The City We Became

by

N. K. Jemisin

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The City We Became makes teaching easy.

Bel Nguyen Character Analysis

A “lanky” British Asian man, Bel is a Ph.D. candidate in political theory at Columbia University and Manny’s roommate in his Inwood apartment. He likes nature due to good childhood experiences in Yorkshire near his grandmother’s house—experiences that ended when his grandmother rejected him after he came out as trans. After Manny arrives at the apartment, he confesses his memory problems to Bel, who suggests they talk a walk to Inwood Hill Park for fresh air. At the park, the Woman in White appears to threaten them, initially mistaking Bel for Paolo and Manny for New York City’s avatar. After she realizes who they are, she vanishes but leaves behind tendrils to attack them. Brooklyn arrives, saving Manny and Bel from the tendrils.

Bel Nguyen Quotes in The City We Became

The The City We Became quotes below are all either spoken by Bel Nguyen or refer to Bel Nguyen. 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:
Cities and Gentrification Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

“Heard they were calling in emergency personnel from the whole, what do you call it? Tri-state area? for this mess. God, I can’t wait to see which entire ethnic group they’re going to scapegoat in the wake of this one.”

“Maybe it’s a white guy. Again.”

“A ‘lone wolf’ with mental health issues, right!”

Related Characters: Manny (Manhattan) (speaker), Bel Nguyen (speaker), The Woman in White (The Enemy) (R’lyeh)
Page Number: 57
Explanation and Analysis:

I am Manhattan, he thinks again, this time in a slow upwelling of despair. Every murderer. Every slave broker. Every slumlord who shut off the heat and froze children to death. Every stockbroker who got rich off war and suffering.

It’s only the truth. He doesn’t have to like it, though.

Related Characters: Manny (Manhattan), Bel Nguyen
Related Symbols: Tendrils, Police
Page Number: 81-82
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The City We Became LitChart as a printable PDF.
The City We Became PDF

Bel Nguyen Quotes in The City We Became

The The City We Became quotes below are all either spoken by Bel Nguyen or refer to Bel Nguyen. 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:
Cities and Gentrification Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

“Heard they were calling in emergency personnel from the whole, what do you call it? Tri-state area? for this mess. God, I can’t wait to see which entire ethnic group they’re going to scapegoat in the wake of this one.”

“Maybe it’s a white guy. Again.”

“A ‘lone wolf’ with mental health issues, right!”

Related Characters: Manny (Manhattan) (speaker), Bel Nguyen (speaker), The Woman in White (The Enemy) (R’lyeh)
Page Number: 57
Explanation and Analysis:

I am Manhattan, he thinks again, this time in a slow upwelling of despair. Every murderer. Every slave broker. Every slumlord who shut off the heat and froze children to death. Every stockbroker who got rich off war and suffering.

It’s only the truth. He doesn’t have to like it, though.

Related Characters: Manny (Manhattan), Bel Nguyen
Related Symbols: Tendrils, Police
Page Number: 81-82
Explanation and Analysis: