Picture Us in the Light

Danny’s parents are important secondary characters in the novel. They uplift Danny and raise him to pursue his dreams. They do not pressure him to be anything other than who he is, but they are overprotective of him and don’t like when he travels far without them. Danny’s parents harbor an agonizing secret from their past: Their first child, a daughter named Joy by her adoptive parents, was essentially kidnapped from them, but there is nothing they can do to get her back. They struggle to make sense of this loss but are divided on how best to deal with their pain. Danny’s parents also struggle with mental health issues: Danny’s father experiences bouts of depression, and Danny’s mother is prone to panic attacks. They are hard workers who constantly make sacrifices for their children, despite their attempt to take back Joy leaving them with an assault charge and without green cards. They ultimately live for Danny’s future, and selflessly give their lives for him—proving to be resilient, stalwart, and loving to the end.

Harry is Danny’s best friend and the object of his affections. He is from a wealthy Taiwanese family and connected to his Taiwanese culture—unlike Danny who has never been to China and cannot speak Mandarin. Harry is under pressure from his family to go to a good university and worries about who he is and who he will become. This identity crisis is a common trope in young adult fiction, as the young man is just beginning his journey to self-discovery. Harry is a good friend to Danny and Regina (Harry’s girlfriend), being the happiest when everyone likes him and he gets everything he believes he deserves. However, Harry and Danny’s friendship is complicated by Danny’s new life and feelings for Harry. Despite their differences and occasional arguments, both boys are faithful, supportive friends to each other.

Regina is Danny’s friend and Harry’s girlfriend. She is a hard worker whose parents pressure her to study something “practical” in college, though she wants to pursue her passion for journalism. Regina is a powerful voice at her high school, being active on the school paper and a natural leader to boot. However, she has been struggling since her best friend Sandra’s death by suicide the previous year. She’d known Sandra had been battling depression but didn’t take the idea of suicide seriously. Now, Regina is consumed with guilt and mourns her deceased friend. Despite her own internal conflicts, Regina continues to be a supportive friend to Danny, who worried that his feud with Sandra before her death made her distrust him.