57 pages • 1 hour read
Happiness Falls
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Literary Devices
Verisimilitude
Verisimilitude is the closeness of events or details to reality. The novel’s setting is highly realistic: It not only references many of the major world events of 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the political situation of the US, but also incorporates them into the plot. For instance, the Parkson family struggles to find therapists to help communicate with and exonerate Eugene because “those who weren’t sick were in the midst of getting notified of the outbreak, getting tested, preparing for quarantine, and canceling everything in their lives” (205). The pandemic create barriers to what the characters are trying to accomplish, and sometimes benefits them, as when Eugene escapes detention in a facility due to a COVID-19 outbreak. The mask-wearing during COVID-19 becoming normalized intersects with the novel’s Language and Silence theme, as Mia reflects on how the pandemic has elevated texting above face-to-face communication, which has “made our society more accommodating for non-oral-encoders who can’t speak but can type” (228). Similarly, the novel considers the rise of anti-Asian bigotry and the reckoning with police abuse of power through the experiences of the Parkson family and the way Detective Janus runs roughshod over Eugene.
Less obvious plot elements also heighten realism. For instance, the novel’s treatment of the disproved pseudo-science of facilitated communication—a practitioner of which Adam shows to be lying—dramatizes the real world phenomenon of predatory charlatans taking advantages of desperate parents like Hannah.
Allusion
Allusions are references to works of literature, historical events, or other cultural artifacts. Happiness Falls includes extensive allusions to theoretical and literary works. For example, Mia often applies theories of heuristics—referencing theories of cognition—to her biases and decision-making processes. Mia also shares an interest in linguistics with Hannah, who has a PhD in the subject; this prompts references to Noam Chomsky, an important figure in modern linguistics. The allusion develops the theme of Language and Silence, providing an academic lens through which to process society’s treatment of Eugene and what it means to be nonspeaking.
The novel also includes allusions to other works of literature. When Hannah attempts to obtain information about Adam’s potential cancer diagnosis, Mia thinks “it was Kafkaesque, how we were stuck in this circular dilemma in which we couldn’t get access to information needed to figure out whether Dad was dead unless we could prove he was dead” (251)—a reference to the work of Franz Kafka, whose novels and short stories often feature elaborately inescapable bureaucracies. Other allusions are multi-layered. For instance, at one point Mia wants “to win a bet with John, who was convinced the fortune-cookie printer confused the Dalai Lama with Dumbledore” (334-35)—a reference to the highest spiritual leader of Tibet and the mentor wizard from the fantasy series Harry Potter. These references to real events, cultural contexts, and literary and philosophical works ground the action in the real world.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is either overt or subtle preview of events that will take place later in the narrative. Mia’s retroactive narration is full of such hints because she is writing with hindsight. For example, Mia describes overhearing “something I wish I hadn’t, given what happened later that day. It might have stopped the suspicions that still, even now, keep me up at night” (330). Foreshadowing like this maintains reader interest, heightens tension and suspense, and plays into the novel’s theme of the Consequences of Small Actions.
Angie Kim’s use of foreshadowing also extends the novel beyond its plot bounds. Several hinted-at events never come to full fruition during the narrative, which suggests that the repercussions of Adam’s disappearance may be ongoing after the novel ends. For example, Mia’s thought that “this had to be my family’s bottom point. Things couldn’t possibly get worse” (335) feels ominous, and suggests that she is likely wrong not to expect more fallout. However, the moment she thinks this—when Adam is dead and Eugene is still at risk of prosecution—is the low point in the novel’s plot, which creates ambiguity about whether other negative events will occur after the novel’s conclusion.
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