Pa (Sem Im Ung)
At the beginning of the text, Pa works in Phnom Penh as “a military policeman” (pg. 14). Given the “four stripes on his uniform” (pg. 14), the reader is left to presume that he is a high-ranking government official. Before he married Ung’s mother, Pa was a monk. Ung seems to attribute much of his spirituality, kindness and understanding to this past history.
Pa is a kind and caring father and his unconditional love and respect for his children is a defining factor in all of the children’s lives and identities, as shown when Ung says about Kim “All the kids think they are Pa’s favorite, but he knows he is (pg. 153)”. Ung’s dedication of this text to her father who “always believed in me”, is further evidence of his loving relationship with his children.
Given his previous work and history, Pa is very wise in the ways of governments and revolutions. After leaving the city, it is Pa’s wise decision-making and advice that saves the family many times. Lying about his previous work, instructing the children to give their possessions to Khmer Rouge soldiers, and making connections with authorities when possible helps the family survive as long as they do. Furthermore, Pa normally explains his actions to his children and ensures they understand the situation, to equip them to make wise decisions for themselves.
In chapter 13, about a year and a half after the Khmer Rouge come to power, the Angkar learn of Pa’s previous work and identity. He is taken away and never heard of again. His family are left to assume that he was killed by the Khmer Rouge soldiers.
In many respects, Pa is the voice of reason in this text, particularly in his discourses regarding the government.
Ma (Ay Choung Ung)
A Chinese Cambodian, Luong's mother (Ma) is known for her beauty. In Phnom Penh, Ung depicts Ma as preoccupied with manners and ladylike behavior. As such, Ma is portrayed as a cold and strict contrast to the warm and charismatic Pa.
However, throughout the events in the text, Ma is seen to rise to the occasion to take care of her children. It is Ma’s jewels, ingeniously sewed into the hemline of clothes and possessions that help the family in many situations.
Ma’s selflessness is seen most clearly when she orders Kim, Chou, and Luong to leave the village, as she knows this is the safest option for them. This proves a correct intuition as, when Luong returns to Ro Leap, she finds that Ma and Geak have been taken, and she assumes that they have been murdered by the Khmer Rouge.
Loung Ung
As the narrator of the story, we can see Loung’s growth throughout the story. Luong is five when the Khmer Rouge come to power. As such, the story is told from the perspective of a young child. Due to her father’s influence, she quickly comes to understand the way in which this new society works.
Throughout the text, Luong often depends on others, such as her father until he dies and then her mother and Kim in Ro Leap. However, when she and Chou are forced to leave Ro Leap and join a camp on their own, she demonstrates her bravery and mental strength.
When she is eventually united with Kim she continues to display her mental strength and works to maintain a foster family, and maintain safety throughout the Vietnamese invasion.
She eventually immigrates to the USA with Meng and his wife Eang. As we are told in the epilogue, living in Vermont she fights to reconcile her traumatic past with her relatively affluent present, and her Cambodian heritage with her new life in America.
Meng
Meng is Luong's oldest brother. At the beginning of the text, Ung describes Meng saying, “Meng is eighteen and adores us younger children. Like Pa, he is very soft spoken, gentle and giving” (pg. 16). At the beginning of the text, Meng is engaged to his girlfriend and is to be married when he returns from university. However, once the revolution takes place this is not mentioned again.
Once the family is settled in Ro Leap, Meng is sent to the labour camps. Visits from Meng and Khouy become scarcer until they are separated completely until the Vietnamese invasion when they are reunited. Meng eventually takes Luong with him to America, where he raises her with his wife Eang. In many ways, Meng is characterized as the ideal older brother. In the epilogue, Ung claims that “Meng has kept the family in Cambodia and here afloat for many years” and discusses his “deep sadness that we did not succeed in bringing over our entire family” (pg. 306).
Khouy
Loung's second oldest brother. Khouy is 16 when the Khmer Rouge come to power. The narrator often remarks on how much the children fear Khouy and focuses on his controlling, serious and power-hungry nature. Throughout the series of events in this text, Khouy becomes more withdrawn as the Khmer Rouge dictate his life. At 17 Khouy married a girl from a village neighboring Ro Leap to avoid being conscripted to the Khmer Rouge Army. While it is implied that Khouy changes throughout the time detailed by this memoir, Loung’s and Khouy’s relationship never seems to improve and they never seem to have a close, sibling relationship.
Kim
The brother closes in age to Loung, Kim is ten when the Khmer Rouge come to power. He is known as "Ma's little monkey" due to his playful nature, and monkey-like features. However, the responsibilities placed on him during the Khmer Roug reign, change him.
In Ro Leap, to bring home extra food for his family, he is a servant and friend for the chief's sons. However he gets beaten by the boys, but he continues to play with them in order to get food. Pa’s last words to Kim is that he is the head of the family now. Kim takes on this role in many ways, one of which is stealing corn from the government crops to feed the family. He does this successfully many times before he is caught and almost beaten to death.
After Luong, Kim and Chou leave the village, they are reunited during the Vietnamese invasion and Kim takes responsibility for their wellbeing. Many times we see Kim taking on responsibilities he is far too young to handle. Luong Ung’s dedication to Kim; “to my brother Kim who taught me about courage”, seems fitting.
In the epilogue we read that Kim has tried to immigrate to America but is currently trapped in transit in France, but, after many years, Meng is awaiting their arrival.
Keav
Loung's oldest sister, Keav is 14 when the family leaves Phnom Penh. At the beginning of the text, Ung writes “My oldest sister, Keav, is already beautiful at 14. Ma says she will have many men seeking her hand in marriage and can pick anyone she wants. May also says that Keav has the misfortune to like to argue and gossip too much. This is considered unladylike” (pg. 17). While Keav is older than Loung, and therefore somewhat removed from her, she still takes time to explain things and comfort her.
When in Ro Leap, Keav is focused on again as the story of Davi is related. Davi, a pretty girl Keav’s age is taken by soldiers one night. She is returned, bruised and injured. After this incident, Davi does not speak to anyone again, and whenever she enters the village, people are quiet around her.
Keav is sent to a labour camp near Ro Leap but soon gets sick from food poisoning. The labour camp sends word to Ma who goes to see her. In the infirmary of the camp, Keav begs Ma to go get Pa. However, by the time they arrive, she has died and her body has been moved. They cannot find her body, and it is assumed that she died while calling out for Pa.
Chou
Chou is with Luong for the majority of the text and they are best friends as well as sisters. Chou is the sister closest in age to Loung. Ung depicts Chou as quiet, timid and peace-making and expresses bewilderment as to how she managed to survive the revolution at all.
From a literary perspective, Chou’s character relates to the theme that different people respond to adversity in different ways. While Luong harbors anger and hatred in order to fuel her fighting-spirit, Chou uses her quiet, accommodating manner to ingratiate herself with the cooks at the orphanage camp, and find a relatively safe job in the kitchen.
When Chou and Luong are separated by Meng so that Luong can go to America with him it is the promise that it will only be “five years” that makes their parting bearable.
Geak
Geak is the youngest of the family. She shows extreme malnutrition because of the small amount of food she receives and is eventually murdered with Ma by the Khmer Rouge.
Geak’s story emphasizes the extreme injustice and indiscriminate nature of the Khmer Rouge regime. Geak, who is so helpless and is no threat, is still starved and eventually murdered.
Loung’s relationship with Geak is complicated. On the one hand, Loung feel’s responsible for Geak’s malnourishment, as she once stole rice from the family’s communal store. Furthermore, having no real relationship with Geak due to her being so young, she is unable to mourn in a normal manner and feels guilty for this as well.
