Picture Us in the Light

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2018

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 5

Chapters 6-12

Chapters 13-20

Chapters 21-28

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Background

Sociopolitical Context: The Undocumented American Experience

In Picture Us in the Light, Kelly Loy Gilbert includes a criticism of the ways in which contemporary undocumented Americans are treated by society. Danny’s parents do not have their green cards anymore, which technically makes them “illegal aliens.” But Gilbert rejects and subverts this term, highlighting the humanity, love, resilience, and work ethic of Danny’s parents instead. In contemporary America, immigration rights are very much part of the national-political-social consciousness. Administrative efforts to support the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) detaining and deportation of undocumented Americans have increased significantly in the past decades, making America a dangerous place for people who are not lucky enough to be born into American citizenship. Gilbert highlights Danny’s parents’ experiences as an example of what many Americans go through. They can’t return to their home country because their life there is long over, and they don’t want to be separated from their American children. But Danny’s parents also can’t work or even walk around, without fear of being caught. Living in fear is damaging to the psyche, and Gilbert endears her reader to Danny’s familial situation to teach them an important lesson about the dangers of dehumanizing others.

Cultural Context: The Chinese American Experience

Gilbert explores the Chinese American experience in this novel. Danny is not unlike many other first-generation students at his school, except for the fact that most of them, like Harry, are much more in touch with their background than Danny is. Harry speaks his family’s native language, returns to Taiwan for trips, and is immersed in Taiwanese culture. Danny can understand Mandarin but is not fluent, he’s never been to China, and his parents often refuse to talk about their life there. For some immigrants, moving to America means shedding your past life and developing a new identity, while for others, becoming “Americanized” doesn’t mean rejecting your past. For Danny’s parents, avoidance of the past is helpful and even lifesaving. Gilbert highlights that within diasporic and immigrant communities, experiences vary depending on individual situations. Moreover, Danny’s parents are not stereotypical Chinese parents. In the novel, other young Asian American people are surprised to learn that Danny’s parents are supportive of him going to art school—as many immigrant parents are often hard on their children to study and build a career in a stable field that will earn them money and reputation.

Danny often pines for more information about his Chinese heritage, particularly because of the hole left by his missing sister. For him, China represents entire lives that were lived before he was even born, making him feel isolated as a first-generation American. Danny’s first-generation status also creates a gap in understanding between him and his parents. It is difficult for them to truly understand each other because their experiences are so different, and the stakes of their lives are so varied. Danny is also haunted by racism. As a child, a white man shouted at him to go back where he came from, teaching him at an early age that racism is a part of American life. Danny has retained the image of that man, whom he refers to as Mr. X, his whole life, using his visage and voice whenever he needs to criticize himself. With her novel, Gilbert celebrates the Chinese American experience while acknowledging some of the unique challenges of living as a minority.