Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

The Vietnam War

Not sure if you guys know this or not, but war can really mess things up for people. And in Hà's case, her whole life is uprooted because of the Vietnam War. It's the reason she has no dad, it's the reason her family has to leave Saigon so suddenly, and it's the reason she finds herself a stranger in a strange land once they reach the United States. Though Hà and her family keep their eyes on the prize, the Vietnam War really tries to break their stride, which is about as antagonistic as things get.

Pink Boy

We try hard not to hate on kids—really, we do—but Pink Boy is just too hard to like. Even though he's young enough that he's probably just repeating prejudiced ideas he's heard at home (instead of forming these opinions entirely on his own), he's so relentlessly mean to Hà that we just can't get behind him. He taunts her, hurts her, chases her after school, and even threatens to have his older cousin beat her up. He is a very real barrier to Hà's ability to settle in once she reaches Alabama, and that means he's definitely an antagonist in this book.