One Man’s Truth
For the past twenty years, literary theorists have challenged the notion of truth in autobiographical texts. Indeed, they have even asserted that memoirs are merely representations of events, perspectives and experiences. Yet, such statements fail to recognise the very purpose of autobiographical texts- to provide cathartic release and to send a message about how the world is, was and could be. Of course, such texts represent events, create perspectives and detail key experiences- all narrative texts inevitably contain these elements. However, to state that this is all there is to one’s truth is, at best naive and at worst, simply ludicrous. Anh Do’s extraordinary tale of a young boy’s journey is not merely a construction …show more content…
It is not merely a fanciful fabrication of the world around him. Whilst from a literary perspective, the division between fact and fiction is typically fluid in autobiographical texts, this does not render such constructions invalid or representative only of an individual’s experiences. In “The Happiest Refugee” prevailing messages regarding gender and racism are conveyed by the writer. These messages are merely reinforced through the anecdotes of the author’s perspective of the cultural dichotomies that existed in Australia in the late twentieth century. He is simply mirroring the dominant view of the society in which he lived. This is evident in his recollection of running for a leadership position at his school in Western Sydney. When presenting his case to his captive audience, an obvious, thick Vietnamese accent impacts on his clarity. His audience- including the teachers at his school- find this accent amusing. This causes Do considerable discomfort and leads him to question the optimistic worldview propagated by his parents, rather than blaming the racist attitudes of his audience. I find the audience’s reaction a little difficult to swallow. Ahn is clearly a victim of racism- he blames himself rather than focusing on the inappropriate actions of peers and teachers alike. Yet, as we continue reading the text, it becomes apparent that through his resilience, the protagonist overcomes this incident, rather than challenging it. Likewise, when provided with the opportunity to perform at his first open comedy show, he is initially met with racism from an audience filled with returned soldiers. Men who are clearly xenophobic due to their own experiences with the “yellow peril”. Yet, Do overcomes this adversity, albeit through his hyperbole of his “otherness”. This leads the soldier to the proclamation that the little Vietnamese immigrant is not so bad
For the past twenty years, literary theorists have challenged the notion of truth in autobiographical texts. Indeed, they have even asserted that memoirs are merely representations of events, perspectives and experiences. Yet, such statements fail to recognise the very purpose of autobiographical texts- to provide cathartic release and to send a message about how the world is, was and could be. Of course, such texts represent events, create perspectives and detail key experiences- all narrative texts inevitably contain these elements. However, to state that this is all there is to one’s truth is, at best naive and at worst, simply ludicrous. Anh Do’s extraordinary tale of a young boy’s journey is not merely a construction …show more content…
It is not merely a fanciful fabrication of the world around him. Whilst from a literary perspective, the division between fact and fiction is typically fluid in autobiographical texts, this does not render such constructions invalid or representative only of an individual’s experiences. In “The Happiest Refugee” prevailing messages regarding gender and racism are conveyed by the writer. These messages are merely reinforced through the anecdotes of the author’s perspective of the cultural dichotomies that existed in Australia in the late twentieth century. He is simply mirroring the dominant view of the society in which he lived. This is evident in his recollection of running for a leadership position at his school in Western Sydney. When presenting his case to his captive audience, an obvious, thick Vietnamese accent impacts on his clarity. His audience- including the teachers at his school- find this accent amusing. This causes Do considerable discomfort and leads him to question the optimistic worldview propagated by his parents, rather than blaming the racist attitudes of his audience. I find the audience’s reaction a little difficult to swallow. Ahn is clearly a victim of racism- he blames himself rather than focusing on the inappropriate actions of peers and teachers alike. Yet, as we continue reading the text, it becomes apparent that through his resilience, the protagonist overcomes this incident, rather than challenging it. Likewise, when provided with the opportunity to perform at his first open comedy show, he is initially met with racism from an audience filled with returned soldiers. Men who are clearly xenophobic due to their own experiences with the “yellow peril”. Yet, Do overcomes this adversity, albeit through his hyperbole of his “otherness”. This leads the soldier to the proclamation that the little Vietnamese immigrant is not so bad