The drawing above is a representation of Kien with the image of his former house and new home in the background encompassing his head. Kien's former home is drawn in ruin which is meant to represent the destruction of not only his home, but former life in Vietnam before the communist party took over. His family has lost almost everything due to the war, not only physical possessions, but also the stability of Kien's family as a unit and his innocence once he lost the security of their manor. Their home was comprised of large walls and gates that provided the family with luxury and security from the cruelty that lived outside. With both Kien and his brother having white heritage, their manor protected them from the outside world and when that was gone their differences were exposed and ignited cruelty from those that could not accept their differences. The destruction their home can also signify the destruction of Kien's childhood and his mother, who was not only the provider, but he and his brother's chief protector. Once she began to crumble under the pressure of the of their new reality, it was apparent that she was just as fragile and could only withstand so much just as their former home.
By Jessica C.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteYour drawing is incredibly impressive in the way that you portrayed Kien's childhood home. The image is definitely haunting in the way that everything crumbles at the bottom. It's a good reminder of where the Nguyen family started from and how hard Khuon worked to get where she was only for her empire to be torn down so easily. After finishing the book, I had completely forgotten that they were once wealthy people. I suppose this is a way of reminding the readers that not only have they forgotten how far they've come but also how far Kien has gotten in life without forgetting a detail of his journey to freedom. I agree that the loss of his home was also a signifier that he's lost the privilege of being a child so early on and that his childhood was unrightfully stripped away from him only to be replaced with insurmountable distress.
By Shirley T.
Overall this is a very nice piece and the detail is portrayed very distinctly. I really liked that you thought to juxtapose Kien’s old home against his new home, and in such a way that they almost overlap as though it is a distant memory. I thought it was very creative that just as a neck supports and holds up a head, you drew the foundation of the old home to be crumbling and unstable, much like Kien’s life and the life he leaves behind. It is interesting that you drew both homes on the same surface, I took that as meaning that even though this home is no longer a part of Kien’s present life, it will always exist in his memories. I also think your image of the old home would serve as a good representation of the home at the time that Kien and his siblings return there in order to get assistance from loan. Overall a creative and thoughtful piece.
ReplyDeleteBy Hannah G.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteThis image is very powerful and invokes a odd sense of broken royalty. The first thing I noticed was that the trees and the house at the top of the picture resembled a crown of broken material resting atop the outline of Kien's head, which itself is made up of ruins. The make-up of the rest of the face, that which is ruined, seems to also have a sense of diminishing space that gives a downward motion to the decaying of childhood.
Patrick T.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very powerful image of the destruction of stability. The Nguyen Mansion is literally everything that his mother had built for herself and her family, so losing it equates to the loss of not only her material property and wealth, but the loss of her dignified status and respect. Aside from Khuon’s losses, Kien's forced departure from his peaceful childhood home also displays his inevitability to escape adulthood. Your image is very interesting because Kien’s new home rests at where the center of his head is, presenting his occupied mind with the desire to sustaining his family in his new home. I also interpret your depiction of Kien’s old home as memories of his childhood in the former mansion home that he cannot forget, whether he wants it to be or not, because the remnants appear to be integrated deeply within the rest of his neck and possibly the rest of his body. I have a feeling that you wanted to portray Kien’s past memories, presented in the rubbles of his former home, as a part of his entire being.
Bonnie Y.