Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng

James Lee

Marilyn Walker/ Lee

Nath Lee

Hannah Lee

Personality

Strives to blend in due to past racism growing up Chinese in the 1930-1940s

Wants to assimilate and feel safe in an environment without being seen as "other"

Thus, his initial attraction to Marilyn is how much she "blends" and disappears amongst the crowd

both he and Marilyn have struggled with school and academic atmospheres being a place of isolation and discrimination

Personality

Wants to stand out, enjoys proving people wrong by being different or "wrong for the job" and still better

Has a more reserved personality

Has a more bold personality

Has dealt with discrimination on the basis of sex as a woman interested in STEM

Has been discriminated against for being a woman but her white privilege has allowed her to still pursue her interests with the option of confidence

Both James and Marilyn worked hard in school and valued an education

Both James and Marilyn's parents did not come from an education or had the opportunity to place much value on academics

Personality

Values education because both his parents push him to do such - attending Harvard

Closest with Lydia over Hannah

Neither had many friendships

Oldest, so likes to protect and defend Lydia and Hannah

Personality

Feels isolated because she is the youngest

Wants to be Lydia and dreams of taking her place as the favorite of the family

Unlike Nathan, even though she is not the favorite, she doesn't have anything else to redeem her (ex. not going to Harvard)

Lydia Lee

Personality

is isolated most of the time

is quiet tempered and shy or moody

is the favorite of both her parents and is the middle child

Jake is her only "friend"

Marilyn's soft, lotioned hands

represent wealth, security, and success

represent sadness, isolation, and failure to follow passions of your own

air/ breathing (motif)

represents relationship between Marilyn and Lydia; lack of air = poor or tense relationship, abundance of air = close and warm relationship

tomorrow/ future plans (theme)

Marilyn and James agreed to always look forward together but when Marilyn leaves for 2 months, James looks back

Everyone thinks about tomorrow with hope: Marilyn, James, Lydia, Nath until Lydia dies then everyone questions that one tomorrow when she didnt wake up

feels the weight of her family through too much love and attention

is forced to fulfill both her parents' unfulfilled aspirations and wishes

her last moment was cathartic and euphoric as opposed to depressed and off the edge

blue eyes (symbol)

represents to James: the beauty of being accepted and blending in, something he's always loved about Marilyn and Lydia (anglo-saxon american beauty standard) and resented in Nath because Nath has his eyes and is therefore a mirror of himself (internal hatred)

represents difference and standing out to Lydia, she is always being pointed out because of her blue eyes

Often ignored or internally resented by Marilyn because she was the reason she had to give up her dreams of being a doctor again

Accepts being ignored and can't wait to leave and move on to college so he can be his own person and finally make friends

is the only one that Lydia feels can relate and understand her

Something Marilyn saw as unique and made Lydia stand out and made her different like she always wanted to be (projecting)

The locket James gives Lydia (symbold)

another reminder of what is expected of her by others and another thing that isn't actually for herself, but for the purpose of pleasing others (ex. James expects her to have friends and be happy)

Later when Lydia sees Hannah wearing it, she smacks her because she doesn't want her sister to be trapped into saying yes to everything all of the time just like her

represents the connection and love between Lydia and Marilyn

Nath is always looking forward and cant wait to go off to college to escape the family