The Guilt Of Surviving: Run Me To Earth By Paul Yoon

Bella Baker

Mrs. Kuffner

Adv English 10

14 February 2023

The Guilt of Surviving

The bombings in Laos caused a traumatic life experience for the citizens. Run Me to Earth by Paul Yoon is the story of Alisak, Prany, and Noi, three children born and raised in Laos. They work in a hospital-like environment, take care of harmed people, and find ways to survive for themselves. On the day they finally decide to evacuate, there is an accident. This terrible, plot-twisting moment splits the three children apart. Prany and Noi go their separate ways, leaving Alisak to fight for survival on his own. Alisak, assuming his friends were dead, is stuck with the guilt of surviving— “Alisak shouted, asking where Prany was. Where Noi was. Each time he opened

After spending years together, they learned everything about each other. They read each other’s body language, so maybe, they did know a spark was there. “…Alisak thought Noi was a little in love with him. He would watch the way she avoided looking at him, which was something she never did; she wasn’t shy.” (Yoon __) Their moments in crowded rooms were an escape from the harsh reality they lived. Alisak and Noi could understand each other so deeply that their silence spoke louder. “In her sleep, Noi slid across, thinking Alisak’s lap was a pillow. She was dreaming; he could sense the shudder as if she were leaping. She twisted up slightly, and he stared at the rise of her hip, the angular bone, and began to reach for it but changed his mind, suddenly self-conscious of the fact that he hadn’t bathed in a week.” (Yoon

What if they all made it out alive and ventured to France together, like in their dreams? What if Alisak knew how Noi felt and their ending was happy? What if the teens stuck together all these years? Paul Yoon leaves these unanswered “what ifs” to the reader. The sad tale of Run Me to Earth captures the emotions of Prany, Noi, and Alisak throughout their lives. His writing also gives an understanding of life after traumatic experiences. For example, Alisak lost everyone he loved. While still feeling like he was at fault for the fatal accident, he gained a new family. He slowly, mentally recovers. His childhood tragedy stays in the past, but his focus is now on the future. Alisak lost everything he knew, and life in Laos lives in the back of his mind, but mentally, he