Summary Of Paradise Of The Blind By Duong Thu Huong

Jook-Liang’s grandmother doesn’t let her become a movie star, because Poh-Poh thinks that Jook-Liang is a girl and that she is useless, she can’t be a movie star, she can do nothing. Conversely, that is just her opinion without any proof, even though Poh-Poh is also a woman. This kind of gender discrimination and ridiculous opinion makes Jook-Liang hate Grandmother. Thirdly, this traditional Chinese thinking makes her think about herself.

As she recalls back on this time by telling her daughter what she calls her Kweilin story, Suyuan describes her feeling during this horrible time as “And inside I was no longer hungry for the cabbage or the turnips of the hanging rock garden. I could only see the dripping bowels of an ancient hill that might collapse on top of me. Can you imagine how it is, to want to be neither inside nor outside, to want to be nowhere and disappear?” (22) At this point in her life Suyuan was separated from her husband who is in the military and eventually is forced to abandon her two young daughters. This aspect of Suyuan’s life parallels the life of Amy Tan’s mother. Daisy tan was also married to a military man during the Chinese Civil War and like Suyuan was forced to abandon her two daughters in Shanghai. This was an experience that would affect her mother for the rest of her life and a story she would continue to tell and never forget. The life of Amy Tan is also a parallel to the life of Jing-Mei Woo of “June”. As a young girl June was forced to play the piano and practice constantly to become the best like Amy Tan was as a child. Along with playing the piano Suyuan also had high expectations for June as far as her future. She wanted her daughter to be the best in her class and go off to medical school to become a well educated doctor, the same expectation’s Amy Tan’s mother had for her. Both daughters decided to follow their dreams and

Even with her previous experiences at Beijing University and at Big Joy Farm, Wong still held some belief that the Chinese system wasn’t as bad as it was sometimes made out to be. This event proved to her that it was. “The enormity of the massacre hit home…Although it had been years since I was a Maoist, I still had harbored some small hope for China. Now even that was gone” (259). As a reporter Wong was able to view the progression of the protests in leading up to the massacre, and in viewing it understood that the Chinese people were much more independent than they had previously demonstrated over the past 50 years. She had continuously seen the Chinese people following what they were told between learning in school or with physical labor, yet this protest was one of the first large scale displays of the unacceptance of the regime by the people, and the government did not know what to do with it. But because of this, Wong was able to recognize that the people were not reliant on this way of life that they had previously been bound to, but truly could lead for themselves and take control. The massacre awakened Wong both to the reality that the government was not acting to benefit the people, and that the people were more than capable of acting for

In the book The Monkey Bridge by Lan Cao, income and social status prevent Mai and her family from all being together in the United States. On page 227, her mother Thahn writes in a letter to Mai, “How could i have told you that Baba Quan, the man I call Father, is a Vietcong from whom i am still trying to escape?” This quote shows that because Mai’s grandfather Baba Quan was a Vietcong, he wasn't able to come over to the United States during the war to be with his family because little did Mai know at the time, her grandfather was apart of this war that caused them to flee. During the early stages of Thahns life and the income that lacked thereof in her family, Baba Quan had to go to drastic measures in order to pay rent. “...my father, your

In the book each of the Poh Poh’s are seen as old and wise but as well as have a deep sense of culture they are the heart of the home. Suk-Lung and Jung-Sum both had a relatively good relationship with their grandmother as they were cared for dearly”Suk-Lung and his illness. The concept of grandmother was seen throughout all three stories demonstrating their importance in Chinese culture as well as the characters lives.

Your analysis of Paradise of the blind reminds me of the literature of the great Gatsby that commonly reveal actions and brings out logic related to cause and effect, characters, and critical analysis of the story. Reading literature like Paradise of the blind and the great Gatsby is important to focus on the community level, to develop the significance of wealth, social class, as a reflection of the standpoint to understand the life of the characters. In Paradise of the blind, I see suffering of women under chaos beliefs. Unfortunately, the biases against women in different countries around the world still relevant today. In some places like those in the Middle East, males are able to go to school and learn how to read and write, but females

In the beginning stages of his life Tayo lives with his mother who spends her time getting drunk and sleeping with various men. His mom did not care for his physical or mental health and eventually sends Tayo to live with his “Auntie.” Although Auntie takes care of Tayo physically she does not make an effort to provide a nurturing environment for him emotionally. Auntie fed Tayo and gave him a place to sleep, however, she also made it clear to him that he was excluded from the family, always keeping him close enough to watch but not including him. Silko proved Tayo’s alienation in this depiction of Auntie and Tayo’s relationship, “She wanted him close enough to feel excluded, to be aware of the distance between them.” Auntie was not true to herself or her roots. She was constantly torn between maintaining a pure image and staying true to her Indian roots. She was a devout Christian and looked down on Tayo for not being full Native American. Auntie and Tayo’s mom themselves were not stable and therefore they were unable to provide stability for Tayo. His mom left the reservation but instead of making a life for herself she ended up spending all her money on alcohol and sleeping with lots of men. Tayo did not know his dad but his dad was a white man, because of this Auntie looked down on

The disregard for capitalist ideals by 20th century Vietnam however has been constructed by the author throughout the novel. The effect on the peasantry had been constructed by Duong in relation to the character Que. Within the book, the close paternal relationship of Que and Hang had deteriorated since the beginning of her relationship with Aunt Tam. “Because Aunt Tam had taken me under her protection…a kind of indifference had slipped into our relationship.” (Hang, page 136). The author has inserted tragic tone of voice used to express the strain in Hang and Que’s as Hang’s relationship

This classic was all about the life of a young teenager, named Mai. She is Vietnamese and was brought to America in the late 1900’s along with her Mother,Thanh, several years after Mai. Her Grandfather’s friend, Uncle Michael, helped them get out of Saigon during the War in Vietnam. Her Grandfather, who was named Baba Quan, was supposed to come along with Thanh but never showed up to go to America. After Mai and her Mother were brought to America, they lived in Arlington Virginia in a small community called Little Saigon. While living here Thanh becomes sick and had to go to the hospital. Her only wish was to see her Father and so Mai sought to make that happen for her. Mai searched and searched for ways to get him to America, but she

Han Kang utilized the sense of direction to create the plot of the second part of the novel. Being an artist who constantly searches for inspiration that can fully satisfy him, In-hye’s husband is still trying to find his path. As the second part of the novel is written in third person about the husband, readers note the extreme change in personality after he finds the right path. Initially, he wanders around hoping to find the rightful figure for his artwork. The narrator states, “But he hadn’t found what he’d been looking for. There had been nothing for him in the booming electronic music, the gaudy costumes, the showy nudity, or the overtly sexual gestures. The thing he’d been searching for was something quieter, deeper and more private” (64). Unable to search for the right inspiration, he is restricted to doing other artwork that cannot satisfy him. However, after his discovery of Yeong-hye’s Mongolian mark, he finds a purpose in his life, because he can finally complete his artwork. The narrator states, “He knew he had reached a point of no

Although Chueh-hsin did not agree with these values, which so unfairly restricted him from his goals and desires, he felt as if he had no choice but to follow the word of his father and grandfather, the Venerable Master Kao. Towards the end of the novel, Chueh-hsin takes his last harsh blow from the Confucian dictates of his family, when his wife dies during childbirth, as a result of being forced away beyond the safety and comfort of the town and home, because of superstitious values of children being born in a household where a death had recently occurred. When this event occurs, Chueh-hsin realizes that he has made a mistake that is entirely irrevocable and that he himself is largely to blame for in adhering to the values and restrictions of the family. Upon realizing this, he decides to strike back in his own way, against the family, by helping his youngest brother, Chueh-hui, escape at the end of the novel.

Helen declares that “Chinese people don’t do such things” and suggests that neither the woman nor Old Chao are actually Chinese (168). For the Chang family, their nationality and identity is so intertwined. Theresa’s family’s misconceptions are a catalyst for Theresa giving in to her own yearnings. This is a turning point for Theresa because “the censure of her family was like a hard shell under which she found a certain freedom” (173). No longer does Theresa censor herself to appease her family and live up to their expectations.

Eighteen year old, Vietnamese Phuong was terribly naive. This young girl was in a state of peace with Fowler, but what she really wanted was to be settled, married. She, much like Vietnam, was being fought for. And was constantly wavering between Fowler and Pyle. The Vietnamese “want[ed] enough rice” (94) that’s all, and all Phuong wanted was to be settled. That was why she left Fowler for Pyle, why Pyles’ death wasn’t so devastating for her, and why she was so happy to be able to be “the second Mrs. Fowler.”

Obviously, she hates the situation. Yet, although she can secretly sell Aunt Tam 's rings or seek help from Aunt Tam, she decides to stay with her mother and share the pain together as a family. She understands the importance of family and she knows that all Uncle Chinh has left in their family is his sister, Que. Hence, she respects how Que is sacrificing for him and keeps herself from complaining about the

Huong’s female characters succumb to the expectations of society, obeying and abiding by the traditional values. A distorted kind of self-realization is achieved through the women’s blind sacrifices. It is a pattern, a tragic oxymoron and an endless cycle; Aunt Tam, Que and Hang sacrifice all in the name of family and traditions, and this makes them feel worthy and satisfied. The novel ends with a twist as Hang realizes how this cycle ruins her mother and aunt and finally decides to break free from the burdens of