A bicultural Arab American woman who reflects on her heritage and identity. Growing up in a secure American environment, she learns about her Palestinian roots through her father's folk stories and sayings. She takes comfort in her "true Arab" identity until violent news from the Middle East forces her to question what that identity means during times of war. She processes her cultural dislocation through deep empathy and internal questioning.

A Palestinian refugee living in America who teaches his daughter what it means to be a "true Arab." He shares folk remedies, like using watermelon to heal skin complaints, and provides his daughter with a sense of security and identity. However, the ongoing tragedy in his homeland eventually leaves him speechless and unable to comfort her as he carries unspoken intergenerational trauma.

A victim of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict featured on the front page of a newspaper. The child is pictured dangling a toy truck and is described metaphorically as a "homeless fig." This figure represents the displaced and suffering people of the speaker's ancestral homeland.

A neighborhood child who comes to the family's house specifically asking to see "the Arab." Her brief appearance shows the local American perception of Arabs as a curiosity or anomaly. The young speaker simply tells the visitor that they do not have one.

An individual the speaker's father visits. While this person uses a swatter to deal with flies, they watch in surprise as the father gently catches a fly in his bare hands. This interaction establishes the father's gentle nature in contrast to American norms.