Analysis

An analysis of the short story “How to Pronounce Knife” by Souvankham Thammavongsa shows that the narrative’s structure revolves around the conflict between two identities. The events take place in chronological order 

The main characters are Joy and her parents. The story follows Joy as she deals with the realization that her parents are no longer the authority figures she looks up to in a new country. Now she actually understands more about her new country than her parents do.

The story’s physical setting is an unnamed English-speaking country, where Joy’s family has moved from Laos. Joy’s school and Joy’s home are important parts of the setting and symbolize the conflict between opposing cultures. The story’s social setting mainly looks at the struggle of immigrants in a new country. In connection with this, the story also looks at the issue of bullying and discrimination of immigrant students. 

The events are described by a third-person narrator who adopts Joy’s perspective. The point of view of a child helps readers empathize with her and makes the story more moving. 

The language is neutral and easy to understand, as the events are described from the perspective of a child. The symbols introduced in the story enhance its meaning. 

The main conflict is that between the Asian identity and the Western identity. The conflict is illustrated through Joy’s struggle to adapt to her new country.

A full analysis of the short story can be found in the following pages.