Girl in Translation: Nine Summary & Analysis

Though Kim has several casual friends, Annette remains her only true friend. In ninth grade, Annette begins to "get political." She starts wearing buttons, passing around petitions, and even calls herself a Communist. Kim struggles with this, as Ma's family was killed because of Communism. As Annette changes, she becomes more attuned to the fact that she's never been to Kim's apartment. Kim continues to make excuses and hide her situation from Annette; she feels as though she can only make it through if she keeps hiding.

One afternoon, when Annette finds Kim in the library, she asks why Kim is never home in the afternoons. Kim dances around it, but finally asks if Annette remembers her saying that she and Ma work in a factory. Annette's eyes widen, but Kim shushes her—she tells Annette that if she starts to protest, she and Ma could lose their jobs and they can't afford that. Annette tells Kim that she can trust her. Kim thinks for a moment and then tells Annette everything about the cheating accusations and her oral exam. Annette assures Kim she'll pass the test. A week before Kim's exam, she finally tells Ma the entire story as Ma studies for her naturalization exam.

A week before the exam, Annette insists on taking Kim to Macy's to relax. Kim is skeptical that this is even possible, but she lies to Ma and follows Annette through Macy's. The perfume ladies offer them sample spritzes without question, and they say nothing when Kim and Annette spritz each other with the other testing bottles. They giggle until Kim leaves for work. When she arrives at the factory, both Ma and Matt are aghast at the way Kim smells. Kim tells Ma that Annette simply let her try a new perfume, which Ma accepts. Later, Kim can still smell the perfume and feels as though she's surrounded by Annette's friendship.

Kim obtains working papers, which means that she can actually be paid for time working at the library. She opens a bank account in Ma's name and begins stashing all her paychecks there. Kim spends all her free time studying and wishes Pa were around to help her, as he'd been a brilliant student. Eventually, Kim picks up a copy of Car and Driver and discovers that the fancy cars offer her a wonderful escape from her adult responsibilities in real life. One afternoon, as Kim flips through Cycle magazine, she notices an article on a motorcycle that Park has in model form. At the factory later, Kim finds Park watching a lady sewing. The woman uses a rude Chinese euphemism to call Park disabled, which annoys Kim.

Kim tells Park that she has an article on his motorcycle. The sewing ladies are shocked to see Park turn around eagerly. Kim reads him the article and when she's finished, Park slowly smiles at Kim. An hour later, Matt approaches Kim and offers to pay her for the magazine. She asks why he pretends that Park is deaf when he just doesn't talk. Matt sadly says that Park has never spoken, and Kim understands why they cover it up: in Chinese culture, a disability like that is feared like a contagion. After this, Kim and Park bond over motorcycles and Kim learns some of Park's signs. She continues to bring him magazines.

The night before Kim's exam, a shipment is due at the factory. She and Ma get home after 2am and then Kim stays up the rest of the night studying. Kim is trembling the next morning as she stands on a stage in front of a blackboard. The math and science faculty fill the first two rows of the auditorium. An upper level chemistry teacher begins the questioning and when the exam is over, the faculty claps. The chairperson of the program congratulates Kim, and they allow her to skip two years ahead in the program.

Later, at the factory, Matt invites Kim to go with him to deliver something to his father. Kim is surprised, as she thought Matt's father was dead, but she's too interested in spending time with Matt to ask questions. He leads her downstairs to his bike, admits he has a second job as a delivery boy, and implies he's skipping school to work. Kim climbs onto the bike behind him and as they zip through the city, she refuses to put her arms around him. After they get out of the congested streets of Chinatown, Kim starts to relax and enjoy the ride.

Finally, they stop in an alleyway near an abandoned building. Matt raps on a doorway and after a minute, a man lets them in. They walk through a hallway into a room that had once been a bar. Chinese men sit around a card table piled with cash, and Matt looks at Kim as though to ask her if it's okay he brought her here. She gives him a little nod; she understands this means that he trusts her. Matt unfolds a chair and motions for Kim to sit down, and a man passes them two beers. Kim doesn't like it and only sips at it.

Matt walks to one man who Kim assumes is Matt's father. The man seems annoyed to be interrupted but accepts Matt's proffered envelope. It contains cash. Matt's father nods and then pushes Matt backwards. Kim stands and squeezes Matt's arm, and then insists she wants to stand and watch to cover up her impulsiveness. She finds the game fascinating. A bit later, the phone rings for Matt's father. He tells a woman named Louisa that he'll be home soon and that he's not gambling. Matt quietly tells Kim that Louisa is his father's live-in girlfriend. Kim realizes that the money Matt gave his father is likely from his own salary to protect Mrs. Wu.

As Matt's father returns to the table, he notices Kim and asks her what cards she would play. Kim knows the game is about statistics, not luck, and she points to the two cards she'd choose. Matt's father wins the pile of cash after playing those cards. A few minutes later, he tells Matt that Kim is "a great girl" and the other gamblers invite Kim to play with them. Matt insists that Kim isn't going to leave his side and the men back down. Kim explains that Matt never took her back there, but that event had the effect of letting her in on his shameful secret. It could've been the start of their romance if "the girl" hadn't shown up.