Inside Out And Back Again Analysis

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Refugees are people who are forced to flee their homes due to safety issues. The novel Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai and the article “Children of War” by Arthur Brice describe two different stories of children escaping from their country. Despite these differences in their narratives, all of the evacuees’ lives were twisted inside out before they came back again. Like Ha, a ten-year-old Vietnamese girl from the novel, all of the lives of refugees, including the ones from “Children of War”, change for the worse when they face problems of battle and bloodshed in their home country. Because of the Vietnamese War, Ha’s father has been missing for years. He was captured by the North when Ha was just one. His family spends most of the novel wondering if he will ever return. Finally, they are forced to accept his death. Similarly, the Bosnian emigrants from “Children of War” also experienced loss as a result of the conflict in the Balkans. Amela, a teenage refugee whose father …show more content…
Ha is uprooted and planted in America, in the middle of a society she doesn’t fit in. Amidst her difficulties with bullies and English, she meets Pam and Steven, two welcoming students. The comfort of friends inspires Ha to name the date “Most Relieved Day”. Likewise, the refugees from Bosnia meet friends who help them escape the frustration and stress of their new lives and feel more welcome. Amela again acknowledges, “Some people here don’t even know where Bosnia is, but they’re really nice and try to help” (Brice). These new friendships that were made ultimately allowed Amela and other kids from Bosnia to return to a comfortable, although different life. In order to establish a “new normal” for their life, all escapees from wars must adapt to the new culture they have been placed in, which, along with the help of new acquaintances, eases their