INDEPENDENCE

A Lubaio

On top of all these characters having very unique backgrounds that helped shape who they are, they are all very independent in their own ways. For example, Tuyen expresses his independence by building a Lubaio. Tuyen builds this Lubaio throughout the book and it seems to be one of the very few things that she cares about. Tuyen is a very complicated character who neglects her family and her heritage but the Lubaio represents her dreams of becoming an artist. Through her artwork, she expresses herself and shows everyone else that regardless of what they saw, she is independent and can pursue her dreams in art.

A Bike

Carla is also very independent. She lives on her own and deals with all of her problems by herself. One of the few items she uses on a daily basis is her bicycle. Her bicycle is her main method of transportation. However it also represents freedom, as Carla is able to use her bicycle  to go anywhere she pleases. The concept of freedom in relation to her bicycle is amplified when Carla goes to visit her brother in jail. Brand emphasizes Carla riding away on her bicycle, showing that she is free which contrasts the jail that she is riding away from. 

The artist of the song I’ve chosen to represent Jackie is Tupac Shakur. Tupac raps about his father who left him when he was young. His father returns and Tupac proceeds to tell him that he’s not wanted there anymore. Just like Tupac, Jackie’s parents left her alone regularly during her childhood. This abandonment forced her to become independent and figure out how to live her life on her own. 

A strict father disciplining his son

The last example of independence that I’ve chosen is for Oku, whose father is very strict and is constantly on Oku’s case. He is always questioning him to make sure that he’s keeping up with his studies. Little does he know, Oku dropped out of school as he prefers cooking and poetry to studying. Oku’s dropping out of school was bold but it shows the reader how independent he truly is.