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Brother Quang
Eighteen-year-old Brother Vū is Hà’s second-oldest brother. He’s tall, muscular, and adores Bruce Lee, so he studies martial arts and often impresses girls by karate-chopping wood or bricks in half. Hà finds Brother Vū (and their other brothers) annoying—particularly when, in Alabama, he begins insisting that everyone call him Vu Lee. However, Hà is also envious of Brother Vū, as he seems shockingly unbothered when he experiences racist bullying at school in Alabama. She begs him to teach her to fly-kick so she can fight back against her bullies, but instead, he offers to teach her—and eventually, many kids and adults in the neighborhood—defense, for reasons that he refuses to explain. He also rescues Hà from Pink Boy’s bullying, and around this time, Hà learns why he refused to teach her to fight: it doesn’t feel good to hurt others. Aside from martial arts, Brother Vū’s other love is cooking. He works as a cook at the refugee camp in Guam and then gets an after-school job flipping burgers in Alabama. At the end of the novel, he defies Mother and insists on going to San Francisco to study at a cooking school.
Brother Vū/Vu Lee Quotes in Inside Out and Back Again
The Inside Out and Back Again quotes below are all either spoken by Brother Vū/Vu Lee or refer to Brother Vū/Vu Lee. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 1: Saigon
Quotes
Mother says yellow papaya
tastes lovely
dipped in chili salt.
You children should eat
fresh fruit
while you can.
Brother Vū chops;
the head falls;
a silver blade slices.
Black seeds spill
like clusters of eyes,
wet and crying.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Part 3: Alabama
Quotes
I shout, I’m so mad.
I shouldn’t have to run away.
Tears come.
Brother Vū
has always been afraid
of my tears.
I’ll teach you defense.
How will that help me?
He smiles huge,
so certain of himself.
You’ll see.
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Explanation and Analysis:
I thought I would love
seeing him in pain.
But
he looks
more defeated than weak,
more helpless than scared,
like a caged puppy.
He’s getting up.
If I were to kick him,
it must be
now.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Brother Vū/Vu Lee Quotes in Inside Out and Back Again
The Inside Out and Back Again quotes below are all either spoken by Brother Vū/Vu Lee or refer to Brother Vū/Vu Lee. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 1: Saigon
Quotes
Mother says yellow papaya
tastes lovely
dipped in chili salt.
You children should eat
fresh fruit
while you can.
Brother Vū chops;
the head falls;
a silver blade slices.
Black seeds spill
like clusters of eyes,
wet and crying.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 3: Alabama
Quotes
I shout, I’m so mad.
I shouldn’t have to run away.
Tears come.
Brother Vū
has always been afraid
of my tears.
I’ll teach you defense.
How will that help me?
He smiles huge,
so certain of himself.
You’ll see.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
I thought I would love
seeing him in pain.
But
he looks
more defeated than weak,
more helpless than scared,
like a caged puppy.
He’s getting up.
If I were to kick him,
it must be
now.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
