Thong initially saw beating a child in the Vietnamese way–as an expression of care for the child. Thong realizes however that his way of loving his children is not culturally accepted in the United States. He, like An, similarly shows regret for his behavior towards Chi. By coming to terms with the mistakes he made and how he will change in the future, An and Thong discover the power of self-realization. Thong was able to heal through admitting his wrongdoings, which provided An the strength to realize things about his own …show more content…
The yellow rope was wrapped around the Yin Yang symbol in our image to signify the limitations she must have felt as a woman. The wrapped around rope also lends itself as a symbol for how Chi was closed off from reaching the sea she/he never finished crossing. The ocean is a significant motif in the story as An’s best memories of Chi seem to all be associated with the water. The ocean is mentioned again when An recounts a memory of him and Chi boulder-hopping, watching the waves crash and looking at the westering sun. Chi says this is “the most beautiful color she had ever seen.”