The novel Inside Out and Back Again relates to the universal refugee experience regarding fleeing and finding a new home using specific and realistic examples. The general refugee experience is caused by war, or social injustice. Millions of people are killed or displaced while seeking a better life in an unfamiliar country. In Inside Out and Back Again, Ha flees her country due to war, causing her and her family to rebuild their lives in a new country from scratch. Though the novel isn’t exactly accurate, cutting out most of the gruesome details, Inside Out and Back Again can provide a glimpse of what refugees face without end. Refugees lives are “turned inside out” when they are pressured into fleeing their country. For instance, …show more content…
Even as a small child, it is obvious when something isn’t ethical, like war, and rather than a turning point, it seems like a rather large drop when their lives are turned inside out. Although, as the book continues, Ha notes, “We have landed on an island called Guam,” which is a shocking 7598 miles, or 12,228 kilometers away (Lai, 96). As the people aboard the boat search for a new start, it is obvious that they will stop at nothing to ensure the safety of those they love, even if it’s in a foreign country where a mere one or two people can translate. Yet, when her family is sponsored, Ha’s brothers try and fail to convince their mother that school isn’t important, and that they need to work, but “Mother says one word: College” (Lai, 136). Even at rock bottom, Ha’s mother keeps the importance of schooling in mind, knowing that one day it will turn her children’s lives around. While many people don’t understand the reason for school, this underprepared refugee mother is aware that an education is the key to escaping
Thinking about a little girl purposefully drinking out of stagnate water, shows how determined people from other countries were to have the benefits we have here in America today. The severity of a young child almost killing herself in a desperate attempt to go to school, makes one realize how fortunate they really are. The hardships Junot’s mother went through inspired him to keep going when he was struggling with his writing. Because his mother was fortunate enough to come to America, he was able to become an accomplished writer in a free country. Junot’s mother aspired to be a nurse. “When the field hands were hurt or fell ill, she was the one who cared for them.”(Diaz 1), but of course living as an uneducated girl, in a third world country, on a farm, did not give her the right requirements. When the law was passed forcing children under 15 to go to school, she was filled with excitement. However her mother, Junot’s grandmother, was not pleased with this, and beat her everyday she went to school. Junot’s story is similar to that of my great-grandmothers. She never even thought about attending a college. If she would not have left Hungary she would not have went to school at all; in fact she may even have died, ending our family line. My great-grandmother came over to America as a laborer’s child, but was able to attend school, unlike if she would have stayed in Hungary. She too would have toiled in the fields even at
Have you ever heard or read the novel “ Inside Out & Back Again ?” It’s written by Thanhha Lai , but she goes by Ha in the novel . If you haven’t keep reading this and I will tell you some things about it . All the people in the country has to basically flee their homes . Some have to leave their things behind . When they find their homes , they are happy about not having to deal with the war anymore . The characters feel inside out and back again because every year they can make a difference from last years . Ha and her family’s life was related to the universal refugee because they were forced to leave .
Refugees share similar experiences and emotions when they move to a new country. The book Inside Out and Back Again splits these feelings into two categories, “inside out” and “back again”. Refugees from around the world experience these feelings. For instance, it is easy for a refugee to feel “inside out” when learning a new language, or they can feel “back again” when they find a familiar object that reminds them of their past. Many refugees mainly struggle with learning a new language, but to make them feel more comfortable, they can find satisfaction in items from their home land.
danger in their country. A Refugee is also a person or family who cannot return to fear of
Throughout Anh Do’s autobiography ‘The Happiest Refugee’ he expresses his values and attitudes towards the fulfilling journey he has been on. He shows his courage, determination and step up bravery throughout numerous heart pounding situations he is faced with in the fiction based novel. Anh do has an exceptional ability to adapt to ever-changing situations, a lack of self-pity and always shows resilience to everything he deals
Living without loved ones and their precious belongings will make refugees face the point of turning “inside out”. All
Refugees are people that flee from home because of a disastrous event that has happened in their home land to neighboring countries. In this story, “Inside Out and Back Again” by Thanhha Lai, Ha, the main character that is ten years-old, lives with her mother in Vietnam during the time of the Vietnam War in the year of 1975. Because Ha has to live without her father, not only Ha has to deals with internal issues but also she and her family has to move on with their life. Refugees deal with losing a loved one just like how Ha has to. Refugees turn “Inside out” when they lose a loved one. They can turn “back again” when they get used to their new lifestyle in the new country. Ha is an example of this because Ha lost her father, he was captured
There was light inside the container. He looked around. Two dozen anxious faces stared at him. It seemed he wasn’t going to make this part of the journey alone.” This text evidence supports the idea because when you are surrounded by refugees who live a life completely different from yours, it might be okay to them to do something that might never ever be done in your country.
A refugee is a person who is being persecuted for their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion; refugees are everywhere around us and we don’t even know it. Salva, in A Long Walk to Water, was a refugee, and still is. He, along with many others, was a victim of the War in Sudan. He was fearful for his life so he had to flee his home and wound up in America, fulfilling his purpose by giving back to all of the people in Sudan, where he once was victimized. Like Salva, all refugees go through different stages when moving to another place, most common is having a hard time accepting losses and overcoming homesickness, but with help from many different people and things, they can get past this.
For millions of evacuees around the world, finding support from their communities can be a significant obstacle while trying to rebuild their new lives (Fantino & Colak). For the main character, Há, in Thanhha Lai’s novel, Inside Out and Back Again, not being accepted by her peers causes difficulty during her adjustment to American life. She is constantly bullied and excluded at school, which results in her having tantrums at home (Lai 209-211). However, as soon as Há begins to make friends and gain support from her neighbor, Mrs. Washington, she starts to feel like she is “Back Again” and supported by community members (Lai 253). The struggle of being accepted by peers is experienced by Há’s family and real refugees alike, until they can find
The title “Inside Out and Back Again”relates to the universal refugee experience of fleeing and finding home for both Ha and the many refugees around the world who had their lives turned “inside out” as they fled, but then came “back again” as they found a new
According to the 1951 Refugee Convention, refugee is a term applied to anyone who is outside his/her own country and cannot return due to the fear of being persecuted on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership of a group or political opinion. Many “refugees” that the media and the general public refer to today are known as internally displaced persons, which are people forced to flee their homes to avoid things such as armed conflict, generalized violations of human rights or natural and non-natural disasters. These two groups are distinctly different but fall ...
“Successful adaptation can bring with it the opportunity for growth” (Marie, Colak). Like all refugees Ha’s adaptation to Alabama was difficult, so this lead to frustration and slower growth. Losing precious things and what you keep from your previous home determines your adaptation. Accepting what you loss and cherishing what you kept from your old home helps you move on and persevere. Losing things aren’t bad, cherishing what you still have and to move on helps you stabilize. Refugees lose things that are important to them, although always have things that are special that they cherish to move on, just like Ha in Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again.
As refugees continue to flee their countries, the surrounding countries struggle to cope with the influx of new people into their country. Camps for displaced people hoping to cross into and gain refugee status in neighboring countries can be seen from miles away, as white tents stretch into the distance.... ... middle of paper ... ...
But their special identity and previous experience, it’s extremely hard for them to achieve the normality that they've been seeking. According to the article, “We started our new lives and tired to follow as closely as possible all the good advise our saviors passed on to us. We were told to forget; and we forgot quicker than anybody could imagine… the new country would become a new home.” Nonetheless, albeit the refugees’ willingness to forget their language, culture, their