Girl In Translation

Clothing haunts Kim's existence. She depends on the fabrication and packaging of clothes to make a living, and spends six evenings a week in the clothing factory. At home, she and Ma have to sleep under layers of clothes and makeshift faux fur robes to keep warm. At school, she sees clothes as a marker of class. In gym, she compares her handmade underwear to the store-bought versions her classmates wear. She contrasts her cheap, ill-fitting uniform with the more fashionable uniforms other girls wear. When she describes her friends, family, and peers, she often mentions their outfits first. She notices Mr. Jamali's "striped maroon silk tunic" (128) in contrast to the other teacher's suits and ties. She compares the silk shirt of Uncle Bob’s with the "simple clothes" (212) Ma wears to Nelson's debate competition. It seems Kim can't ever escape the heavy significance clothing has for herself and those around her. 

Dust acts as a physical reminder of both the squalor in which Kim works and the labor she performs in the factory. At home, the dust goes hand-in-hand with the dilapidated state of their apartment. No matter how much cleaning they do, Kim and