Comparison of Ivory in “Sister” with Ethan in “Close to the Bone” Introduction
Andrew Lam authored Birds of Paradise Lost, which is a series of short stories capturing the experiences of the American immigrants from Vietnam. In these stories, versions of paradise are both lost and gained. The experience is solely that of the Vietnamese refugees who fled Vietnam for America and other places in 1975 during the fall of Saigon. Lam’s stories depict the experience of the refugees; the vivid pursuit of the American Dream, the struggle that leads to transformation, mediation, and forms new ways of being in a foreign land. The story is narrated repeatedly in a convincing and a non-apologetic manner, regardless of how stereotypical the characters are …show more content…
Her family’s history was traumatic, but she managed to survive. She lives with her brother as she had lost her father inVietnam during the war and her mother had died after the boat capsized as they escaped from Vietnam. These memories, however are not present in her brother who by the time they lost their parents, was so young to envisage anything. However, he had a feeling of emptiness which he believed would be filled by reconnecting with the home town where they lived during his early days. In contrast, Ivory who was by then a little older had all the bad memories of the war, losing her father in Vietnam and mother on their journey. Consequently, she had no desire to go back to Vietnam or Saigon and dreaded remembering the accident that took the life of her dear mother. Unfortunately, Ivory could not forget these places and incidences because she still had mental, emotional, and physical pains that reminded her of her ordeal. Ivory has settled in SF and her marriage as well as financial status is excellent. She loves being in the foreign land and dreads going back home in
Andrew Lam authored Birds of Paradise Lost, which is a series of short stories capturing the experiences of the American immigrants from Vietnam. In these stories, versions of paradise are both lost and gained. The experience is solely that of the Vietnamese refugees who fled Vietnam for America and other places in 1975 during the fall of Saigon. Lam’s stories depict the experience of the refugees; the vivid pursuit of the American Dream, the struggle that leads to transformation, mediation, and forms new ways of being in a foreign land. The story is narrated repeatedly in a convincing and a non-apologetic manner, regardless of how stereotypical the characters are …show more content…
Her family’s history was traumatic, but she managed to survive. She lives with her brother as she had lost her father inVietnam during the war and her mother had died after the boat capsized as they escaped from Vietnam. These memories, however are not present in her brother who by the time they lost their parents, was so young to envisage anything. However, he had a feeling of emptiness which he believed would be filled by reconnecting with the home town where they lived during his early days. In contrast, Ivory who was by then a little older had all the bad memories of the war, losing her father in Vietnam and mother on their journey. Consequently, she had no desire to go back to Vietnam or Saigon and dreaded remembering the accident that took the life of her dear mother. Unfortunately, Ivory could not forget these places and incidences because she still had mental, emotional, and physical pains that reminded her of her ordeal. Ivory has settled in SF and her marriage as well as financial status is excellent. She loves being in the foreign land and dreads going back home in