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Journey to Freedom
THE BOAT QUIETLY DEPARTS IN THE GHOSTLY DARKNESS OF THE LATE OCTOBER NIGHT, 1989 HOPING TO REACH THE THAILAND GULF. ON BOARD ARE OVER ONE-HUNDRED VIETNAMESE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, SOME DISPIRITED, BUT MOST HAPPY, AND BRIMMING WITH HOPE THAT THEY WILL REACH THE PROMISED LAND. THIS INTENSIVE ESCAPE LEAVES THEM VULNERABLE, AND THE CHALLENGES THEY ENCOUNTER ARE ENOURMOUS; HOWEVER IT EXHIBITS THEIR IRON WILL AGAINST THE CORRUPT PRACTICES OF COMMUNISM.
MORNING COMES TO BEGIN A BEAUTIFUL DAY. THE SKY IS CLEAR AND SUNNY. THE BOAT ROCKS SLIGHTLY BY THE WAVES AND CONTINUES TO RUN AT ITS FULL SPEED. THE PEOPLE KNOW SO WELL AT THE TIME THAT THERE IS NO GOING BACK. EITHER THEY WILL MAKE IT OR DIE SOMEWHERE IN THE IMMENSE AND UNFORGIVING SEA. FEAR OF THE UNCERTAINTY AND THE UNKNOWN LINGERS IN THEIR MINDS. ARE THEY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? WILL THEY SURVIVE? WILL THEY BE HIT BY THE STORM OR FACE THE CRUEL AND SAVAGE THAILAND'S PIRATES? WHERE WILL THEY END UP…? ON THE THIRD DAY, DARK CLOUDS ARE HOVERING OVER THEIR HEADS AND STRONG WINDS START TO BLOW HEAVILY AGAINST HEIR TINY WOODEN BOAT. THE CALM OCEAN BECOMES INCREASINGLY VIOLENT WITH FEROCIOUS WAVES DRIVIING THEIR BOAT OFF COURSE. THERE IS NO SIGHT OF LAND, NOTHING EXCEPT THE RUMBLING SKY, THE QUIVERING WINDS, AND THE FAST TREMBLING HEARTBEATS. THE PEOPLE ARE CRYING FOR HELP. SOON, THEY RUN OUT OF FOOD, RAW FISH HAVE BECOME THEIR MAIN SOURCE OF NOURISHMENT, BUT EVEN THAT IS RARE. ONE CAN ESPECIALLY HEAR CHILDREN WHINING FOR FOOD WHILE THEIR PARENTS SIT THERE HELPLESSLY. THESE APPREHENSIVE INNOCENT KIDS DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEM, AND WHY THEY HAVE BEEN PUT IN THE BOAT TO NEVER SEE THEIR HOME AGAIN. PERHAPS THE ASSURANCE...
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...TS TOWARDS A HAPPY, FREE LIFE.
A YEAR AFTER THE MANY DEATHS IN THE HANDS OF THOSE SEA PIRATES, KIEM HER FAMILY AND OTHER SIBLINGS STARTED THEIR JOURNEY. SIX YEARS LATER, THEIR DREAM CAME TRUE WHEN THEY FINALLY ARRIVED IN AMERICA IN SEPTEMBER 1995. IT IS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD TO EXPERINCE THE EFFERVESCENT TASTE OF SEVEN-UP, THE DELICIOUS FLAVOR OF MCDONALDS' FRENCH FRIES, AND THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE SO CALLED DEMOCRACY THAT THEIR COUNTRY DOES NOT POSSESS. HOLDING A HAMBURGER IN KIEMS' HAND REMINDS HER OF HER BROTHER AND SISTERS HUNGERING FOR IT SO BADLY THAT THEY RISKED THEIR LIVES FOR AMERICA. THAT HAMBURGER IS WORTH ONLY A FEW DOLLARS, BUT PRICELESS TO HER, BECAUSE THE PRICE HER FAMILY PAID IS MEASURELESS. SHE FEELS VERY FORTUNATE FOR BEING THE ONE WHO IS AT LAST ABLE TO HAVE THE HAMBURGER IN HER HAND AFTER MANY YEARS OF YEARNING AND SUFFERING.
Appy’s book is valuable to its readers in showing how Vietnam became the template for every American war since, from novelties like the invasion of Grenada to the seemingly never-ending conflicts post-9/11. But before all that, there was Vietnam, and, larger lessons aside, Appy’s book is a fascinating, insightful, infuriating and thought-provoking study of that conflict, from its earliest days
Lawrence’s purpose in writing this book was concise and to the point. In recent history, due to the fall of the Soviet bloc, new information has been made available for use in Vietnam. As stated in the introduction, “This book aims to take account of this new scholarship in a brief, accessible narrative of the Vietnam War… It places the war within the long flow of Vietnamese history and then captures the goals and experiences of various governments that became deeply embroiled in the country during the second half of the twentieth century” (Lawrence, 3.) This study is not only about the American government and how they were involved in the Vietnam conflict, but highlights other such countries as France, China, and the Soviet Union. Lawrence goes on to say that one of his major goals in writing this book is to examine the American role in Vietnam within an international context (Lawrence, 4.) Again, this goes to show that the major purpose of Lawrence’s study included not only ...
The aim of this book by Bui Diem with David Chanoff is to present the Vietnam War told from a South Vietnamese perspective. The large-scale scope of the work concerns the fighting between North and South Vietnam over which party would run the country and wanting to become an independent state free from the Western powers. Diem's memoir contains in-depth details about his life and politics in Vietnam in 1940-1975. The book serves as a primary source in documenting the events in Vietnam during the war and as an autobiography of Diem's life. The purpose of this book is to give insight of the war through Diem's eyes and how it affected his life.
The Eaves of Heaven was written by Andrew X. Pham and was first released in 2008. According to Steinnglass (2008) unlike his first book, Cat Fish and Mandala, which told Pham’s story from his childhood to his immigration into America, to his return to Vietnam in the 1990’s, the Eaves of Heaven focuses on telling the Vietnam story of Pham’s family from his father, Thong Van ham’s perspective. In essence, Pham tells of his father’s own experiences in a solid and balanced nature. Generally, the book focuses on what Pham calls “three wars”, referring to the French colonization of Indochina, Japan’s invasion during World War II, and the Vietnam War. In this regard, Pham, through his father’s own voice, manages to uniquely capture the entire progression of Vietnam throughout the 20h century. It is the story of one man’s heartbreaks, reversal of fortunes and resilience throughout the length of the three wars. To a great extent, the title of the book intrinsically captures the alternation of good and bad times and experiences for Thong Van Pham. This paper argues that the Eaves of Heaven reveals that war corrodes civil life and
...He is still anchored to his past and transmits the message that one makes their own choices and should be satisfied with their lives. Moreover, the story shows that one should not be extremely rigid and refuse to change their beliefs and that people should be willing to adapt to new customs in order to prevent isolation. Lastly, reader is able to understand that sacrifice is an important part of life and that nothing can be achieved without it. Boats are often used as symbols to represent a journey through life, and like a captain of a boat which is setting sail, the narrator feels that his journey is only just beginning and realizes that everyone is in charge of their own life. Despite the wind that can sometimes blow feverishly and the waves that may slow the journey, the boat should not change its course and is ultimately responsible for completing its voyage.
The story focuses on her great-grandfather, who was in disapproval of the French occupation of Vietnam, but still excelled at his job as a Mandarin under the puppet imperial court, fearing persecution of his family if he were to resign. In this section, the author also mentions more about the how the values of confusion had influenced the Vietnamese people in attempts to justify her great grandfather’s
Bao Ninh's The Sorrow of War is a contrapuntal reading to American literature on the Vietnam War. But rather than stand in stark contrast to Tim O' Brien's The Things They Carried, The Sorrow of War is strangely similar, yet different at the same time. From a post-colonialist standpoint, one must take in account both works to get an accurate image of the war. The Sorrow of War is an excellent counterpoint because it is truthful. Tim O' Brien writes: ". . . you can tell a true war story by its absolute and uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil." (O' Brien, 42) Bao Ninh succeeds in this respect. And it was for this reason that the Vietnamese government initially banned The Sorrow of War. A thorough textual and historical examination of both the war and post-war experience of Vietnam reveals that its experience was similar to, if not worse than, that of America.
There are four men stranded on a boat who are introduced in the beginning of the story. The cook, the oiler, the correspondent, and the captain are all on a boat that "a man ought to have a bath tub larger than" (360). As the men fight the crest of each wave they encounter, it is obvious that this is a desperate situation. Showing their powerlessness the narrator describes a group of birds as sitting ."..comfortably in groups, and they were envied by some in the dinghy, for the wrath of the sea was no more to them than it was to a covey of prairie chickens a thousand miles inland" (363). Even though the men are in grave danger, the sun rises and sets and a shark even swims by but seems to have no need for the men in the boat. The men even believe that the waves are harsh on them and want to capsize the boat. The narrator explains that "[the waves were] nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats" (361). Even though it is obvious that the ocean always has waves, it is hard fo...
Freedom is having the right to own, act, think, and speak without any restrictions from the outside. Ever since the New World was discovered, people have been fighting for their independence till this day. People of other colors and race have been forced to do labor without their consent. Today, those same people have been blamed or accused of crimes that were not committed by them despite of being free. Freedom has different meanings and those meanings change overtime; however sometimes the significance of freedom does not change.
The American Ideological Consensus is that “…the American people have shared much of the same ideals, the same basic principles, and the same patterns of belief” (McClenaghan 104). When America filled itself with ideologically homogenous people, their beliefs started to define our nation and became American identities. If asked what they think of America, peoples of other nations would say that the roads are made of glass, opportunity is in the air, and civil rights are plentiful. These accounts maybe accentuated; however, the underlying message is that the American people have more freedoms then the peoples of other nations do. The most widely known American identity is freedom, and even though that American identity has been tried and tested throughout much of its history, it can still be said that America is a land of liberty.
Throughout history freedom has had many different meanings and definitions; based on race, gender, and ethnicity. According to the dictionary freedom means the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint (“freedom” def. 1). Freedom may seem like something given to everyone however it was something workers had to fight for. Not everyone believed that workers’ rights needed to be changed, which led to a long battle between workers, employers and the government. To the working class people freedom meant making higher wages, having regulated hours, workable conditions and the right to free speech.
Liberation is defined as more than just a physical movement towards freedom or as a concrete escape from a difficult situation. Liberation is equality, a release from real and figurative imprisonment, and a strong mental and spiritual change in mindset (Merriam-Webster 1). Characters like Pecola Breedlove in The Bluest Eye and Dinah in The Red Tent experience tremendous liberation from their devastating situations when they manage to find true happiness. Portrayed as a battered and abused girl in Toni Morrison’s novel, Pecola Breedlove lives a life of confusion, racism, resentment, and hostility. It is only when Pecola convinces herself that she has blue eyes that she is able to liberate herself and feel true happy. Pecola lives a disheartening life but with patience and perseverance, she frees herself from the sadness of her world and achieves mental bliss. Much like Pecola, the character Dinah from Barbara Kingsolver’s classic faces difficulties living as a female in a male-dominated world. Dinah is trapped from the start of her life to a predestined and repetitive life of child-bearing and child-rearing and besides finding temporary refuge and liberation in the red tent, is trapped for most of her life. Dinah experiences a life of deceit, betrayal, and lost-love but is able to find liberation in the new and different life she chooses to live. Pecola Breedlove and Dinah are able to best achieve spiritual liberation and combat two very unfair societies through perseverance, patience, and hope for a positive change.
In fact, the daily life of human beings is at the mercy of the uncontrollable waves of the sea; while, at the same time, the essential part of reality remains unknown to feeble, helpless humans. The human voyage into life is feeble, vulnerable, and uncontrollable. Since the crew on a dangerous sea without hope are depicted as "the babes of the sea", it can be inferred that we are likely to be ignorant strangers in the universe. In addition to the dangers we face, we also have to overcome the new challenges of the waves in the daily life. These waves are "most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall", requiring "a new leap, and a leap."
Hayslip, Le Ly, and Jay Wurts. When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace. New York: Plume, 1990. Print.
"In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a