"According to my mother, those children were either too dirty, or I was too clean" (6).
I felt that this quote is all encompassing of the memoir's tone, which effectively furthers the message. Kien Nguyen is a child who is not "whole" in everyone's eyes. His mother loves him and there is a strong sense that the family unit is of highest importance in the Nguyen family. In his mother Khuon's eyes, Kien is too pure, too privileged, and too clean to be contaminated by the world around him- too innocent. Contrarily, Khuon experiences a transformation as Saigon falls; she treats her children like parasites, and calls them, "bastard[s],... snot-nosed parasites" (50). At this point, we see the innocence is lost. The back cover of the memoir discusses a sense of the "unwanted"-ness for those who are part American, such as Nguyen, and this encompasses the idea that he is perceived as too dirty. With the fall of Saigon, the loss of innocence has changed the perception of his family and he is now essentially unwanted. It can be seen in the way Khuon encloses her children within the walls of her home- because inside his golden cage, he is too clean. Beyond the walls, he is dirty.
By Hannah G.
Hi Hannah! This is a really interesting take on Khuon's feelings for Kien. I know some of our classmates feel that she is selfish, a bad mother, and even cruel, but it sounds as though you view her in a much more favorable light, acknowledging that for her, family comes before everything else. I mostly agree with you, although I think I also assume that her love is imperfect, and she often makes bad choices. Do you think that she really hides him away because she wants to protect him and/or his "cleanliness"/innocence, or is it perhaps because she's ashamed or wants to protect her reputation? I think there's evidence throughout the novel to support both points of view, and it's interesting to me how different readers interpret her so differently. I tend towards thinking it's probably a combination of both motivations: on the one hand, her reputation is everything to her, and her livelihood requires that she maintain it; on the other hand, I believe that she loves her sons very much, and would have been concerned for their safety and well-being. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteBrittany K.
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteYour take in the clean v. dirty is very insightful. While reading I never noticed that the two go hand-in-hand with each other in documenting Kien's transition form child (if you can even say he had a childhood) to the responsibilities he takes on as an adult. The contrast between can also move forward as you mentioned that with the fall of Saigon to Kien going from pure and innocent to dirty and worthless based on appearance in relation to other children who are not judged by their race. For instance Kien's cousins, who torture him. In the outside world they are seen as "clean" because of their "pure" blood. When in reality we know that they are terrible people who put Kien and his family through hell in their lowest moments.
-Tori R.
I loved this imagery and also the others' comments about it. I recall that Khuon actually does refer to her third child, yet unborn, as "pure" during the town meeting where her other mixed-blood children are rejected by the crowd. However, even though his "pure" sister is depicted as the cleanest of Kien's siblings by Vietnamese society, she's ironically depicted as usually covered in sores, or some kind of bodily fluid, and smelling of fish-sauce. This could be due to Kien's perception of the "pure-bloods" outside of his mother's house. In this perception, his mother's words are true--he is the clean one, and the others, the pure-bloods, are dirty. However, he also describes Kim as a "clean" person, despite the fact that she's a pure blood. Whether this is due to the fact that Kien likes her or that she's from the North instead of the South, or some other reason, it's enough to set her apart with Kien, behind their own wall.
ReplyDeleteAlexis L.
I find it really interesting that Hannah brought up the theme of "dirty" vs. "clean." I feel that it doesn't just apply to the characters, but also the surroundings. Items are clean and well tended within the walls of Nguyen Mansion, the outside is dirty and full of despair. Kien was unaware of the caste system of Nhatrang as a five-year-old, but it swiftly engulfs his life three years later. I tracked the theme of "dirty" throughout the novel. When Kien has difficult decisions to make, or is the victim of an oppressor, or is losing hope for himself or his family, the word "dirty" comes up to describe his surroundings. When he feels hope for his future, places are clearer, brighter, and more colorful. I think this is reminiscent of the many filters that can cloud our own minds and effect the way we view our surroundings depending on our mental state at any given time.
ReplyDeleteBy Candice V.
I actually think this is a great topic to write on. However, I don't think Khuon meant any harm in keeping her kids away from the "dirty kids." I think once raised in a certain class, one accustoms themselves with those who are more familiar to the person and in that case, it would be to associate her kids with clean people. Throughout the book, we see the family's downfall to poverty and as more time passes, the more they become as dirty as the people Khuon once tried to keep out. I think it's really interesting that towards the end of the book, there are two mentions of lemon trees while Kien tries to get his paperwork sorted out. Lemons are a natural bleaching agent. This, to me, was a sign that things were going to start anew - fresh, clean. Getting his real estate papers signed was the last thing he needed to do to finally rid himself of his Vietnamese experience before leaving the country. The mention of the lemons only made me think of how [at the moment] it was a cleansing process for he and his family so they can arrive in the U.S. with a new life.
ReplyDeleteBy Shirley T.