Point of View

Thanhha Lai tells her novel “Inside Out & Back Again” in the first-person present-tense narrative mode, from the point of view of main character and principal protagonist, Ha. This is done for several reasons. First, the novel is semi-autobiographical, so it is only natural that the author should use Ha as a mouthpiece for her own story and experiences. The author is thus speaking through Ha in many places, such as the sorts of bullying experienced by the author, and thus, Ha. The first-person narration also allows the reader an intimate glimpse into Ha's thoughts and emotions. This is especially important given the immense trauma of a ten year-old evacuating her war-torn homeland for an entirely new country and culture. The present-tense aspect of the narration also forbid omniscience, meaning that the reader only ever learns and understands things going on in the novel as Ha...