Inside Out and Back Again
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Part 1: Saigon Part 2: At Sea Part 3: Alabama Part 4: From Now On
Themes
All Themes War, Childhood, and Maturity Immigration, Culture Shock, and Belonging Family and Grief Culture, Food, and Tradition Bullying, Racism, and Self-Doubt
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Kim Hà Mother Brother Quang Brother Vū/Vu Lee Brother Khôi Father MiSSSisss WaSShington The Cowboy The Cowboy’s Wife MiSSS SScott Pink Boy Pem/Pam SSsì-Ti-Vân/Steven President Thieu Uncle Son The Commander TiTi
Terms
All Terms Fall of Saigon
Symbols
All Symbols Papaya The Amethyst Ring Dolls
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Inside Out and Back Again

by

Thanhhà Lai
Download this LitChart! (PDF)
Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Inside Out and Back Again makes teaching easy.

MiSSS SScott Character Analysis

MiSSS SScott is Hà’s fourth-grade teacher in Alabama. Hà dislikes MiSSS SScott from the start, as MiSSS SScott doesn’t seem impressed that Hà so carefully pronounces the s sounds in the teacher’s name—and she doesn’t understand that Hà’s name is pronounced differently than “ha-ha” laughter. MiSSS SScott also treats Hà like Hà is wholly uneducated, when really, Hà was almost at the top of her class in Vietnam and just can’t communicate in English how much she knows. It also bothers Hà when MiSSS SScott talks to the class about Vietnam and shows them pictures of naked, burning girls and emaciated refugees trying to escape the country, rather than happy pictures of Tet celebrations or papayas.

MiSSS SScott Quotes in Inside Out and Back Again

The Inside Out and Back Again quotes below are all either spoken by MiSSS SScott or refer to MiSSS SScott. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
War, Childhood, and Maturity Theme Icon
).
Part 3: Alabama Quotes

I tap my own chest:
Hà.

She must have heard
ha,
as in funny ha-ha-ha.

She fakes a laugh.

I repeat, Hà,
and wish I knew
enough English
to tell her
to listen for
the diacritical mark,
this one directing
the tone
downward.

Related Characters: Kim Hà (speaker), MiSSS SScott
Immigration, Culture Shock, and Belonging Theme Icon
Culture, Food, and Tradition Theme Icon
Bullying, Racism, and Self-Doubt Theme Icon
Page Number: 140-41
Explanation and Analysis:

I’m furious,
unable to explain
I already learned
fractions
and how to purify
river water.

So this is
what dumb
feels like.

I hate, hate, hate it.

Related Characters: Kim Hà (speaker), MiSSS SScott
Immigration, Culture Shock, and Belonging Theme Icon
Bullying, Racism, and Self-Doubt Theme Icon
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis:
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Things will get better,
just you wait.

I don’t believe her
but it feels good
that someone knows.

Related Characters: Kim Hà (speaker), MiSSSisss WaSShington (speaker), MiSSS SScott
Immigration, Culture Shock, and Belonging Theme Icon
Bullying, Racism, and Self-Doubt Theme Icon
Page Number: 182
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+

No one would believe me
but at times
I would choose
wartime in Saigon
over
peacetime in Alabama.

Related Characters: Kim Hà (speaker), MiSSS SScott
War, Childhood, and Maturity Theme Icon
Immigration, Culture Shock, and Belonging Theme Icon
Culture, Food, and Tradition Theme Icon
Bullying, Racism, and Self-Doubt Theme Icon
Page Number: 194-95
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Get the entire Inside Out and Back Again LitChart as a printable PDF.
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Inside Out and Back Again PDF

MiSSS SScott Quotes in Inside Out and Back Again

The Inside Out and Back Again quotes below are all either spoken by MiSSS SScott or refer to MiSSS SScott. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
War, Childhood, and Maturity Theme Icon
).
Part 3: Alabama Quotes

I tap my own chest:
Hà.

She must have heard
ha,
as in funny ha-ha-ha.

She fakes a laugh.

I repeat, Hà,
and wish I knew
enough English
to tell her
to listen for
the diacritical mark,
this one directing
the tone
downward.

Related Characters: Kim Hà (speaker), MiSSS SScott
Immigration, Culture Shock, and Belonging Theme Icon
Culture, Food, and Tradition Theme Icon
Bullying, Racism, and Self-Doubt Theme Icon
Page Number: 140-41
Explanation and Analysis:

I’m furious,
unable to explain
I already learned
fractions
and how to purify
river water.

So this is
what dumb
feels like.

I hate, hate, hate it.

Related Characters: Kim Hà (speaker), MiSSS SScott
Immigration, Culture Shock, and Belonging Theme Icon
Bullying, Racism, and Self-Doubt Theme Icon
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+

Things will get better,
just you wait.

I don’t believe her
but it feels good
that someone knows.

Related Characters: Kim Hà (speaker), MiSSSisss WaSShington (speaker), MiSSS SScott
Immigration, Culture Shock, and Belonging Theme Icon
Bullying, Racism, and Self-Doubt Theme Icon
Page Number: 182
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+

No one would believe me
but at times
I would choose
wartime in Saigon
over
peacetime in Alabama.

Related Characters: Kim Hà (speaker), MiSSS SScott
War, Childhood, and Maturity Theme Icon
Immigration, Culture Shock, and Belonging Theme Icon
Culture, Food, and Tradition Theme Icon
Bullying, Racism, and Self-Doubt Theme Icon
Page Number: 194-95
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+
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