Vietnam’s culture is one of the most ancient cultures in South East Asia. Vietnam got its independence from China in during the tenth centaury. Their culture is mainly socialist, very closely related to China’s main culture of communism. The culture also emphasizes on the family as the main medium through which important social values are passed. The two short stories ‘Sister’ and ‘Close to the Bone’ offers some relevant information concerning the Vietnamese culture. In both there is some sort of cultural transitions from communism to individualism. The character, Ivory and Ethan, have considerable differences on their view about the Vietnamese culture. They both notice the difference between their former and present cultures but reacts differently towards this contrast.
Ivory seems to miss home so much, she associates several things to her cultural background. For example there is a statement ‘the smell of food fried fish is redolently in the air’ which brings back the images of home to Ivory” (Lam, Pg 121). Ivory is so consumed with the past that he finds it very difficult to let go of those memories. This is very ironical considering the fact that she was a refugee and went through devastating experience when rescoring her brother. She is so consumed by the past, that at some point she developed some psychosomatic disorder- radiating pain down her neck’ (Lam,pg123). She acknowledges that she is so much obsessed by this past. This is much depicted by the quote, ‘Somewhere in the back of her mind she always knew: optimism is no fortress against the hunger of memories’ (Lam, pg 124). At some point she try to deny her culture overlooking the Vietnam belief that interconnectedness is valued over separateness of individuals, and health is comprised of social and spiritual connections (Davis 152). This conviction is cut short immediately her brother calls to give her the information that she has arrived in their former residential area in Vietnam she longs to go and join in with this collectivism culture.
Ethan on the other hand does not seem to miss the Vietnam communist culture instead he feels that after going top America his relationship with America is divided. ‘There was my parents’ world and there was the rest. In the former nostalgia rule I thought of myself as free but it was a foreign land my parents had no wish to visit’ (Lam, pg 173,174). Ethan had a lot of anticipation for the American Culture- being simply and individual who is not tied in a web of family. Ethan reflects on what his father once advised him in regards to peace and harmony. The father advised that ‘Peace means holding your tongue, accepting your role not speaking up’ ( pg 170). When Ethan was being brought up his parents taught him to respect the communist traditional beliefs and cultures, just as it is always expected in the Communist culture where the parents are key and devotion to the cultural expectations is paramount. Ethan shows no effort of being patriotic to the culture of the communist. He actually feels as if he is being dishonest with himself when he has to act as the traditional Vietnam boy within the family context while he pursues his individualism (Phillips, 50). This could be contributed by the fact that he stayed in Vietnam for quite a long time as opposed to Ethan who during his puberty stages resides in America and seem to be so delighted to be free from his father and adopt an individualistic tendency. He is not as loyal and patriotic as his father and in fact he publicly renounces this culture. He gives this statement ‘when my voice broke it was like my American self was being born inside me My Vietnamese self receded’ (Lam, pg 165).
Influence can be very strong in changing a person’s belief system. ‘Influence is simply a a transference of personality, a mode of giving away what is most pressures to one’s self, and its exercise produces a sense and it may be a reality of loss (Bloom, pg 6) . The two short stories clearly shows that being under the influence of people and especially those with some kind of authority over an individual can lead to some behavior change. It is however not obvious that when people stay with key figures who want to influence them that they will change. At other times it takes the individuals personality, their belief system and meaning attached to some idea in order to change or influence a person.
The influence of the American culture on Ivory is almost unfelt. She loves home memories as depicted when she gets a reunion with her brother Jared by food. This is a communist culture where food is so important and family forms a part of each individual.. Ivory’s identity seems not to be affected by the American cuisine, she states that away from her home she detects only ‘vague odors of wild herbs, burnt grass, sweet sage’ and prepares an array of ‘brie and crackers with soft drink and Chardonnary’ for her house (Lam, page 114, 118). The description of ‘vague’ and ‘soft’ explains her disconnection with anything other than Vietnamese provisions. Her brother seems to be even reinforcing the desire and association of everything to home. ‘Home as in over there-cross the pacific, yonder and long ago.You know.tamarind trees, guavas, moon cakessweet rice with coconutHome-home’ (Lam, pg 113). All this longing and constant home memories depicts that Ivory has not been influenced by the American individualistic culture.
In contrast to Ivory the influence that Ethan has had is so intense. He has even identified himself as a gay- something that is unexpected in the communist culture. Ethan’s parents view on gender is that of conservativeness as contrasted to Ethan’s sexuality beliefs. The parents also have pro war beliefs and especially Ethan’s Father who fought in Vietnam War (Lam, pg 161). Ethan tells of how his father was so consumed by history and expected every other person to share the same old occurrences (Lam, pg 160). The American influence on Ethan takes its hold eventually during David’s funeral. During this funeral he openly talks against his father’s view on war and patriotism. In the communist culture this would actually be a form of abomination. In order to emphasize on his new acquired individualistic status he say ‘(David) that the world is what you make it. He never lets anything or anyone silence his tongue. He taught me that much’. This statement shows that Ethan had now fully adopted the American individualistic status due to the influence of David and many others.
There is also some aspect of dilemma, a state of confusion and indecisiveness in both stories. Many a times this is expected when there are two opportunities or threats that one has to select from. The transition process from the Vietnam communist process and the American Individualistic culture demands a lot of decisions to be made. There are however very many things that needs to be considered.
Ivory is tone between living a communist culture in an individualistic set up. This may not be very easy as the usual case will be that someone feels left out and a sense of being left out. This struggle is well portrayed in Ivory’s attempts to overlook the Vietnam convention that ‘interconnectedness is valued over separateness of individuals’, health is composed of ‘spiritual and social connections’ (Davis, pg152). It is however evident that Ivory is simply trying to repress her true feeling about home just so that she can cope in her new culture. Ivory seems to love those moments of sharing a meal with her brother, because in the communist culture food bonds the family ties. In the end when her brother observe her constant longing and wish to return to her former culture he tells her that home is far and gives a description of just how far it is. With this Ivory realizes that there is a need to actually reconcile these two cultures so that she can adapt and move on with life. This was the only thing that she had to make in order to live a fulfilling life in her present status.
Ethan on the other hand is also faced by a couple of dilemmas. Having been brought up well in a communist culture he is forced to pretend to still be that obedient and harmonious man that his parents expect him to be. But as he tries to fit in he realizes that he is being dishonest with himself. There happens to be a really big discrepancy between what he believes in and what he is doing. In the end Ethan decides to say the truth. He reveals his sexuality as being gay and openly says that he prefers individualistic culture that encourages people to express themselves. Even after saying things that were contrary to his parents beliefs he does not feel a sense of triumph. Instead he is tone between apologizing to his parents and holding on to his statements that he said during David’s funeral. Family is still important to him and it hurts his feelings that he has gone against his parents’ wishes. He never came up with a decision concerning this dilemma (Lam, pg 182). As the story ends Ethan finds himself alone and tone a part with the issue of culture. He wishes he never hurt his parents but on the other hand he feels that it was right for him to proclaim what he believed in.
These two short stories can be viewed as a form of cultural transition that people coming from diverse cultures can face. The short stories are relevant and each uses the main characters Ivory and Ethan to express the challenges of transition. When presented with such cultural disparities between the past life and the present life and present life making a decision to follow one way can be very difficult, and especially in cases where there are people who also needs to be impressed. Ethan decides to live his former communist culture and adopt an individualistic culture. He is delighted that with individualism one can express freely, and follow his/her desires. He says this in public during David’s funeral and he has also adopted some gay sexual orientation. His parents who are staunch traditionalist seem to be very disturbed with their sons attitudes and behavior change but resolve to stick to their culture. Ethan is tone between asking the parents for forgiveness and sticking to what he currently believes in. In the end his decision and expression brings him neither joy nor sorrow. Ivory on the other hand cannot help but think of the lovely memories she once had in her communist culture. She longs to go back to that culture and seem to be taking any simple opportunity to remind herself of that same culture. In the end she even develops some psychosomatic disorder. Her brother prompts her to accept her current status since there is little that she can do. She later on learns to adapt in the newly acquired individualistic culture.
Work cited
Bloom, Harold. The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Print. Pivato, Joseph. Contrasts: Comparative Essays on Italian-Canadian Writing. Montreal: Guernica, 1991. Print
Davis, Ruth E. "The Convergence of Health and Family in the Vietnamese Culture." Journal of Family Nursing 6.2 (2000): 136-56. Sage. Web. 3 June 2014.
Lam, Andrew. Birds of Paradise Lost: Stories. Pasadena: Red Hen Press, 2013. Print.
Phillips, Delores B. "Quieting Noisy Bellies: Moving, Eating, and Being in the Vietnamese Diaspora." Cultural Critique 73 (2009): 47-87. Project MUSE. Web.
