Obstacles Of Post Traumatic Experiences In Loung Ung's

According to asiasociety.org, around 100,000 Cambodians fled Cambodia after Pol Pot’s rise to power. Among those refugees were Loung Ung, her older brother Meng, and his wife Eang. In Loung Ung’s Lucky Child, she talks about her life when she moved to the United States and how that relates to her sister Chou’s life in post-war Cambodia. In the U.S., Loung overcame the obstacles of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, foreign language and depression, which shows that resiliency can help overcome struggles. Firstly, Loung had the obstacle of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from her traumatic experiences in Cambodia. When her brother, Meng, first suggested that she come with him to Cambodia, she made a white lie and turned him down. “‘I don’t have enough vacation

However, she finally made the decision to accompany Meng on his next trip. “... ‘I’m going with you’” (249). Loung has overcome part of her fear to return to Cambodia, the place of her trauma. Therefore, it is possible to overcome certain obstacles in one’s way with resiliency. Secondly, Loung had to overcome the language barrier around her. When she was first learning English, Loung couldn’t speak fluently and often made mistakes. “‘Hey, Beth, let’s buck it!’ I holler and march ahead of her” (102). Loung isn’t completely fluent in English and has a difficult time grasping idioms, showing she still has yet to completely overcome the language barrier. Despite that, Loung eventually develops fluency in English and even gets a scholarship to college. “‘I’m going to college and it ain’t costing me a dime!’” (1990). Since she has gotten a full-ride scholarship to university, it is clear that she has proficiency in English, compared to her next to none upon arriving in America. Thus, this serves as an example that with resiliency, people can overcome obstacles in life. Finally, Loung suffers from depression and has to overcome