I was very intrigued by this story, I absolutely loved it. From the beginning I was pulled into the characters life and feelings. I could imagine how he was feeling landing in Vietnam
One of the main literary devices used through out this story is setting. The main character began with tormenting memories to which he may have never gotten over if he hadn’t gone to Vietnam
I feel as though it was hard to place Dinh within this story. Obviously, he was a stern, tuff person who seemed to be admiring of the narrator. Considering that Dinh is a professional surgeon, or was, how do you think he felt when the wrapping was removed from his dead thumb? He had to know the chances of this happening, and the risk in conducting such a surgery within the facility, so why take the risk?
I think he took the risk because he wanted to make amends for what he had done in Vietnam during the war. He felt that if he at least tried to fix Dinh's thumb then he would help to make amends to a country that he ravished previously. I think that he knew that the operation would most likely fail but he did not want to reject Dinh who was very adamant on the narrator helping repair his thumb.
ReplyDeleteI believe it was a story of redemption. The Vietnam soldier committed many atrocities and now he was going back to try and repair some of the pain he had caused. He needed to close that chapter of his life so he could move on to the next with no regrets. Dinh represented the pain and suffering left behind in a country that had been ravaged by war. The grasses could cover over some of the wounds, but there were other wounds, such as Dinh's thumbs that could not be hidden or healed. There is pain that can be seen with the naked eye (Dinh's thumbs) and pain that can not be seen, (the soldier's regrets. Even without his thumbs, Dinh was able to move forward not dwell on the past. The soldier could not move forward and until he tried to atone for the mistakes of his past. When he did all that he could do, he was able to close that chapter in his life.
ReplyDeleteI think the relationship between the narrator and Dihn was very interesting. When they first met, I thought they would hate each other because of war memories. I agree with Toni in that Dinh wouldn'tve been able to move on and the narrator knew he wasn't going to give up. But mostly, I think he wanted to try for his new friend because of how important it was to Dinh.
ReplyDeleteI think that this whole trip was a way for the protagonist to find closure within himself. He could heal himself by healing the ones he hurt the most. Even though, both doctors knew the obvious risk of putting the toe on the thumb he went against his better judgement to perform the surgery i believe solely out of the respect Dinh and his country. I felt as if the protagonist had rejected the opportunity to heal the wounded that he hurt he would still be burdened with his past unlike the Vietnamese who don't dwell on the past and look for the future.
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