Analysis Of Love And Honor And Pity And Pride And Sacrifice

‘Love and Honour and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice’ by Nam Le provides a different perspective towards Asian American literature. The story revolves around a father’s visit to his distant son. There are several things that are intriguing about the story. According to the narrator, the father came to visit him in the worst possible time. Specifically, he had a final paper due and he had started drinking. Furthermore, it is evident that the narrator does not mention about his girlfriend to his father. I think one of the main reasons for hiding his girlfriend from his father is because his girlfriend Linda, is probably from a different race and he feared that his father would not approve of her. Also, it is evident that the father and the son had very little communication over the years. Linda mentions "I thought you didn't talk to him at all."
Implying that the narrator and his father did not had a great relationship. Initially, Nam, was hesitant about writing the ethnic story despite the advice of his friends. I believe the main reason for this behavior is because his father made a negative impact on him during his childhood. Comparing the two characters, we can see that Nam and his father have completely opposite personalities. Nam’s father was all about success and he pushed Nam to become a lawyer. However, it is evident that Nam hated being a lawyer and he only became one just to please his dad. Also, Nam’s father was not around much during his childhood. His strict rules and attitude eventually made Nam to hate him. As an example, Nam states “I learned to hate him with a straight face.” (Le). After he quit his job as a lawyer, Nam decided to write, something his dad would not approve. I believe these negative experiences in his childhood must have affected his attitude towards writing ethnic