I thought, Pa, I wish you were here to help us. Please help me perfect my English so I can take care of us."
-- Kim (4 )

Importance: Kim recognizes that she is the one who still has the potential to lift herself and her mother out of poverty. Ma is not learning English, so Kim recognizes that she is the one who must learn English and succeed in school. This quote is also significant because she cannot tell her mother about her feeling of obligation; instead, she speaks to her long-dead father.

In a world of uncertainties, I was on concrete ground."
-- Kim (5 )

Importance: In the United States, Kim is almost always out of her element; she cannot speak the language well and often she does not understand the cultural attitudes. However, she succeeds in math and science because these subjects are certain. In this quote, she demonstrates that while she does not always know...