Vera Wong

Vera represents the stereotypical, overbearing Asian mother; a fact that she admits many times throughout the novel. She is controlling, but sees it as other people just being lazy. She constantly questions her son and demands that he do things her way, but does not acknowledge his own struggles or give him the space to grow into his own person. This eventually translates into the murder investigation, as Vera does many things that impede others because she feels she knows best. While Vera realizes the error of her ways by the end, her personality does not change, but her perspective does. This allows her to understand and respect others’ boundaries better.

Marshall

Marshall shows how charismatic people can be just as manipulative as those who are not. Even though the audience never sees Marshal alive, the other character’s thoughts about him show how he...