Joy
Outer characterization
Joy is the main character of the short story “How to Pronounce Knife” by Souvankham Thammavongsa. Joy and her family come from Laos (l. 25). She is in grade one (ll. 29-30), so she is probably five or six years old. Her hair is “cut short in the shape of a bowl” (ll. 52-53) which suggests an unfashionable haircut.
During the picture day at school, Joy is wearing a “green jogging suit” (l. 31), which contrasts with the elegant outfits worn by the other children: “The green was dark, like the green of broccoli, and the fabric at the knees was a few shades lighter and kept their shape even when she was standing straight up” (ll. 31-33). This example suggests that Joy’s outfit is most likely worn out, as she probably does not own too many clothes.
