How we cite our quotes: (Part.Poem.Stanza)
Quote #1
Mornings free,
Mother trusts me
to shop at the open market. (1.10.2)
Even at the beginning of the book we see Hà beginning to develop some independence, taking on the responsibility of shopping for the family instead of tagging along with her mom.
Quote #2
Wish I could lose my chubby cheeks.
Wish I could stay calm
no matter what
my brothers say. (1.15.4-5)
One of the first signs that young people are beginning to come-of-age is that they start noticing their appearance and behavior, and how it differs from adults.
Quote #3
I am proud
of my ability
to save
until I see
tears
in Mother's
deep eyes. (1.23.3)
This is part shows how Hà is growing up in two ways. On one hand, she has become conscious of the need to conserve and not waste food, but on the other hand, more subtly we see that she realizes that her mother does not see Hà's consciousness of the need to conserve as a good thing. Hà gets that Mother wishes their lives were different, and that her daughter knew different things than the importance of not wasting a morsel.