that might hurt him." There is much to consider; is father coming back? Does this imply he is dead? What consequences could there be to leaving personal artifacts behind? The reader must draw these conclusions to understand the depth of meaning portrayed here.
- Use of precise vocabulary to create rhythm and melody:In writingInside Out and Back Again,Lai wanted to emulate the work of Nguyên Du, Vietnam's most famous poet who could " convey the world inside two lines of six or eight syllables." States Lai, "In writing Inside Out , I did delete every unneeded word. I did read the lines out loud once they were set. In creating them, I thought in Vietnamese in terms of images, then translated those images into English in a way that left the rhythm of the original language intact. The Vietnamese I know, influenced by my mother, is naturally poetic, rhythmic, melodic. Because Vietnamese is based on Chinese, which of course is a language built from images, I was able to express emotions through pictures, not words. Thus I was able to cut many unneeded words, leaving just the core, like boiling down sap to make syrup" (Wolff, 2012). This is precisely the effect she attained.
Read this poem out loud and you will be able to feel how the preciseness of the vocabulary creates a melodic rhythm that creates strong images that evoke an emotional response.
Lesson Ideas
I would useInside Out and Back Again with adolescent students to analyze character. Ha is a complex character; one who has endured a remarkable journey. Through her journal writing, she shares every bit of herself with the reader in an effort to share her story with the world. I have shared the graphic organizer below previously, but I think it is incredibly effective in having students analyze a character from different perspectives to really capture the essence of who they are. Again, it also pulls students back to the text to re-read as they search for text evidence to validate their thinking.
Analyzing Characters Graphic Organizer
As a way for students to demonstrate their understanding of the character, I would have them write an "I Am" poem from the perspective of Ha. In the past, students have enjoyed this activity. I encourage them to use figurative language in their poem to create effect for the reader. As an extension, students could also choose to write an "I Am" poem from the perspective of another character in the book, such as mother, one of the brothers, or Mrs. Washington to further their critical analysis of the text.
I Am Poem Template
Mentor Text
I think this text would serve as a wonderful mentor text for students to analyze the interactions between individuals, events and ideas in a text. This is a challenging standard for middle school students because it is abstract and hard to conceptualize. There are many, many interactions for students to examine and discuss withinInside Out and Back Againthat are familiar to students and have meaning for them in their everyday lives. This helps them make the abstract more concrete. For example, students could analyze how ideas influence individuals and events by thinking about how the idea of freedom and opportunity influenced mother to take the family to America.
Looking Beyond the Text
Ha is a strong example of someone who shows grit in the face of difficulty. Giving up was never an option for her. She persevered with the help of friends, family and traditions. I love characters like Ha that have "real" moments students can really connect with. After a terrible day at school, Ha goes to Mrs. Washington's and has a screaming, crying tantrum to release her anger. Mrs. Washington uses the power of touch to calm Ha and remind her she has support. In another moment of frustration, Ha's mother encourages her to chant in order to calm her raging emotions. In both instances, she is able to do so, even though the process is messy. This is something I know students can relate to and discuss as it has happened to them or someone in the class.
There is also much to unpack in the hate and ignorance Ha faces when she enters the American school system as well as the way she sees herself as "dumb" because of the language barrier. I would love to challenge students to think about how Ha would be treated if she showed up in our school tomorrow. Furthermore, I would want them to discuss the teacher's actions; where they right? Wrong? Did her actions create further stereotypes or dispel them? Do teachers at this school support students learning a second language? How or how not? After this conversation, I would want students to reflect on why it is important to know each other's stories. To me, this is how we build empathic, understanding youth who go on to become empathic, understanding adults.
Before Reading
In the author's note, Thanhha Lai extends this idea to us all: How much do we know about those around us? Before readingInside Out and Back Again,I would share Amal Kassir's Ted Talk called "The Muslim on the Airplane" with students to get them thinking about this question. For middle school students, this is a strong hook into the content of the book and prepares them to think critically in response to the video and as they read Ha's story. After reading her story, students may be inspired to share their own stories with their peers in an effort to deepen the connection within the community.
Q & A
1. What information does the author assume the reader knows?
Early on in the novel, the author talks about how North and South Vietnam were divided. Communism was a big part of this. The author assumes the reader is familiar with both the country of Vietnam and the concept of Communism. Readers need more background knowledge on the Vietnam war; what caused it, where the fighting occurred, conditions were like. This will help the reader think critically about the perspective presented in the story through the lens of Ha, a Vietnamese girl. With more knowledge of the different religions and traditions of Vietnamese people, students will be able to understand the weight of certain events in the book such as when Ha and her family are baptized into the Christian faith in order to fit in with their new community in Alabama.
2. What do you notice about stereotypes?
When Ha and her family move to Alabama, they encounter many stereotypes Americans have of Vietnamese people. Miss Scott has the entire class clap for Ha when she can recite the ABC's and count to twenty. She demeans Ha because Ha already knows all these concepts, just not the language. Students ask Ha if she eats dog meat, if she lived in the jungle with tigers and make fun of her name. Her brother gets called "Ching Chong" at school as well. In an attempt to help the class understand Ha, the teacher shows the class graphic images of war torn Vietnam and tells that class that is what Ha's life was like. By only presenting this one side of the story, she has named Ha "Vietnamese refugee." This is the name that will stick in the minds of the students. This is a powerful story to share with students in order to analyze and discuss the harmful effects of stereotyping.
3. Why did the author title this bookInside Out and Back Again?
Possibly the author titled the book this way to symbolize Ha's journey. After leaving her native country, the only home she ever knew, Ha's life was turned inside out. She had to learn a new language, live in a new culture, adopt a new religion and go to a new school. At moments, Ha's insides are literally on the outside as we see her raw emotion laid bare. She is not always able to remain composed as she is faced with hate, fear and ignorance. But, at the end of the story, she is able to come "back" in the sense that she starts to figure out her duality. She lets go of some things that will never be the same again- her father will never come home- and seeks to find ways to keep her Vietnamese heritage a part of her.
References:
Wolff, V. (2012). The Inside Story: Thanhha Lai.School Library Journal.
https://www.slj.com/2012/01/interviews/the-inside-story-thanhha-lai/#_
Source: https://teachertalk107.wordpress.com/2018/06/27/inside-out-and-back-again/
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