Duong Thu Huong's Paradise Of The Blind

Words: 1497
Pages: 6
Open Document
The Impacts of Family on Hang in Paradise of the Blind
Sometimes it is difficult to understand the decisions of those around us, and find meaning behind them in the way that they treat us. One sad truth is that most don’t see how much the decisions of those around us affect in the way where we see how they act and tend to adopt what they do and mimic them, and possibly use those same actions and adopt them without noticing them in the future. In Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong, it is shown that Hang’s family’s actions had affected her in several ways, such as how she values her life and those of others, how she reacts to others (such as her roommates, the man on the train, and the Bohemian), as well as the outcomes/decisions that she …show more content…
What is ironic is that she follows more in her father’s footsteps by going to school and wanting a better life for herself, then the life her family wants her to live. Towards the end of the book Hang says, “We can honor the wishes of the dead with the few flowers on a grave somewhere. I can’t squander my life tending these faded flowers, these shadows, the legacy of past crimes.” (Huong, 258) Her only wish in life is to remember her family in her heart, but not physically remember them, just like she did on the train when the simplest thing reminded her of her past. How easy it is for a small object to remind you of a big part of your life that you wish to leave behind. On the last page of the book Hang says, “Forgive me my aunt: I’m going to sell this house and leave all of this behind.” (Huong, 258) Hang wishes to let go of all the hurt that she had kept with her and the only way she let go of that past that was attached to her for so long that she considers a burden is to give everything away, without a second thought. This is so she can feel free of all her past struggles. She wants to continue her way of life. The last quote on the last page of the book she says, “I sat down, cupping my chin in my hands, and dreamed of different worlds, of the cool shade of a university auditorium, of a distant port where a plane could land and take off. . .” (Huong, 258) I believe that she says this to finally get rid of her past life and uses the metaphor of the plane to represent how she feels, or how she wants to feel from her past. She wants to feel free from all the expectations that her family has had for her. Hang doesn’t feel trapped, but feels obligated to keep the family tradition and take care of her aunt’s things. All throughout the book, Hang dreams. She dreams of her past, she dreams of the present (meaning she daydreams of how
Show More

Related Documents: Duong Thu Huong's Paradise Of The Blind

Paradise Of The Blind Analysis

The final part of Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong examines social class and gender roles in 1980’s communist Vietnam. In 1980, Vietnam was divided among four different social classes; the Ruling class at the top, the Scholar class, the Working class, and the Business class at the very bottom. Both Hang and her mother were considered Business class, and had a very difficult burden to bear, as they were essentially viewed as the scum of the country. Uncle Chinh and his family traveled between…

Words 890 - Pages 4