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Arn

This character is the protagonist of the novel. At the start of the novel, he is an 11-year-old student at the Temple school in his Cambodian village and is taught by monks, in contrast to the richer students in the village, who attend what he calls “real school” (5). The story of his survival through the Khmer Rouge’s rule is told in first-person with a dialect authentic to his status as a non-native English speaker.

Hong

This character is a friend of the protagonist’s before they are separated by the Khmer Rouge soldiers invading the protagonist’s home village.

Munny

This character is the youngest brother of the protagonist. The protagonist’s youngest sister eventually brings the protagonist the news that this character has died.

Jorami

This character is the third-to-oldest sister of the protagonist. She is obsessed with the whereabouts of the villager who runs away...

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