Uncle Six Character Analysis in The Happiest Refugee

Younger brother of Tam, Anh’s father. Uncle Six makes the voyage of escape out of Vietnam with Anh’s family, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, and ends up in Australia with them. He also lives with Anh’s family for a time in the industrial space in Sydney that the family occupies. He mysteriously disappears for two decades. Anh later learns from his grandmother that Uncle Six, whom everyone thinks is an adopted child, is in fact the love child of his grandfather and another woman.

Uncle Six Character Timeline in The Happiest Refugee

The timeline below shows where the character Uncle Six appears in The Happiest Refugee. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Anh’s father Tam was known as Four, among his other siblings, One, Two, Three, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine. Anh’s grandmother supported all the children on the meager earnings of her... (full context)

...for their generosity, always allowing needy members of the community to stay with them. Uncle Six, Tam’s adopted brother, also arrives to live with them. (full context)

...skip during breaks, and the couple breaks up. Anh is distraught, and turns to Uncle Six, who is still living with them at the factory, for comfort. Anh is close to... (full context)

Anh’s father goes to Melbourne on a work trip. Anh and Khoa accompany Uncle Six on a visit to their father there. After the trip to Melbourne, however, Uncle Six... (full context)

Strangers begin recognizing Anh in the street. One day, he is stopped by Uncle Six—the uncle who had lived with Anh and his family twenty years ago, soon after their... (full context)

While undertaking research for his memoir, however, Anh delves deeper into Uncle Six’s story. He discovers from his grandmother that Uncle Six was in fact not an adopted... (full context)