Chapter 6 Summary: Key Events and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The chapter opens the night before the family's departure. Mom shifts into what the narrator calls “full commander mode,” writing a detailed set of travel instructions on the glass kitchen wall with a marker. The list covers three phases of the journey: airport hygiene (wear a face mask, don't touch anything, don't touch your face, sanitize after touching anything), airplane rules (keep the mask on except while eating, never use the bathroom for number two because the virus can spread through stool, don't talk to anyone, don't touch anything that hasn't been wiped with alcohol wipes, and sanitize hands again after returning from the bathroom), and immigration instructions (tell officials they are Americans coming home).
The narrator copies the instructions into a notebook, a habit they picked up from their friend Lily at school. Bowen asks whether the family is really moving to America. Mom and Dad exchange a long, silent look, and Mom says she doesn't know. Dad then tells the children that if immigration officials ask whether they've been to China in the last fourteen days, they must say no. Mom adds that if asked whether they've interacted with anyone from mainland China or anyone Chinese, they must also say no. Lea points out that Mom herself is Chinese. Mom scoops Lea up, calls her “bao bao,” and explains that immigration officials are very afraid of Chinese people right now. The narrator silently vows to always love their mom no matter what, then tries to lighten the mood by reassuring her they never go number two on planes.
The next few hours are spent packing. The parents now say the virus could last six months, so the family packs for a minimum of six months and a maximum of forever. The narrator feels sad leaving home, waving from the window at the busy streets and thinking about the scaffolders they call Spider-Men, who climb bamboo scaffolding on building exteriors. They admit they'll even miss the honking taxis, noting that America is too quiet. Mom says that's because everyone stays inside their houses. The narrator hopes people in America will come out sometimes to make friends. They think about Grandma Francine, who passed away before the narrator was born, and wonder if she would have liked them. They reflect that some old people love them (like the park dancers in Hong Kong) while others find them too loud, like their cranky downstairs neighbor, Mr. Lo.
Mr. Lo bangs on his ceiling with what sounds like a broomstick to protest the family's loud packing. Lea stomps the floor and shouts that they're leaving tomorrow and he won't have to deal with them ever again. The narrator's eyes widen at the word “ever,” and Lea covers her mouth, realizing what she said.
Later, Bowen comes into the narrator's room while they're packing a soccer ball and shoes. Bowen throws the ball out, calls it inflated, and deflates it with a needle to make it packable. The narrator sits in the suitcase, wishing they could pack themselves inside and give their ticket to Dad. Bowen warns them not to break the suitcase. The narrator lies down fully to annoy Bowen, and the suitcase cracks. Bowen laughs and threatens to tell Mom. The narrator frantically proposes a truce, reminding Bowen they'll have to share a room in California. Bowen suddenly remembers the California house only has three bedrooms and reacts with horror. He tries to negotiate, suggesting the narrator share with Lea, but the narrator refuses, explaining Lea has so many stuffed animals it takes her forty-five minutes to say good night to them. The narrator says they need ten hours of sleep to become a soccer star. Bowen mocks this, putting the deflated ball on his head like a hat. The narrator feels “volcano mad,” a term Lily taught them. Bowen threatens to move the narrator's blanket to the garage if they rustle at night.
The narrator's dog, Cody, walks in and puts his head in the narrator's lap, breaking up the fight. Both brothers put their hands on Cody's face. Bowen promises Cody American dog treats, saying everything is bigger and better in America. The narrator smiles, remembering that Dad got Cody during a lonely time at their old primary school in Hong Kong—a fancy school with a waiting list where kids had nannies. It took a year of forms, interviews, and tests before the narrator found a new school. Cody and the narrator went through lonely times together. The narrator wishes they could bring Cody but knows Dad needs him more—Cody will be all Dad has once the family leaves. The narrator tells themselves they won't be lonely in America because they'll have their siblings, but then reflects that having people around doesn't make you less lonely; it just makes your loneliness more squished.
Key Events
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Mom writes detailed travel and immigration instructions on the glass kitchen wall, including instructions to lie about recent travel to China and contact with Chinese people.
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Lea points out that Mom is Chinese, and Mom explains that immigration officials are afraid of Chinese people.
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The family packs for an indefinite stay—minimum six months, maximum forever.
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The narrator says goodbye to their Hong Kong home, missing the scaffolders and the busy streets.
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Mr. Lo protests the packing noise, and Lea shouts that they're leaving forever.
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Bowen deflates the narrator's soccer ball, and the narrator cracks the suitcase while lying in it.
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The brothers argue about sharing a room in California, with Bowen threatening to move the narrator's blanket to the garage.
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Cody comforts both brothers, and the narrator reflects on how Cody helped them through a lonely time at their old school.
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The narrator decides they can't bring Cody because Dad needs him.
Character Development
The Narrator shows growing emotional maturity in this chapter. They feel genuine sadness about leaving home, but they also try to comfort others—reassuring Mom about the plane bathroom rule, proposing a truce with Bowen, and accepting that Cody must stay with Dad. Their reflection on loneliness reveals hard-won wisdom from their school struggles.
Bowen oscillates between teasing and genuine care. He deflates the ball and threatens to tell on the narrator, but he also comforts Cody and promises to bring treats. His horror at sharing a room shows his own anxiety about the move, masked by bravado.
Mom is the family's commander, but her vulnerability shows when she explains why they must lie about their Chinese identity. Her use of “bao bao” and her explanation about immigration fear reveal the painful reality of anti-Chinese prejudice.
Lea is the truth-teller, bluntly pointing out the contradiction in the family's instructions and shouting the uncomfortable word “ever” about leaving.
Cody serves as an emotional anchor for both brothers, breaking up their fight and representing comfort and loyalty.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Anti-Chinese Prejudice and Concealment: The family must hide their travel history and even their Chinese identity to pass through immigration. Mom's explanation that officials are “afraid of Chinese people” directly names the prejudice driving their deception.
Uncertainty and Impermanence: The one-way tickets, the parents' inability to say how long they'll stay, and the phrase “minimum six months, maximum forever” all emphasize the family's uncertain future. The glass wall, written on with marker, symbolizes how temporary and fragile their plans are.
Homesickness and Loss: The narrator's farewell to the scaffolders, the honking taxis, and the busy streets shows a child's deep attachment to place. The contrast with America's quietness foreshadows their struggle to adjust.
Sibling Rivalry and Reconciliation: The fight over the suitcase and the room-sharing argument show the brothers' friction, but Cody's presence and the narrator's truce attempt reveal their underlying bond.
Loneliness Despite Company: The narrator's closing reflection—that having people around doesn't make you less lonely, just makes your loneliness more squished—is a key motif drawn from their experience at the fancy school.
The Deflated Soccer Ball and Cracked Suitcase: These objects symbolize the narrator's shrinking hopes and the damage done to their plans, yet the narrator's impulse to tape the crack shows resilience.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter establishes the emotional stakes of the family's departure. It introduces the central tension of the book: the family must hide their identity to enter America, a country they're supposed to call home. The narrator's homesickness, the brothers' conflict, and the decision to leave Cody behind all deepen the reader's understanding of what the family is sacrificing. The chapter also plants important seeds—the narrator's loneliness, their soccer dreams, and their bond with Cody—that will likely pay off later in the story.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why do the parents instruct the children to lie about their travel history and contact with Chinese people? What does this reveal about the social climate?
The parents lie because they believe immigration officials are afraid of Chinese people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mom explicitly says officials are “very afraid of Chinese people right now.” This reveals a climate of anti-Chinese prejudice and fear, where even American citizens of Chinese descent feel they must conceal their identity and travel history to avoid detention or denial of entry.
2. How does the narrator's relationship with Bowen shift in this chapter, and what role does Cody play?
The brothers start in conflict—Bowen deflates the narrator's ball, the narrator cracks the suitcase, and they argue about sharing a room. The narrator proposes a truce, but Bowen doesn't accept it. Cody interrupts the fight by putting his head in the narrator's lap, and both brothers respond by petting him together. Cody acts as a peacemaker, giving them a shared moment of comfort and connection despite their rivalry.
3. What does the narrator's reflection about loneliness reveal about their character and past experiences?
The narrator's reflection—that having people around doesn't make you less lonely, just makes your loneliness more squished—comes from their experience at a fancy Hong Kong school where they couldn't make friends. It shows they've learned that loneliness isn't about physical proximity but about emotional connection. This insight also foreshadows their fear that being with siblings in America won't automatically cure their loneliness.