Disappearing

Throughout many different time periods in the novel, members of Janie’s family will respond to a problem or issue by running away from it, and effectively attempting to disappear. In chronological order, the first significant disappearance comes in the days before the family is scheduled for their one-way flight from Korea to Michigan, when Janie’s mother suddenly disappears overnight. While she returns to the family the next day, the disappearance caused significant stress in the family, with Janie’s father calling the police. It turned out that Janie’s mother was having difficulty emotionally accepting the impending move. Notably, however, instead of working through the issue, she simply ran away from it, leaving her husband and two young children to worry about her.

This tendency that Janie’s mother has will continue as the family builds their life in Michigan. One of Janie’s...