How was tour understanding of the cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the interactive oral? 'Paradise of the Blind' is a novel my vietnamese author 'Duong Thu Huong'. It is a very controversial novel as it highlight sensitive social issues about Vietnam. It is the first novel that gives us a vivid image of the sociological change that was taking place in Vietnam in that time period. The interactive oral was really helpful to me as it allowed me to understand the motifs, issues and culture better. The most important issue according to me is the society shown in the novel. It is both beautiful and cruel. It is strikingly sexist. It is favorable to the men, and unfair to the women, who are considered to be lesser beings. This is seen through the relationship between Que and Chinh. Que sacrifices her daughter's happiness to fulfill the needs and wants of Chinh and his family. She does this as Chinh is the man of the family-the heir, and so she believes she is lower to him, and is selfless. Chinh on the other hand is selfish, does not seem to care about his sister, he ruins her marriage, and is consequently
2Rishi responsible for all the grief in Que's life. Hence, women were exploited. Another interesting aspect of the novel is that it is filled with references to food. According to my understanding, food serves as a method to express human emotions in the novel. Happiness is shown through large feasts, and sadness is represented by simple food. The interactive oral also allowed me to understand the characters better. Especially Que, who selflessly chooses her selfish brother over her helpless daughter. This is selfish as she chooses tradition over her daughter. I understood the importance of tradition and culture in the novel. This importance is what leads to many significant events in the novel. Lastly, the interactive oral gave me an insight into the beautiful aspects of vietnamese culture. Such as the colorful feasts and festivals.Moreover, I can see how the culture acts as a binding force to bring everybody together and share their smiles and tears. Thus, the interactive oral is very helpful is understanding the complex culture and traditions of Vietnam. And this just makes the experience a lot better for the readers.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
1. Why is the narrator attracted to the kind of family life depicted on TV? What, if anything, does he think is wrong with his life? Why do his desires apparently have so little impact on his family?…
- 276 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
By telling a story of Lee’s mother, the author demonstrated that the native people looked down upon foreign people who had difficulties to live in a new circumstance and could not speak English well to express what they wanted and thought. With the discrimination from the native people, Lee’s family struggled a lot in this community. The audience is the people who did not show respect to the foreigners and did not help them overcome the difficulties.…
- 287 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
1. “Ms. Fadiman tells her story with a novelist’s grace, playing the role of cultural broker comprehending those who do not comprehend each other and perceiving what might have been done or said to make the outcome different” (Bernstein).…
- 733 Words
- 3 Pages
Best Essays -
Through the interactive oral, my understanding of cultural and contextual consideration of Paradise of the Blind, written by Duong Thu Huong, is built upon the comparison of Vietnamese culture and western culture. To efficiently analyze Paradise of the Blind, I have to considered both western and eastern perspectives because the traditions and values are different or I can clarify which perspective I will look at the novel from.…
- 381 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
She is carious of how the people in Haiti is able survive especially Mama Lola. Then the other part of the book is learning about Vodou through following Mama Lola. The ethnographer is convincing with her methods because she got first-hand experience with talking to Mama Lola and learning from her, she doesn’t just go through books and write the books. She goes and meets Mama Lola, makes trips to Haiti with her and family and becomes part of her family. McCarthy does not generalize anything in the book because every chapter and the history goes into so much detail that sometimes I felt like it was going into too much detail. I think reading this book I learned more about the Haitian and Vodou culture which makes me value my culture and other cultures more than reading this book and taking this…
- 2103 Words
- 9 Pages
Powerful Essays -
2. One theme of the novel is the unavoidable impact of the non-Indian world (for instance, Catholicism, alcohol, intermarriages, the Vietnam War, capitalism, the legal system) on the Chippewa. How does the interaction with outsiders affect specific characters? What does the novel suggest about the difficulties and consequences of dealing with a mixed world?…
- 483 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Jonathan Spence’s novel The Question of Hu covers mid-eighteenth century travels from China to the western world of a Jesuit missionary, Father Jean-Francois Foucquet, and a Chinese scribe, John Hu. The interactions that occur consist of the cultural differences between Chinese and European customs. Hu’s personality becomes a large question Spence raises not only with the title but also throughout the story when Spence talks about Hu’s way of thinking. John Hu’s personality is described by both Father Jean-Francois Foucquet and the narrator as being both insane and oppressed, respectively. The reader is led to have a sympathetic view of Hu, even though the narrator does not come out and explain exactly how the reader should feel, because he is a Chinese scribe in Europe where little people can communicate with him through speaking. This feeling of sympathy is the reason The Question of Hu was written in the first place, given that we know about Hu because there were rumors that Foucquet had mistreated Hu so Foucquet wrote letters to nobility and senior members in the Jesuit church. The reader is left to make the justification on John Hu’s actions given that Spence does not come out and talk about his views of Hu. Hu’s actions are judged on a reader-to-reader basis by the major theme of the novel, cultural differences versus insanity.…
- 1687 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The introduction to multicultural literature into the broad world of differing walks of life, the reader may be surprised by the similarities between the cultures as well as the differences. Cultures are as eclectic as we are as individuals, each with their own quirks, intricacies, and uniqueness that inspires individuality regarding how the vast differences between cultures correlate to our own. Upon deeper examination of multicultural literature, however; we are also given the privilege to walk the path of the individual from whose perspective we are privy to through the written word. As many have wished at one point or another to know and understand what a particular individual is thinking, through reading multicultural literature, the opportunity to have such an experience and glean copious amounts of information. From the subtlest detail to major political agendas to personality quirks derived from current or past social standards of that culture. Although differences in points of view can prohibit understanding upon first contact greater exposure to literature from various cultures, one can find relation within themselves. One can empathize and humanize the characters that ultimately open the door to greater understanding of how a culture operates as well as attain the ability to relate those experiences to one’s own.…
- 1453 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
This writer would consider and be aware of culture and gender differences such as how some cultures struggle with being able to voice or share emotions and some genders struggle with engaging with the opposite gender. This writer would ensure that everyone was comfortable before initiating role-play.…
- 1283 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
The element of the book that I will be exploring today is; the setting and cultural assumptions underpinning the novel. Representation of one character from the novel. An overview on the main issues presented in the text and the relevance to students. A connection of one major issue in relation to our 21st century contemporary world. And lastly the effects of the textual features of the texts, eg language, imagery, gaps and silences, visuals, and structural elements.…
- 708 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
They had no idea how to cook on a proper stove, how to drive a vehicle and many other simple daily duties that Americans were taught. I also was shocked when Lia had her seizures and was brought to the hospital. They had no interpreters to translate. The doctors had no idea what to do to help Lia. They simply just did whatever they wanted to her, which was a misdiagnoses. Eventually, I felt that the doctors were sincerely trying to help Lia and her family. It made me upset that Lia’s parents would not let the doctors do what they had to do to treat Lia. Throughout the book, it was always a misunderstanding of what had to be done. This is something I feel could have been addressed so Lia’s parents did not have to endure the extra stress. Another part in the book that upset me was when child protective services came and took Lia away without making sure Foua and Nao Kao knew the circumstances of why she was being taken away. Again, something that could have been differently so Lia’s parents did not just think they would ever see their child again. I definitely felt that there was no apparent strategy to help our American culture relate to the Hmong culture. Towards the end of the book I was happy to see that Foua and Nao Kao were understanding that the doctors were helping Lia, and the doctors were understanding of the home remedies Lia’s parents wanted to do. I felt happy for the amount of care Lia was receiving. She had loving parents, and a loving family who visited her every day. She truly was a happy child until she could not express herself anymore. Even when she was stuck in a bed, she received great care from her…
- 1058 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
The Hmong people didn’t understand the American treatment that the doctors were doing on their child Lia. They would give the Hmong people directions to follow but they didn’t follow the directions because they really didn’t understand what was going on in the American culture. It was medications that the doctors prescribed to Lia but her parents didn’t give them to her correctly because they really were not taught how. Not until a few visits later doctors had a translator available but that really didn’t help because the Lee’s still seemed confused about the medication. But that still wouldn’t help them because, " if lia prescriptions haven't been changed so often, her parents might have been less confused and more confident that the doctors knew what they…
- 1072 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
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…
- 543 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
One of the beauties of living in this world is the wealth of different beliefs and cultures that surround every person. Even living in someone’s home country does not exclude him or her from witnessing or experiencing different cultures. Anyone can immerse himself or herself in a different culture just by reading a story from an author that lives that culture everyday.…
- 665 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
When this topic first comes to mind, the word most people catch is vision. What is vision? Vision can be defined as the act or power of anticipating what may or may not come to be. A quote from Arnold Schwarzenegger is “The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.” A person who creates an enterprise without a vision is like a contractor without his blue prints. He has no map to guide him to its completion. At any given time he may make an error causing his creation to plummet. Envisioning is only the first step in the completion of a project. It also takes discipline to see the project to its completion... If you can’t see the destination, you cannot walk the path and without proper discipline you will stray from your path. All great achievements in human kind started as a dream. The election of the first black President of the United States of American and the “free world” began as a vision. A dream not merely of Mr. Barack Obama, but a dream borne by the pioneers of the American civil rights movement such as Frederick Douglas, Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King. This dream to paraphrase Dr. King was one where people are judged by their character and not the color of their skin”. Without persistent hard work of the forefathers of civil rights movement, this vision goal would not have become a reality.…
- 1072 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays