Genre
Historical Fiction
Setting and Context
Set in Tibet and Nepal from the 1960s to the 1980s, and in Toronto, Canada during 2012.
Narrator and Point of View
First-person narration from the perspectives of Lhamo, Tenkyi, Dolma, and Samphel.
Tone and Mood
Nostalgic and painful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists are Lhamo, Tenkyi, and Dolma, while the antagonist is displacement and traumatic memories.
Major Conflict
The plot follows the lives of displaced families living in exile while losing their culture and longing to return to their land. The displacement further separates the members of the family as they face individual challenges.
Climax
The climax occurs when Lhamo and Samphel reunite again in Nepal while in their 30s.
Foreshadowing
Lhamo pledges that she will meet Samphel despite their worlds being far apart which foreshadows their brief reunion.
Understatement
n/a
Allusions
The narrative alludes to the Chinese invasion of Tibet that left several locals displaced across the world.
Imagery
“The street lamp emits a sickly yellow glow that filters into our basement window the same way it does every night. It’s just enough light for me to find a clean shirt without waking my aunt in the next room. She’s asleep at the kitchen table, her head bobbing above a dinner plate, her mouth slightly open.”
Paradox
“These people are always inventing new problems just to make up for their good fortune.”
Parallelism
The story parallels the immigrant experiences of the two sisters who took different paths living in exile.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
A megaphone is a metonymy for a public-address system.
Personification
n/a
