Saving Sourdi Analysis
Cheyenne Bautista-Spencer
Colorado Technical University
Phase 2 Discussion Board
“Saving Sourdi”
Clare Barker
February 25, 2015
“Once, when my older sister, Sourdi, and I were working alone in our family’s restaurant, just the two of us and the elderly cook, some men got drunk and I stabbed one of them. I was eleven” (Chai, 2001). The opening statement to, “Saving Sourdi” written by May-lee Chai, set the tone for the narrative. Nea, the narrator, clearly expresses her strong feelings of love and protectiveness for her older sister, Sourdi. She also gives the impression that she is young, immature, and confused about the world around her. There is also a bit of foreshadowing in the beginning of the story. It starts off in a predicament …show more content…
While Nea and Sourdi were working at their family’s restaurant, several male customers become drunk and obnoxious. When one of the men begins making rude gestures and remarks to Sourdi, Nea takes it upon her to “save” her older sister. Nea decided in that moment that she needed to do something drastic in order to complete her rescue mission, so she took a pairing knife and stabbed the man in his arm with the intentions of killing him. All Nea cared about was her sister’s safety, she didn’t think of the consequences nor did she expect to be wrong for her heroic behavior. “’I was trying to protect you,’ I said through my tears. ‘I was trying to save you’” (Chai, 2001). Nea didn’t understand why she was being punished for trying to protect her sister, she believed that she did right. This shows how loyal Nea is to her older sister and how she can be possessive at times. “I was glad I’d stabbed that man. I was crying only because life was so unfair” …show more content…
In most cultures that practiced arranged marriages, families would marry off their daughters to men of wealthy families. It was clear that Sourdi was in love with Duke, however, it was never her choice who’d she marry. This is where Mr. Chhay’s character comes into play. Nea’s mother and uncle arranged for Sourdi to marry Mr. Chhay. “Ma liked Sourdi’s husband. He had a steady job, a house. She didn’t mind he was so old and Sourdi just eighteen when they married. In her eyes, eighteen was a good age to start a family” (Chai, 2001). This statement made by their mother, pretty much explains her feelings towards Sourdi’s marriage and what she values most in life, which would be wealth. I think that their mother feels this way because of how she was raised and the cultural traditions she practiced as a child. The mother had also married at a young age so she felt that it was only right that Sourdi marry Mr. Chhay. Based on the description that Nea provided, I would assume that Duke is somewhat of a rebel because of the way he dresses and the music he listens to. However, I do believe that Duke is kindhearted because of how much he truly cares about
Colorado Technical University
Phase 2 Discussion Board
“Saving Sourdi”
Clare Barker
February 25, 2015
“Once, when my older sister, Sourdi, and I were working alone in our family’s restaurant, just the two of us and the elderly cook, some men got drunk and I stabbed one of them. I was eleven” (Chai, 2001). The opening statement to, “Saving Sourdi” written by May-lee Chai, set the tone for the narrative. Nea, the narrator, clearly expresses her strong feelings of love and protectiveness for her older sister, Sourdi. She also gives the impression that she is young, immature, and confused about the world around her. There is also a bit of foreshadowing in the beginning of the story. It starts off in a predicament …show more content…
While Nea and Sourdi were working at their family’s restaurant, several male customers become drunk and obnoxious. When one of the men begins making rude gestures and remarks to Sourdi, Nea takes it upon her to “save” her older sister. Nea decided in that moment that she needed to do something drastic in order to complete her rescue mission, so she took a pairing knife and stabbed the man in his arm with the intentions of killing him. All Nea cared about was her sister’s safety, she didn’t think of the consequences nor did she expect to be wrong for her heroic behavior. “’I was trying to protect you,’ I said through my tears. ‘I was trying to save you’” (Chai, 2001). Nea didn’t understand why she was being punished for trying to protect her sister, she believed that she did right. This shows how loyal Nea is to her older sister and how she can be possessive at times. “I was glad I’d stabbed that man. I was crying only because life was so unfair” …show more content…
In most cultures that practiced arranged marriages, families would marry off their daughters to men of wealthy families. It was clear that Sourdi was in love with Duke, however, it was never her choice who’d she marry. This is where Mr. Chhay’s character comes into play. Nea’s mother and uncle arranged for Sourdi to marry Mr. Chhay. “Ma liked Sourdi’s husband. He had a steady job, a house. She didn’t mind he was so old and Sourdi just eighteen when they married. In her eyes, eighteen was a good age to start a family” (Chai, 2001). This statement made by their mother, pretty much explains her feelings towards Sourdi’s marriage and what she values most in life, which would be wealth. I think that their mother feels this way because of how she was raised and the cultural traditions she practiced as a child. The mother had also married at a young age so she felt that it was only right that Sourdi marry Mr. Chhay. Based on the description that Nea provided, I would assume that Duke is somewhat of a rebel because of the way he dresses and the music he listens to. However, I do believe that Duke is kindhearted because of how much he truly cares about