ipl-logo

Symbols In The Mountains Sing By Nguyen Phan Que Mai

569 Words3 Pages

1955 marked the beginning of a devastating war that Vietnam was about to face. The war politically divided the Northern and Southern regions of the country. Although many may comprehend the battles between the rise of communism or capitalism, the effects on families and ways in which they overcame such harsh situations are often overlooked. Instead, wars are frequently represented through statistics and lists of chronological events. It is important to comprehend these wars on a more personal level. Nguyen Phan Que Mai does an excellent job of portraying the struggles of families during the Vietnam War within her novel, The Mountains Sing. Within the novel, themes emerge regarding the way in which one may overcome devastating events. Symbols in The Mountains Sing are used to convey that a dependable family can withstand any capacity of hardship. This allows the author to emphasize …show more content…

Despite the Tran family seeing their home destroyed, instead of faltering, they rebuild it. Toward the beginning of the novel, prior to the war, Huong describes that the bang tree was "planted [when Grandma Dieu Lan] built the house" (Nguyen 43). Huong implies that the tree is a representative of the family in a sense, seeing as the tree grew strong, the family was able to as well. After the war, however, both the tree and the home are destroyed alongside each other. Although heartbreaking to discover, Grandma Dieu Lan does not give up. On the contrary, she wishes to rebuild the strength which was stolen from her family, saying, "We'll plant another tree and build another house." (Nguyen 44). Through the action of planting the tree, the family shows growth and resilience. Que Mai utilizes the bang tree to symbolize the strength that the Tran family holds. This further enforces that by trusting in one's family, stability can be rebuilt, and therefore hold together a family regardless of

Show More
Related

The Symbolism Of Melinda's Tree In Speak By Halse Anderson

1096 Words | 5 Pages

But like her tree she has no idea how to feel like she is living, not just surviving. The tree is changing as she is because the tree is a perception of her emotions, and who she is doing throughout the

Read More

Examples Of Figurative Language In The White Heron

699 Words | 3 Pages

The tree is like a boat and the main mast is the biggest part, and also the most helpful. The main mast holds the biggest sail and pushes the boat the furthest. This theme can be described also in life, sometimes there is a stranger, someone unknown who is like a main mast helping you travel the sea of life. Jewett has used similes and imagery to show how the tree and the environment can be an adversary at once and then immediately become a helping

Read More

Symbolism In Jeanette's 'Glass Castle'

445 Words | 2 Pages

In contrast with the tree; the walls family were always beaten down due to poverty, spun in different directions by the wind; as in the millions of miles they move about through the country but they also have strong roots as well. Rose; Jeanette’s mother shows a deep interest and fascination over the tree. She loves to study and make portraits about it. In Rose’s perspective the tree is her view about her family; deep underneath their dysfunctional roots of trial and hardships they face; there is a strong bond of love and compassion that they have together as a

Read More

Bruce Weigl And The Things They Carried

130 Words | 1 Pages

Bruce Weigl’s poem “Song of Napalm” juxtaposes Timothy O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. Each work of literature depicts the struggles of the authors in a fictional, yet documentary way of their experiences and time fighting in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War which erupted from 1955 till its end in 1975 affected people all across the seas. In America, men were called to military service to bear arms against North Vietnam and the attempt at the advancement of communism. Throughout the two works of literature, Weigl and O’Brien, both speak on their experiences during the Vietnam War.

Read More

Truong's A Viet Cong Memoir

937 Words | 4 Pages

In A Viet Cong Memoir, we receive excellent first hands accounts of events that unfolded in Vietnam during the Vietnam War from the author of this autobiography: Truong Nhu Tang. Truong was Vietnamese at heart, growing up in Saigon, but he studied in Paris for a time where he met and learned from the future leader Ho Chi Minh. Truong was able to learn from Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary ideas and gain a great political perspective of the conflicts arising in Vietnam during the war. His autobiography shows the readers the perspective of the average Vietnamese citizen (especially those involved with the NLF) and the attitudes towards war with the United States. In the book, Truong exclaims that although many people may say the Americans never lost on the battlefield in Vietnam — it is irrelevant.

Read More

Love For Pyle Analysis

1030 Words | 5 Pages

Phuong did not say much the night before and Fowler was aware of that. “I noticed you were quiet. What a fury you might have been, but you’re Phuong – you’re no fury.” (Greene, 1950, p.123). Phuong’s silence symbolizes her country, Vietnam, because of their powerless behavior and actions along with their careless choices.

Read More

The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien: Literary Analysis

793 Words | 4 Pages

Madelyn Smith Ms.Reid English 11 Law 25 April, 2023 The Vietnam War was a horrifyingly gruesome and deadly altercation in which America sent hundreds of thousands of kids to fight in a grown man's war. Close to 60,000 American soldiers and 250,000 Vietnamese soldiers were killed in this fight of nonsense, in which the lives of innocent civilians and soldiers alike were taken, all while making no political progress. In the historical fiction, The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien presents stories that show how the soldiers cope with the war, in order to depict the trauma and horror they experienced, ultimately illustrating that the soldiers who went to Vietnam lived through horrid battles and show their fear of uncertainties through their

Read More

Analysis Of Orange By Gary Soto

652 Words | 3 Pages

Winter Orange When thinking of the classic first date, it always starts with two nervous, lovesick pre-teenagers. They go out to see a movie and walk through the park with slight embarrassment, but go home and squeal with relief and excitement. They forget how nervous they were and feel enlightened with the deeper connection forged with their potential partner. Much like the classic first date, “Oranges”, by Gary Soto, narrates a young boy’s first walk through winter with a girl.

Read More

The Red Umbrella Analysis

721 Words | 3 Pages

The story “The Red Umbrella” written by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and the photograph by José Hernández-Claire both have the same subject. That subject is Separation. This subject is a big topic in both the story and the photograph because it literally revolves around separation. Even though they have something in common; and in “The Red Umbrella”, the kids are being separated from their parents and being brought to the U.S so that they can live a better life and so that they are safe. there is also something different about the story such as the techniques that make it easier to show the subject.

Read More

Home Again: Early Experiences Of Post-Deployment Stress By Erin Finley

1427 Words | 6 Pages

Introduction In the early 1960’s, the United States had sent combat troops to South Vietnam for the purpose of defending South Vietnam against the communist North Vietnam and to spread Democracy. The Vietnamese War was the longest war in the history of the United States and it costed 58,000 American lives, as well as almost two million Vietnamese deaths. According to the digital history article, the war, among others, damaged the economy, weakened the military morale, and brought distrust in the government. It was also estimated that 830,000 veterans suffered from PTSD, of which almost half of them were deeply affected to the point of being labeled disabled.

Read More

Truth In The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien

1774 Words | 8 Pages

By attaching stories to deaths, and names to the faces of soldiers who otherwise would be just another killed in action, the real experiences of what it was to be a soldier in Vietnam come to life in ways cold hard facts and reality cannot. O’Brien’s book is not about war. It’s about the people who lived through the terror of being in Vietnam. As O’Brien writes “It’s about love and memory. It's about sorrow”(81).

Read More

Stand Tall Analysis

716 Words | 3 Pages

“Mom and Dad smiled at each other and laughed. It was a sound that Tree hadn’t heard from them in the longest time” (132). This shows how Tree wasn’t sure his parents were ever going to get along again, but they end up having a good time. This is an example of how family matters most and hope is always around. This situation gave Tree strength to preserve.

Read More

Symbolism In Laurie Halse Anderson's 'Speak'

805 Words | 4 Pages

But after the rape, Melinda is not happy with anything in her life and she is always stressed out. This is represented when she states, “But when I try to carve it, it looks like a dead tree, toothpicks, a child’s drawing. I can’t bring it to life. I’d love to give it up” (78). Melinda has changed dramatically, and this is represented by the tree she sees versus the tree she tries to make.

Read More

Symbolism In The Thirteenth Valley By John M. Del Vecchio

1532 Words | 7 Pages

The tree symbolizes hope again in chapter thirty-one. Brooks gives Alpha Company orders to blow up the tree on top of the knoll (Del Vecchio 551). After the tree was blown up, enemy soldiers surrounded Alpha Company and started to attack them. The enemy soldiers appeared out of nowhere and killed soldiers from Alpha Company, which resulted in the lost of hope amongst the boonierats (Del Vecchio 560). Rebirth is shown after Alpha Company leaves the knoll where the tree used to be.

Read More

Imagery And Symbolism In Gary Soto's A Summer Life

1646 Words | 7 Pages

The avocado tree is an emblem for the grandfather. The grandfather worked hard,and took care of his family, which is represented by the branches. Trees that are well-rooted are strong and indestructible, and cannot easily be destroyed. Likewise, a family that is like a well-rooted tree, is strong and in times of trouble and difficulties can face adversaries, and come out of the problems with little or no damage done.

Read More

More about Symbols In The Mountains Sing By Nguyen Phan Que Mai

Related Topics

Open Document