Character Analysis
For a character who only gets the spotlight for three short chapters, Irene plays a pivotal role in The Sun Is Also A Star. She's the security guard at the USCIS building Natasha visits in an attempt to stop her family's deportation. Natasha has seen her working there several times and assumes she must hate her job, but she actually loves that it connects her with the outside world.
Inspired by Natasha's Nirvana phone case, Irene listens to Kurt Cobain on her lunch break and thinks about how tragically his life ended. She plans to kill herself at the end of the day and even writes a suicide note with lyrics to "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Fortunately, after Natasha's encouraging meeting with Attorney Fitzgerald, she remembers that Lester Barnes at USCIS gave her his number, and she calls to thank him. In Natasha's rambling excitement, she also asks him to thank Irene, the security guard, and he does.
This simple gesture is enough to make Irene feel like somebody cares about her. She calls a suicide hotline, starts therapy, and takes medication to help address her depression. A few years later, she becomes a flight attendant and tasks herself with comforting lonely people on her planes.
A decade after her darkest day, she sees the girl who thanked her in seat 8C, all grown up now. Irene works up the courage to tell her how their lives are connected, and the young woman remembers her. When Natasha introduces herself, the young man in seat 7A hears her name and turns around.
A decade after their heartbreakingly magical day, Daniel and Natasha are finally reunited.
If we had to sum up Irene's story in one Instagram-friendly quote, we'd choose this one, attributed to the author Ian McLaren: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
Of course, it wouldn't have been Natasha's fault if she hadn't thanked Irene and Irene had gone through with her plan to commit suicide—but Natasha's spontaneous act of kindness was enough to save Irene's life. Irene also embodies this quote when she becomes a flight attendant, considering herself a "guardian angel with metallic wings" (342) for her passengers. Ultimately, Irene's choice to stay alive leads Natasha back to Daniel, bringing the entire story full circle.