The Emperor of Gladness Character Analysis

Hai

Hai is the protagonist, a young man whose family immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam and whom readers first meet while he’s contemplating suicide on the edge of a bridge. Grazina stops him from jumping… read analysis of Hai

Grazina

Grazina is Hai’s elderly friend and quasi-landlady who takes him in after stopping him from committing suicide. Knowing he has nowhere to go and knowing she could use someone to help her given her diagnosis… read analysis of Grazina

Sony

Sony is Hai’s younger cousin who works at HomeMarket and eventually gets Hai a job there. Sony and Hai were once close, though after their mothers’ falling-out, the two stopped speaking. At first, Sony is… read analysis of Sony

Hai’s Mother

Hai’s mother is a Vietnamese immigrant who moved to America with her family after the Vietnam War. She works tirelessly in a nail salon to make ends meet. Though she was close with her sister… read analysis of Hai’s Mother

Aunt Kim

Aunt Kim is Hai’s aunt and Sony’s mother who Hai discovers is incarcerated for insurance fraud, a detail Kim kept from Hai and his mother. After immigrating to America and separating from Sony’s father… read analysis of Aunt Kim

BJ

BJ is the manager of HomeMarket and takes great pride in her position. After hiring Hai, she gives him a grandiose tour of the restaurant and brags about the corn bread she makes using… read analysis of BJ

Maureen

Maureen is Hai’s coworker at HomeMarket who runs the register. She is a foul-mouthed retired elementary teacher from the Midwest. She is protective of Sony when Hai comes to talk to him about getting a… read analysis of Maureen

Wayne

Wayne is Hai’s coworker at HomeMarket who makes their rotisserie chicken. He was born in North Carolina, and because of his family history of barbecuing, he continues to hold that responsibility at HomeMarket, even though… read analysis of Wayne

Russia

Russia is Hai’s coworker at HomeMarket who works the drive-thru. Hai first met him before his interview with BJ and later discovered that, despite his name, Russia is from Tajikistan, where his father fled after… read analysis of Russia

Lucas

Lucas is Grazina’s son. Although Hai first assumes Lucas to be a figment of Grazina’s imagination since she only has pictures of Lina around the house, he discovers that Lucas is real when they go… read analysis of Lucas

Bà ngoại

Bà ngoại is Hai’s grandmother, who he often refers to using her Vietnamese title. She immigrated from Vietnam to America with Hai, his mother, and his Aunt Kim. She died prior to the… read analysis of Bà ngoại

Sony’s Father

Sony’s father was a supposed war hero for South Vietnam. After separating from Sony’s mother, he moved to Vermont and, four years prior to the novel, died in a car fire. Aunt Kim tried hiding… read analysis of Sony’s Father

Noah

Noah was a friend of Hai’s who died in the years before the novel begins. The two met in East Gladness and grew to be incredibly close, often spending their time discussing the world and… read analysis of Noah

Tom the Mechanic

Tom the Mechanic is a regular at HomeMarket. He is first seen during BJ’s rehearsal of her entrance song, during which Hai repeatedly stares at him and thinks him beautiful. Eventually, Tom and Hai have… read analysis of Tom the Mechanic

Lina

Lina is Grazina’s daughter. Though she is never seen or heard from directly, Grazina shares that she is an alcoholic ESL teacher living out of state. Grazina often tries to call her but never gets… read analysis of Lina

Minor Characters

Jonas

Jonas is Grazina’s deceased husband. While she says he was lazy and never got anything done—including translating a novel into Lithuanian—she speaks of him more kindly than she does of her son Lucas. She shares his book collection with Hai after learning of his love of reading.

Rachel Miotti

Rachel Miotti was a girl who was killed in East Gladness when dragged by a fast-moving car. Throughout the novel, a detective questions other characters about any possible insight into her case, and though some leads are found, the case never gets solved.

Vogel

Vogel is the regional manager of HomeMarket who forces BJ to lay off Sony.

The Emperor of Gladness Characters

Hai