Mind of Two Manners A man with a split mind, a split task, and even a split heritage. The captain was a half-breed, born directly into the duality that he struggles with throughout the novel. In the beginning, the Narrator is plagued by a task of dual manner in itself, he is assigned to live and learn the American way of life so that he may disguise himself among the ranks of the Republic to work closely with the General himself, while covertly reporting any important information to his fellow communist conspirator. While searching for independence and freedom, working for both the Americans and the Vietcong, the Captain embarks on a journey that ultimately leads to the fracturing of his own identity perception.
The Narrator, having a strong …show more content…
See how so many of the Oriental qualities diametrically oppose the Occidental? In the West, many Oriental qualities, unfortunately, take on a negative cast. This leads to the severe problems of identity suffered by Americans of Oriental ancestry” (Nguyen 64).
The Department Chair directly states that although Orientals make good students, those of both American and Oriental ancestry suffer from severe identity problems. Having fit the description of the Department Chair’s statement, it is implied that the Narrator suffers from the same problems of identity caused by his heritage. “Presumably my half occidental status has helped me, perhaps innately, in understanding the American character, culture, and customs” (Nguyen 244). It is here in the process of understanding the American character that the Narrator’s identity becomes split further between Orient and Occident.
Being born of dual nature, the Narrator is faced with many challenging decisions and situations that when viewed through his ability to see issues from both points of view, creates a large internal conflict between the narrator’s own individual beliefs and values. Throughout the novel, the Narrator battles an internal struggle caused by his conflicting beliefs in both the communist Vietcong and the Republic of …show more content…
“Although I was neither one of the extras nor one of the boat people, the tide of sympathy pulled me toward them. The current of alienation simultaneously pushed me away from the movie people” (Nguyen 155). Being in his position as a communists spy he fights for the side that has led the countrymen to their current position as boat people. Driven away from the movie people, pushed away by his frequent feeling of “out of place”, the Narrator is drawn towards the boat people by a strong feeling of sympathy he slowly starts to realize that the war is causing more harm to the countrymen than anything else.
“What truly brought my spirits down, however, was when I asked one of the extras, a lawyer of aristocratic appearance, if the conditions in our homeland were as bad as rumored. Let’s put it this way, she said. Before the communists won, foreigners were victimizing and terrorizing and humiliating us. Now it’s our own people victimizing and terrorizing and humiliating us” (Nguyen
The Narrator, having a strong …show more content…
See how so many of the Oriental qualities diametrically oppose the Occidental? In the West, many Oriental qualities, unfortunately, take on a negative cast. This leads to the severe problems of identity suffered by Americans of Oriental ancestry” (Nguyen 64).
The Department Chair directly states that although Orientals make good students, those of both American and Oriental ancestry suffer from severe identity problems. Having fit the description of the Department Chair’s statement, it is implied that the Narrator suffers from the same problems of identity caused by his heritage. “Presumably my half occidental status has helped me, perhaps innately, in understanding the American character, culture, and customs” (Nguyen 244). It is here in the process of understanding the American character that the Narrator’s identity becomes split further between Orient and Occident.
Being born of dual nature, the Narrator is faced with many challenging decisions and situations that when viewed through his ability to see issues from both points of view, creates a large internal conflict between the narrator’s own individual beliefs and values. Throughout the novel, the Narrator battles an internal struggle caused by his conflicting beliefs in both the communist Vietcong and the Republic of …show more content…
“Although I was neither one of the extras nor one of the boat people, the tide of sympathy pulled me toward them. The current of alienation simultaneously pushed me away from the movie people” (Nguyen 155). Being in his position as a communists spy he fights for the side that has led the countrymen to their current position as boat people. Driven away from the movie people, pushed away by his frequent feeling of “out of place”, the Narrator is drawn towards the boat people by a strong feeling of sympathy he slowly starts to realize that the war is causing more harm to the countrymen than anything else.
“What truly brought my spirits down, however, was when I asked one of the extras, a lawyer of aristocratic appearance, if the conditions in our homeland were as bad as rumored. Let’s put it this way, she said. Before the communists won, foreigners were victimizing and terrorizing and humiliating us. Now it’s our own people victimizing and terrorizing and humiliating us” (Nguyen