Hunger,” “Sister” and “Yacht People” are all stories that illustrate the atrocities immigrants endured while on their perilous journey to America. This drawing represents the pain most Vietnamese immigrants endured after the war as they crossed the sea on boats. The colors are important because they are each symbolic of specific situations. The sea has been tainted by the color red to symbolize the many lives that were lost at sea. The bright sun contrasted with the dark clouds represents the irony of their journey: they search for a brighter future but are tormented by their painful past. There are many black boats traveling this red sea, purposely drawn small to blur identity; just as the Vietnamese immigrants lose their identity struggling to fit in between a Vietnamese and American world. The thought bubbles are significant because they display the thoughts running through their minds. Almost all the thought bubbles represent horrifying thoughts. However, amidst all the negative thoughts, there is one that will save them—hope.
-Gaby F.
A very well argued and analyzed Blog. Lam seems to purposely create contrasts of light and dark thought his stories. Significant evidence of this is found in "Hunger" where Mr. Nguyen is blinded by the lights of the camera man during the interview, and comments to his 'easy-to-love' that they both live in the shadows with his deceased wife. It would seem that Lam might possibly imply that those who immigrated may somehow be tainted.
ReplyDelete-Jose G.
I love the posting as well as the picture, I think, this issue is very significant to those who struggle to come to this country, Either by hook or crook, bridges, tunnels or sea. We need to acknowledge those who came before us in order to make this life a little easier for those who stand on the shoulders of the survivors. What this class has taught me is that its not easy to just to arrive and expect things to fall into place. One needs to work hard amid the hurdles placed before someone. Getting here was the easy part, the hard part is staying here and becoming a success story. That's what these stories represent, people who are survivors! - Xavier P.
ReplyDeleteThe use of thought bubbles to encapsulate the varying hardships and themes of Vietnamese refugees was a neat idea. I agree, traveling on the small boats left many refugees susceptible to the tides of sorrow and waves of horror that crashed upon them and their little boats. The use of red shading reminded me of the blood spilled in those oceans as the refugees immigrated to America. This picture was nicely done.
ReplyDelete-David T.