The Versailles Arms Apartments

The Versailles Arms Apartments symbolize displacement. When Hương, Tuấn, and Ben first move to the apartments, they do not unpack their belongings for weeks. They live in the menial housing situation as if in a state of transition. Indeed, Hương believes that Công will soon surface in America, and they will form a more stable sense of home elsewhere. While living here as children, both Tuấn and Ben also feel excluded by the children of their age.

Công's Necklace

Towards the end of the novel, Tuấn decides to give his father's old necklace to Ben. The author uses the necklace as a symbol of heritage. Tuấn believes giving the necklace to Ben will help him feel connected to the father he never knew. However, while Tuấn is inside getting the necklace, Ben disappears before...