Identity

The Emperor of Gladness traces the life of Hai, the novel's protagonist, after his attempted death by suicide to capture the complexities of the self-discovery journey. For Hai, life has not turned out as he expected. After losing both his grandmother and friend Noah, Hai dropped out of school and moved home. His fraught relationship with his mother and his addiction to pills keep him from establishing a new life for himself. Hai feels like giving up on his life because his sense of self feels feeble. With the help of his new friends, Hai gradually starts to rediscover himself on his own terms. This ongoing journey leads Hai to a more realized understanding of who he is and what he wants from his life.

Hai lets go of being an aspiring writer as a result of his grief, sorrow, and personal frustration. When he and...