Key Player

Key Player portrays the written word—including journalism, diary entries, and storytelling—as a powerful tool for building empathy as characters use reading and writing to find ways to understand each other more deeply and move beyond surface-level assumptions. Writing becomes not just a way of documenting experience, but of connecting people across generations, cultures, and emotional barriers.

Mia’s journalistic mindset remains central to her ability to empathize with others, especially Mr. Yao. Early in the novel, Yang portrays Mr. Yao as strict, bitter, and difficult to work with—a far cry from someone Mia might admire. But when Mia begins to read his old diary entries, her understanding of him shifts. The diary reveals a much younger Mr. Yao: someone with ambition, joy, and vulnerability who wanted to “enjoy [his] life” and be himself. Unlike the present day Mr. Yao, his diary entries extol the virtues of compliments and make statements that Mia herself would make, declaring that “nobody’s going to stop [him] from going after [his dream. Ever!” (213). These entries present a stark contrast to the version of Mr. Yao that Mia knows in real life, forcing her to reconsider the assumptions she has made about him.

The process of reading Mr. Yao’s diary allows Mia to move past her frustration and approach him with care and curiosity. She sees that he, too, once had dreams, and that the disappointments and obstacles he faced helped shape his current demeanor. By referencing his own words and treating his story with respect, she helps Jason and Mr. Yao begin to repair their fractured relationship. This connection, made possible through writing, highlights a key idea in the novel: Written words can open doors when direct communication fails. In person, Mr. Yao remains guarded and angry, unwilling to express the emotional depth that the diary reveals. But through the written word, Mia accesses that emotional reality and responds with empathy.

Mia’s reporting on the Chinese national soccer team provides another example of how writing builds empathy. At first, the school community and broader media portray the team as “dangerous” and an opponent that “must be stopped,” emphasizing their otherness and painting them as villains in the match (182). As Mia interviews the players and shares their stories, she sees how much they have sacrificed and endured just to compete. Her article brings their struggles and humanity to light, not only for herself but for her readers. In telling their story, Mia begins to root for them, recognizing the universality of their experiences. The act of writing their story deepens her identification with them and allows her to celebrate both her Chinese and American identities.

Key Player shows that storytelling is not just a form of expression but a way of understanding and being understood. Whether through journalism or personal diaries, the written word offers characters the space to be vulnerable, honest, and human. For Mia, writing becomes a key that unlocks deeper truths and allows her to forge meaningful connections across emotional and cultural divides.