Analytical Essay On Lucky Child By Loung Ung

Tiantian Chen Ms. Geere 34 April 10 2024 The horrors of the Cambodian war under the leadership of the Khmer Rouge for four years caused the death of 1.5 to 2 million people. Loung Ung, author of Lucky Child, faced the traumatic horrors of the war before coming to the USA as a child. She had to adapt to a new culture, environment, and language. It shows her journey from a young elementary schooler to a human rights activist. In this book, Loung had to overcome the obstacles of trauma, language barriers, and hiding her past, which proves that with enough resilience, anyone can achieve their dreams. First of all, she had to overcome her trauma. Loung dealt with severe PTSD from the war. When they first came to America, their foster family invited

All of a sudden, my world goes red and I am back in America, disoriented and terrified” (page 31). Although these fireworks were supposed to be a celebration, the sound reminded her of working as a child soldier, practicing for the incoming bombs. She had a flashback in the middle of the fireworks and nearly blacked out. As Loung grew older, these traumatic symptoms got better. “I brace myself for my first meeting with Chou in fifteen years.Then I see Chou and my throat tightens.” (250). Loung has developed as a person and she's finally faced her fears by returning to Cambodia. Even though Loung still deals with these traumatic and suicidal thoughts, this doesn’t stop her from attaining her goals. This shows that with enough resilience, anyone can achieve their dreams. Second of all, aside from trauma, Loung had trouble with language barriers after coming to America. She couldn’t understand a lot of the language. Loung wasn’t accustomed to the idioms that her classmates used, which made her feel dumb. On the playground, a girl called Loung had a pain in the neck. “‘What do you mean pain in the neck?’ I

At such a young age, she has not been assimilated into the culture yet. This frustrated Loung. However, in high school, Loung became a good writer and spoke English fluently. “While the rest of the students hurriedly leave, I stay glued to my seat and stare at the A+++ grade on top of the paper.‘No, it’s no mistake,’ he says, and smiles. ‘This assignment was to write about an important event that changed your life’” (175). Even though she didn’t use the correct grammar, she could tell her story using English, her second language, to express herself. What was once a hurdle for Loung becomes what she uses daily, stating there's no barrier to what one can accomplish. Third of all, Loung wanted to hide her past. She was not proud of where she came from. Loung tried to become more American by putting on flashy makeup and clothes. “On my face, thick black liner makes my eyes appear more open and Western, while purple lipstick gives me the look of an ice-cool person. Even if I have no money to keep up with the latest fashion trends, I am content with being a cheaper version of what’s in” (136). There was shame in her Cambodian heritage, and her brother being very traditional made it even