The Refugees

by

Viet Thanh Nguyen

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Victor Devoto Character Analysis

A client of the ghostwriter’s in “Black-Eyed Women.” Victor is the only survivor of a plane crash, in which he had lost his wife and children. The ghostwriter helps him to write his memoir and confront his loss. In doing so, the ghostwriter starts to heal from her own trauma and the death of the ghostwriter’s brother.
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Victor Devoto Character Timeline in The Refugees

The timeline below shows where the character Victor Devoto appears in The Refugees. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Black-Eyed Women
Memory and Ghosts Theme Icon
The ghostwriter has a new client: Victor Devoto. He was the sole survivor of an airplane crash, in which 173 others had... (full context)
Memory and Ghosts Theme Icon
As the ghostwriter begins to work on Victor’s story, her own story haunts her. One day the ghostwriter’s mother wakes her before dawn... (full context)
Memory and Ghosts Theme Icon
...about how no one she knew believed in ghosts, except for the ghostwriter’s mother and Victor. Victor had had a difficult time moving on from the crash. Nothing had been touched... (full context)
War and the Refugee Experience Theme Icon
One day, on the brink of finishing Victor’s memoir, the ghostwriter and the ghostwriter’s mother watch a Korean soap opera together. Her mother... (full context)
Memory and Ghosts Theme Icon
Intimacy and Isolation Theme Icon
This statement sparks a memory of a conversation the ghostwriter had with Victor. He had said that he believes in ghosts. He sees his wife and children all... (full context)
War and the Refugee Experience Theme Icon
Memory and Ghosts Theme Icon
The ghostwriter had asked Victor if he is afraid of ghosts. He says that “You aren’t afraid of the things... (full context)
War and the Refugee Experience Theme Icon
Memory and Ghosts Theme Icon
When Victor’s memoir is published a few months later, it sells well. The ghostwriter’s name is not... (full context)