Monique Truong

He says, "my loss in body weight, however, I cannot hide. It shows itself as a forlorn expression on my face, one that my Madame and Madame have yet to notice" (Truong 138). They should have been more compassionate about him. Maybe offer him some checkups with the doctor. Another idea could have been allowing him an extra day off or even hiring someone to help him out. With time all of us began to age, certainly they know that and should take that into consideration. In Monique Truong's interview she talks about the thin line between labor and exploitation. She refers to the relationship between chefs and their workers. Most of these workers are undocumented. They aren't allowed to have citizenship or health insurance. These are things that the consumer doesn't think about, when they go and eat at restaurants. Just like the example Truong mentioned workers are being exploited by not being able to have health insurance. They have it, so why are their workers being excluded from…

This is a way my topic relate to the book Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong. One of the main characters is part of the Asian race, and has to go through the typical stereotypes. When Linda was in grade school, she was very smart. When she got to highschool things changed. She thought she would be considered “cool” if she pretended to be dumb because she didn 't like the stereotype that if you 're Asian you should be really smart. This really started to affect lind in the book and Monique…

increasingly widening circles configures every possible revolution. It is virtually that infinite sphere whose centre is everywhere, circumference no-where. (69) This gives great connotation to a new realm of thought and perception into the world of the Amazonian Utopia. It allows them to not “break” the boundaries, but merely to bend or expand at will for the purpose of disassociating the discourses that the involved in gender identity. The author 's point goes on to illustrate not one circle…

In exploring such a poignant topic as exile, one must first examine the group of people most likely to be subjected to exile. Often, this group tends to be the socially observed “other.” What an other is can change drastically depending on who is defining it, and to whom they’re assigning the term. As we’ve seen in both Book of Salt by Monique Truong, and Exile According to Julia by Gisele Pineau, the characters Bihn and Man Ya represent comparable, but fundamentally different ideas of the other…

Most children require a decent and nurturing role model, otherwise they cannot see the optimistic qualities of life nor form lasting relationships with anyone. In Monique Truong’s Bitter in the Mouth, Harper Evelyn Birch or Great-Uncle “Baby Harper” befittingly serves this niche as the role model for the protagonist, Linda Hammerick. Throughout the text, there is evidence of their sincere bond such as Linda confiding and finding solace in him which is significant because comparatively speaking,…

Childhood experiences are a primary factor in determining future behaviors, perspectives, and mannerisms. The nature of childhood is attributed as a time of discovery and, moreover, revelation in support of one’s development and preparation for the future that awaits them. Such attributions are shared with the experiences of Linda Hammerick, the protagonist of Monique Truong’s Bitter in the Mouth. Amongst her return to Boiling Springs, North Carolina, the correlated nostalgia brings forth an…

In the novels The Book of Salt and Americanah the patriarchal system of oppression that has held constant is challenged in a variety of ways. The Book of Salt written by Monique Truong, is narrated by Bình a Vietnamese immigrant who was essentially exiled from his country due to his sexuality, he recounts his life as a servant for the famous American writer Gertrude Stein and the struggles that he faced. The way that he speaks about Gertrude Stein in the novel indicates that she is an…