But, if she told the story, we wouldn’t know Nea and Duke drove interstate to save Sourdi or know about the relationship between Nea and Sourdi, both of which are key elements to the story from any perspective. Their mother would most likely be focused on giving her kids a good, safe, financially stable American life (something they couldn’t have in Cambodia). This goal also ties into her anger when Nea stabs Sourdi’s “attacker,” when she told Nea, “You not thinking. That your problem. You always not think!” since her actions disturbed the peace and would make life harder for the entire family (131). We can also assume that their mother is setting Sourdi up with already-successful bachelors, like Mr. Chhay, to give her a safe middle-class life (Chai
But, if she told the story, we wouldn’t know Nea and Duke drove interstate to save Sourdi or know about the relationship between Nea and Sourdi, both of which are key elements to the story from any perspective. Their mother would most likely be focused on giving her kids a good, safe, financially stable American life (something they couldn’t have in Cambodia). This goal also ties into her anger when Nea stabs Sourdi’s “attacker,” when she told Nea, “You not thinking. That your problem. You always not think!” since her actions disturbed the peace and would make life harder for the entire family (131). We can also assume that their mother is setting Sourdi up with already-successful bachelors, like Mr. Chhay, to give her a safe middle-class life (Chai