The Meaning behind Man’s Name
Kim Thuy’s “Man”, examines the cultural expectation and upbringing of Vietnamese women. Vietnamese women, considered inferior to men, are constantly expected to obey a master, “she was to obey three masters in sequence – father, husband and eldest son” (Marr 372). They are often repressed by the society they live in due to their culture. In this essay, I am going to bring evidence from the novel, as well as secondary sources, that Man was not fully satisfied as her name imposes and juxtapose it to other Vietnamese women. This evidence includes her marriage, her self-esteem and her expressed desire for Luc’s love. The meaning behind Man’s name, “perfectly fulfilled” (Thúy 27), contradicts her reality and the role expected of Vietnamese women.
Man’s marriage is tedious and not one of fulfillment. Just as Man’s marriage was arranged, Vietnamese women are married by “means of parental negotiations” (Marr 373) and do not have much say …show more content…
The evidence provided in this essay demonstrates that the name Man is paradoxical to the events that occurred and the cultural expectations of Man and other Vietnamese women. If Man was truly happy in her marriage, she would have never had an affair with another man. One of the signs that she wasn’t fully satisfied in her marriage is that she describes it as “uneventful, undramatic” (Thúy 96). In not some many words, dull. Her affair was the only moment in her life where she chose to put her needs before someone else. In Vietnam, “suffering and sacrifice epitomise an idealised womanhood.” (Peters 37), this suffering and sacrifice are the reasons for the lack of life and self-satisfaction in Vietnamese women. They are relentlessly expected to cater to the needs of others. Man’s human desire for love and affection is what pushed her to have an affair and most importantly to fill her emotional
Kim Thuy’s “Man”, examines the cultural expectation and upbringing of Vietnamese women. Vietnamese women, considered inferior to men, are constantly expected to obey a master, “she was to obey three masters in sequence – father, husband and eldest son” (Marr 372). They are often repressed by the society they live in due to their culture. In this essay, I am going to bring evidence from the novel, as well as secondary sources, that Man was not fully satisfied as her name imposes and juxtapose it to other Vietnamese women. This evidence includes her marriage, her self-esteem and her expressed desire for Luc’s love. The meaning behind Man’s name, “perfectly fulfilled” (Thúy 27), contradicts her reality and the role expected of Vietnamese women.
Man’s marriage is tedious and not one of fulfillment. Just as Man’s marriage was arranged, Vietnamese women are married by “means of parental negotiations” (Marr 373) and do not have much say …show more content…
The evidence provided in this essay demonstrates that the name Man is paradoxical to the events that occurred and the cultural expectations of Man and other Vietnamese women. If Man was truly happy in her marriage, she would have never had an affair with another man. One of the signs that she wasn’t fully satisfied in her marriage is that she describes it as “uneventful, undramatic” (Thúy 96). In not some many words, dull. Her affair was the only moment in her life where she chose to put her needs before someone else. In Vietnam, “suffering and sacrifice epitomise an idealised womanhood.” (Peters 37), this suffering and sacrifice are the reasons for the lack of life and self-satisfaction in Vietnamese women. They are relentlessly expected to cater to the needs of others. Man’s human desire for love and affection is what pushed her to have an affair and most importantly to fill her emotional