How to Pronounce Knife

Joy’s unnamed father is a hard worker, his job at a print shop leaving him smelling like paint thinner. He himself used to paint for leisure—indicated by a small painting of a bridge in the family’s apartment—but no longer does. His hobby and literacy hint at him having had some form of education in the past, a past the family is still holding onto. However, when Joy asks her father how to pronounce the word “knife,” he provides an incorrect answer; she later defends this pronunciation in class. He brings home dinner every day, as well as a piece of newspaper to use as a tablecloth—reinforcing his role as a provider. He is close to his wife and daughter, taking pride in Joy’s intelligence in particular. However, Joy’s father advises against speaking of their Laotian heritage, to protect the family from outside scrutiny. Regardless, he continues to take pride in Joy, as he does her gifted puzzle—both symbolizing the family’s future.

Like her husband, Joy’s unnamed mother is a provider, cooking meals and preparing Joy for school every day. Whenever Joy returns home from school with notes pinned to her, her mother throws them away. She feels important information should be communicated through conversation, namely phone calls. While Joy’s teacher Miss Choi utilizes written language through notes, her mother values voice. This dynamic positions Joy between them, as a mediator of two worlds. Joy’s mother brings home groceries and often, a local butcher’s leftover cuts—specifically, chitterlings (animal intestines). Chitterlings are a delicacy to the family, but their strong smell elicits bullying from Joy’s classmates. Like Joy did with her father’s mispronunciation of “knife,” she defends her lunch, and by extension, her mother. Furthermore, like Joy’s father’s small painting, her mother’s food anchors the family’s past to the present.