Chan

Chan is the novel’s central character, its protagonist and narrator. He is in his late teens, and he is Korean, the son of immigrant parents. Both these basic aspects of his identity play significant roles in both the narrative and its themes, given that his adolescent struggles with his parents are intensified by his father’s traditionalist perspectives and values. At the same time, both these elements interact with his responsibilities as a big brother to his slightly younger twin sister Young, which further defines both his place in the family and his relationship with himself. All these elements of Chan’s identity are eventually challenged as a result of Young’s death in a car accident. Chan’s grief is intense, and is portrayed as potentially transforming his identity in a negative way. By the novel’s conclusion, however, Chan has begun to reconcile the different...