How to Pronounce Knife

“On the wall of the main room was a tiny painting with a brown bend at the centre. That brown bend was supposed to be a bridge, and the blots of red and orange brushed in around it were supposed to be trees. It was her father who had painted this. Now he doesn’t paint anything like that, not since he started at the print shop, smelling like the paint thinner he was around all day.”

Though Joy’s father works with paint (at a print shop), he himself no longer paints. His small painting of a bridge thus symbolizes the family’s life before immigrating, a “bridge” they continue to cross while navigating new lives.

“When the child took these items to school, other children would tease her about the smell. What that smell was that was so bad, the child had no idea.”

Joy does not understand why she is teased for her lunches—specifically, her chitterlings (animal intestines)—at school. Her meals represent her family’s Laotian heritage, something she takes pride in regardless of others’ opinions.

“When they all sat down for dinner, the child thought of the note, about bringing it to her father. There had been so many, but maybe this one was important.”

This quote is a crucial moment in the short story, as the note in question details Joy’s school’s picture day. She understands the importance of Miss Choi’s notes, but prioritizes “protecting” her family from potential shame or anger.

“Her father thought about his pay and his friends and how they were all making their living now. He himself wasn’t educated, but the ones who were found themselves picking worms or being managed by pimple-faced teenagers.”

Joy’s father and other immigrants are often forced to work jobs for which they may be overqualified. Their managers are sometimes teenagers, indicating a stark contrast in age and understanding of immigrant life.

“The child looked down at what she was wearing. She was out of place in her green jogging suit which had been bought at Honest Ed’s, that place with all the flashing lights where they lined up to get a free turkey for Christmas.”

This quote underscores the interplay of immigrant, socioeconomic, and racial identities present throughout the story. Joy is out of place on picture day, as her clothing comes from a place that provides free food; her classmates wear expensive suits and dresses. This indicates her family lacks the monetary means that her classmates’ families have.

“‘No,’ she lied, looking at the floor where her blue shoes fitted themselves inside the space of the square of a small tile. Now, she didn’t want to lie, but there was no point in embarrassing her parents.”

Joy dislikes lying to her parents, but does so anyway. This quote exemplifies the theme of Miscommunication and Silence, as she lies to protect them from potential shame and anger.

“The day went as planned.”

Although Joy is not dressed for picture day, the event goes as planned. This indicates her casual clothing isn’t as important as initially framed by the event’s rules. There’s nothing Miss Choi can do about Joy’s outfit, so she instead covers her with the class sign.

“The sign was always right in the middle of these photos, but the photographer had to do something to hide the dirt of her shoes. Above that sign, she smiled.”

Despite dressing casually on picture day, Joy smiles as her class picture is taken. This demonstrates pride in herself and her family, as she knows how hard her parents work to provide for them—and no judgment will change her mind.

“The book the child was given had pictures and a few words. The picture was supposed to explain a little bit about what was going on with the words, but there was this one word that didn’t have a picture. It was there by itself, and when she pronounced each letter, the word didn’t sound like anything real. She didn’t know how to pronounce it.”

Joy’s reading reflects her immigrant family’s struggle with a new language—specifically, English. She does not know how to pronounce the English word “knife” and later goes to her father for help, who pronounces it with the “k” sound—providing another moment of Miscommunication and Silence.

“From behind, the child looked like her father.”

Joy physically resembles her father and fittingly represents the family’s future. While the family members exhibit differences, such as Joy’s greater grasp of English (bar her confusion regarding the word “knife”), they all share pride.

“The child’s shoulders drooped and her spine bent like there was some weight she was carrying there, like she knew what a day of hard work was all about.”

Like her father, young Joy works hard to protect her family. She literally and symbolically translates her classmates and teacher’s actions—reinforcing The Weight of Internal Conflict.

“He was the only one in their home who knew how to read. She brought the book to him and pointed to the word, asked what it was […]. That’s what it sounded like to him, what it was.”

In asking her father how to pronounce the word “knife,” Joy places trust in his knowledge. To her, there are no other pronunciations than his; even when proven wrong, she defends her father, and by extension, her family’s pride.

“Miss Choi pointed to it and then tapped at the page as if by doing so the sound would spill itself forth. But the child didn’t know and there was no one to ask.”

In this quote, Miss Choi inadvertently reinforces Miscommunication and Silence. Rather than aid Joy in reading the word “knife,” she expects Joy to know it. In contrast to her father, Joy does not feel comfortable consulting her teacher.