On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

by

Ocean Vuong

Gramoz Character Analysis

An Albanian boy at Little Dog’s elementary school, whose family immigrated to the United States after the fall of the Soviet Union. Gramoz is friendly, and he offers Little Dog a pizza bagel during lunch—an act of kindness that causes Little Dog to start following Gramoz around. After days of trailing behind Gramoz, he turns on Little Dog on the playground. “Stop following me, you freak!” Gramoz yells. “What the heck is wrong with you?” Years later, Little Dog realizes that he followed Gramoz because he was looking for a reflection of himself. It wasn’t pizza he wanted from Gramoz, Little Dog decides, “but replication.” Gramoz is an immigrant just like Little Dog, and Little Dog desperately wants to think there are others like just like him—lost and out of step with American culture.
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Gramoz Character Timeline in On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

The timeline below shows where the character Gramoz appears in On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 2
Gender and Sexuality Theme Icon
Memory Theme Icon
...grade, he sat down to eat his mushy school lunch in the cafeteria next to Gramoz, an Albanian boy whose family came to America after the fall of the Soviet Union.... (full context)
Gender and Sexuality Theme Icon
After Little Dog’s experience with Gramoz and the pizza bagel, Rose bought Little Dog a hot-pink Schwinn. As Little Dog rode... (full context)
Gender and Sexuality Theme Icon
Race and Racism  Theme Icon
Memory Theme Icon
...angered Little Dog, but the thought stayed with him. He wonders now if he followed Gramoz all those years ago because he was looking for a reflection of himself. Historically speaking,... (full context)