The Things They Carried-KSP

Since the dawn of the human race there have been countless wars that have shaped the course of history for all mankind. Everyone experiences and deals with war in their own way; some try to push war out of their minds, some protest wars, and some fight in wars. The Things They Carried tells the story of Tim O’Brien and his experiences in relation to the Vietnam War. Throughout the story, physical and emotional burdens, loss of innocence, and questions of truth are discovered.
Every person carries some form of physical burden at one point or another in their lifetime. Children carry backpacks filled to the brim with books, business professionals carry briefcases containing important documents, and soldiers carry rucksacks with only the essentials. In the opening chapter, O’Brien discusses the various physical items each man carries, “‘First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross [carries] letters from a girl named Martha (1),’ ‘Ted Lavender carried 6 or 7 ounces of premium dope, Mitchell Sanders carried condoms. Norman Bowker carried a diary. Rat Kiley carried comic books. Kiowa, a devout Baptist, carried an illustrated New Testament (3).’” Along with these personal possessions each man carried standard items for war such as canteens, ponchos, and guns. Every day in the rain, sun, and heat they carried their belongings through the dust and mud of Vietnam. The military items were what kept them alive, but their personal items kept them fighting.
Along with the physical burdens each man carried, they also carried emotional burdens. Unlike the rucksacks, guns, and canteens that stayed only during the time of war the emotional burdens of death, sadness, loneliness, grief, and bravery lasted even after the war was over. In the “Man I Killed” O’Brien recounts how he killed a Vietnamese boy with a grenade. The only thing he could do was stare, but Kiowa tells him, “Tim, it’s a war. The guy wasn’t Heidi-he had a weapon, right? It’s a tough thing, for sure, but you got to cut out that staring (120).” In movies and novels, killing someone is often seen as glamorous and cut throat, but based on Tim’s reaction it is a surreal experience that can never be truly understood until you are the one killing. The emotional effects of war linger on long after the war is over, and becomes a handicap for some soldiers. Men like Lt. Jimmy Cross were expected to be heroes and leaders, but grief and loneliness took over at times causing minds to wander to better places. The Vietnam War also brought fear to O’Brien who was twenty yards away from escaping to Canada because he was unsure if he could handle all of the pressure that war brought. Physical burdens can be seen, but emotional burdens can be hidden deep inside, but they can also cause the most pain.
Just as the physical and emotional burdens ran through the story, so did the loss of innocence. In the last chapter of the novel “The Lives of the Dead” O’Brien recounts the story of his first love Linda. The two were nine-years-old, but Tim knew that he was in love. Linda was diagnosed with a brain tumor, but he thought she would be okay because she was so young, and she was his. However, she did in the fall, and when Tim went to the funeral with his father he did not think the girl was Linda and that someone was playing a cruel joke on him because the girl in the casket was not the girl he had fallen in love with. In Vietnam Tim, “Climbed a tree and threw down what was left of Curt Lemon. Watched [his] friend Kiowa sink into the muck along the Song Tra Bong. And in early July [he] was assigned to a six-man detail to police up the enemy KIA. There were twenty-seven bodies altogether, and parts of several others. The dead were everywhere. Some play in piles. Some lay alone. (229)”It is in Vietnam that Tim experiences the true atrocities of war, and it is here that his youthful innocence is lost. The beginning of this chapter plays upon his innocence as a child who cannot accept death, while the end of this chapter portrays Tim’s loss of innocence as a result of war. Everyone hears stories of war, but those who actually fight and live through war are changed forever. They leave as innocent children, but return as adults hardened and tarnished by death and guilt. In the closing line of his novel O’Brien writes, “I realize it is Tim trying to save Timmy’s life with a story (233).” The war has caused Tim to lose his innocence, but by writing and sharing his story he tries to regain what has been lost while remembering those who made an impact on his life.

Although loss of innocence is a reoccurring idea in this novel, the meaning of truth is explored. O’Brien writes, “In any war story, but especially a true one, it’s difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen…When a booby trap explodes, you close your eyes and duck and float outside yourself. (67-68)” In war, stories can never be taken as exact truth because there are so many things we wish to forget and pretend never happened. Every person will have a different story based on where they were when the bomb went off or where they were positioned when a fellow soldier was shot. Therefore, it becomes a matter of personal account instead of fact. Like most things in life, a recounting does not do justice to the actual event. Living in the moment is the truth, but that truth is often too hard to be portrayed justifiably.
The Things They Carried depicts the burdens of O’Brien, his loss of childhood innocence, and his struggle between truth and reality. He regards this novel as a work of fiction because like all good war stories it is what “seemed” to be true to him. Hollywood glorifies war, but in real life war is never what people expect it to be. Many people do not truly understand and see war it until they are put in a position where they have to.

Blog 2

In the movie The Scent of Green Papaya There is lots of symbolism that relates to the war and the every day life of the Vietnam people. The biggest symbol expressed in the film is the symbol of nature and natural beauty. The Vietnam people respect their nature and the beauty of their plants and animals and what they don't see coming from the war is the destruction that the nature in Vietnam is going to endure. Mui is a great symbol of how Vietnam endures this resistence and everything that effected the Vietnam people in the war. For one, Mui puts up with her brothers who constantley hagle her, but she contiunes of with her work and all the things she has to do in order to keep the family running, especially after the death of the father. When Mui goes to work for the musician, Khuyen, his fiancee is a symbol of a western power starting to influence the Vietnam people. She trys to pull Khuyen from his work often and also complains about Mui and worries about Mui ruining her relationship with Khuyen. In the end it can be argued that Khuyen picked Mui of his fiancee, because of all the time they spent together and how he teaches her to read with this poem which is about a cherry tree and no matter how battered it gets it will always be a cherry tree. This whole situation shows how the Vietnamese people can hold off the resistence of the western powers and no matter how much their nature gets battered, it will always still be Vietnam and they land love and embrace.
Some of the other symbols in the movie is ants getting burned and covered by wax. Foreshadowing the effects of napalm on the Vietnam soldiers in the war. And how they used the land to their advantage to win the war by running around in tunnels to coordinate their attacks against their enemies. To stay witht he idea of insects they have the symbol of the cricket being good luck and how the Vietnamese people veiw the cricket to be good luck. Lastly the film really teaches us about the Vietnam home living. Men a pretty lazy and just do as they please while woman accept the role of doing all the work and truly running the family. But most of all the film symbolize what they Vietnamese people embrace the most and that is the natural beauty of their land and no matter what happens to it they will always stand together and call it Vietnam.

The Scent of Green Papaya

The scent of Green Papaya symbolizes the role of women in Vietnamese Society in the fifties and sixties. Mui, the main character in this film, serves the family she is working for selflessly. For years and years she respects and honors everything her masters tell her to do. Furthermore, Mui's master is also a symbolization of this role women had in Vietnamese Society. Her husband, the man who is supposed to support the family financially, not only abandons the family but steals all their money and valuables as well. The mother is left to work and support and raise her family and yet her mother-in-law degrades her by telling her that it is her fault that the man of the household abandoned them. This demonstrates how Vietnamese women were never respected or honored regardless of how selfless their actions and lifestyles were. In addition, I believe the role of green papaya in Vietnamese cuisine symbolizes the role of women in Vietnamese society. In Vietnamese cuisine, the majority of the papaya is disposed of after the flesh of the fruit has been used. The Vietnamese neglect all the seeds of the papaya which could have been so fruitfull. Similarly, women in Vietnamese culture are not respected after the men have finished using them. Several scenes the youngest master's attitude toward Mui and her reaction. He continually and purposely creates more work for Mui and she dutifully and peacefully continues to work. In addition, we see one of the brothers droppin hot wax on the ants causing them to suffer and struggle to survive. This reminded me of the thousands of Vietnamese soldiers that were being attacked and struggled to survive. Furthermore, in the end of the film, Mui reads out a poem about the resistance of a Cherry Tree. I believe she was referring to Vietnam's resistance to outsiders. Mui's character is portrayed in the fifties and sixties in Vietnam and Vietnam had already been unstable and exposed to multiple regimes for an extended period of time. Through the expression of this poem, Mui is indicating that no matter what Vietnam goes through, Vietnam is like a Cherry Tree and will not surrender.

Sources: www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/2977
Class Discussion

Blog 2: Scent of the Green Papaya

"The Scent of the Green Papaya" follows the story of one servant girl named Mui. This girl has moved from family to family, and this film starts as she joins a new one. She ended walking many miles on her own just to come to this family and be its servant. Throughout the film, she prepares food and cleans the house with the family's other, older, servant. This older servant teaches her things along the way.
The family consists of a father, mother, grandmother, and three sons. The grandmother is usually found on the second floor of the house praying. The grandmothers prayer includes her tapping a wooden drum with a stick, and the sound is clearly audible from anywhere in the house. Once the tapping becomes quiet, then the family knows that the grandmother is done praying. Likewise, when Mui is preparing a papaya, an equally distinct noise is created by shaving and chopping the papaya. While the wooden drum represents prayer, the sound of cooking represents a woman at work in the kitchen.
Aside from the plot, there are plenty of events that reoccur and can be viewed as symbols. Both Mui and one of the family's sons, Lam, often observe ants. The scenes of Lam observing these ants include him pouring hot wax on them and killing them. Conversely, the scenes of Mui observing ants was one of compassion and wonder. It seems like the ants in this case represented the vietnamese people as a whole, while Lam and Mui symbolized either the French and Americans, or different types of government separating Vietnam.
Vases seem to be a motif of this film. There are always fine vases in different homes and they are highly valued. When Mui breaks one, it symbolizes that family's wealth and unity being hurt.
Later in the movie, when Mui is older and is working for a family friend, she puts on an elegant dress, fine jewelry, and the mistresses lipstick. She does this when she thinks she is alone, but eventually the man of the house finds her and she is embarrassed. Her desire to put on these beautiful clothes might represent the entire population of Vietnam in the sense that they want to be their own single beautiful country: not under the control of somebody else.

Blog 2

The Scent of Green Papaya is a slow moving film that features a young girl among a wealthy family and her travel through time as she gets older and evolves. This film contains many instances of symbolism and uses the nature and world around to help accentuate the film. The first real symbol of the film is the dominance of men throughout Vietnamese culture. The first instance is when the father of Mui's original family leaves. He is able to return to the family, without any cost to him. He is just accepted back into the family. Then he leaves again with all the money and there is nothing that the mother can do but work on a low wage and try to support the family. Then when she struggles, Mui is sold to another man whom she secretly and quietly admires. She must keep her feeling quiet, even though her owner is able to act upon his immediately. It just shows how the males have the ability to act upon their own inhibitions while the women must stay reserved.
Also, nature is used to represent the women in the film. The nature is just sitting their, beauty in its appearance and calming its effects. The women of Vietnamese culture are similar to this because they go about their daily business taking care of all the chores necessary. They do not say a word and they just go about their day not complaining. Content with the way they are, no changes are wanted or occurring in this time in Vietnam. Overall this was a slow paced film but really drove home the concept of Vietnamese culture and was able to use the surroundings to give a better understanding of the life in Vietnam.

Blog 2

Throughout Tran Anh Hung's movie "The Scent of Green Papaya", she uses symbolism immensely. The biggest symbol that Hung uses is nature. Instead of endless dialogue and human noises she uses the noises and images of nature like birds, insects, plants, the wind and many other things to show how simplistic Vietnamese culture. They really like to get caught up in the commotion but would rather enjoy what is around them. Another symbol we see is the difference between men and women in Vietnamese culture. Throughout the movie we see men have all the power and women doing chores and housework. Even after the father leaves, he is allowed to return and the son who urinates in the house. The movie also shows how the war is destroying Vietnamese culture. Instead of just hearing the sounds of nature, we hear planes and sirens which immediately make you remember that it is war time. The scene where the son is pouring hot wax on ant symbolizes hte soldiers who are suffering and can't do anything about it. Hung's use of symbolism in the movie is very insightful of a Vietnamese household in wartime.

Blog 2 Scent of Green Papaya

In the film Scent of Green Papaya, there is much symbolism in relation to the Vietnamese people/way of life as well as the Vietnam War. In the beginning of the film when the servant girl Mui goes to a wealthy Vietnamese household in Saigon to work for the family there, Mui, the other serving woman, and the mother of the family take on most of the chores of the family. This shows how the women in the Vietnamese culture served the men. The father of the family leaves the house for long periods of time, showing how unfaithful Vietnamese men could be. This can be attributed to the fact that many Vietnamese marriages were arranged, and therefore lacked love. Also, the two youngest sons of the family are portrayed as bitter and almost evil. For example, the very youngest son entertains himself by harrassing Mui and making her work harder. The older son who is closer to Mui's age is finds enjoyment in killing ants, which proves to be very distrubing. This most likely symbolizes the fighting and hatred in the Vietnam War, as well as the dropping of bombs and napong by the Americans on the Vietnamese people.
Secondly, the lack of conversation and Mui's love for nature symbolize the Vietnamese way of life. This is because the Vietnamese are known to be a peace-loving and prayerful people, most of them being followers of Bhudda. Their way of life is humble and largely involves nature. Mui's love for her pet crickets reveals the superstitions in Vietnam, such as the belief that crickets are good luck. Mui also symbolizes Vietnam before it was influenced by other cultures, such as the French and American cultures.
Another form of symbolism in the film is Mui's eventual union with her long-time love, the pianist Khuyen she becomes a servant to, which could symbolize the hope for a peaceful union between northern Vietnam and southern Vietnam. This is because just as the north and south have their differences, Mui and Khuyen are from much different social classes.
Khuyen's original fiancee symbolizes the French culture with her French clothes, hair style, and large wedding ring. Khuyen also symbolizes the French's influence in Southern Vietnam because he plays French music on the piano. He eventually comes back to the Vietnamese culture when he relates Mui's face to Bhudda's face, and picks up drawing Mui's face as a new form of art he finds enjoyable.
Finally, there is symbolism in the last scene of the film when a pregnant Mui reads a story after Khuyen has taught her how to read. The story she reads is about how a cherry tree always maintains the same shape no matter how many violent waves hit it, which symbolizes how Vietnam is still the same land after the war as it was before the war. The fact that she is pregnant probably symbolizes new hope for a peaceful future with the generations to come.

Blog#2: The Scent of Green Papaya

The plot of The Scent of Green Papaya mainly consists of the day-to-day routines of Mui, a servant girl for an affluent Vietnamese family, and the observations she makes while performing her duties. Although they are portrayed as subtle, these observations made by Mui offer considerable insight into Vietnamese culture. Throughout the movie, Mui interacts with animals and various aspects of nature. Through her frequent observations of ants, crickets, frogs, and lizards, it is clear that Mui has a significant appreciation for all insects and animals. Mui is also repreatedly shown watering plants; the makers of the film used these scenes to illustrate the deeper appreciation of nature that Vietnamese culture embodies.
On the contrary, the scenes involving the ants depict the United States' indifference to the numerous beautiful facets of Vietnam as a country. The pouring of hot wax on the ants is directly representative of American use of napalm and agent orange throughout the Vietnamese countryside. The ants in the film suffer and die under the hot wax as did many of the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War due to the United States' use of these weapons. A considerable amount of Vietnamese jungle was destroyed as well due to the effects of napalm and agent orange.
In addition, the film demonstrates that a clea family structure exists in Vietnamese culture that harbors tension between males and females. Mui as well as most other women in the movie are shown working, cooking, or cleaning. Mui and the older servant are constantly preparing food or cleaning the house while the mother of the family works selling thread. Vietnamese culture is depicted in the film as valuing a woman's role in the family as subservient to a man's role but valuable nonetheless. This subservience is evident in the scene showing the affluent family's grandmother telling the mother that it is her job to please her husband. The happiness of a husband is placed in the hands of his wife; she is at fault if a marriage fails. In addition, due to the family's financial disarray after the husband leaves, it is made clear that the wealth of a family resides with the husband. The role of women as subservient is also evident in the children's treatment of Mui. The most obvious example of this is the youngest boy's urination in one of the family's vases that Mui is responsible for cleaning.
In the last scene of the film, Mui reads a poem about a cherry tree that retains its integrity despite receiving repeated punishment from the elements. This cherry tree is representative of the country of Vietnam in relation to the Vietnam War. Vietnam held onto the many facets of its culture and country despite the war and western influence. Although the United States left the country burnt and destroyed, Vietnam remained Vietnam as the cherry tree remained a cherry tree.

Blog 2

In Anh Hung Tran’s film, The Scent of Green Papaya, symbolism is used to illustrate the lives of the Vietnamese during the 1950’s and 1960’s while also showing the impact of the war. Despite the lack of dialogue, the director of the film conveys different themes through the use of cinematography and by emphasizing different aspects of the film. Nature plays a large role in the film, shown through insects, trees, and the natural world that surrounds Mui, the servant to the family. Mui shows great respect to nature, symbolizing that of the Vietnamese people. The young boys that live in the house treat Mui poorly and also hold an opposite view of nature. The youngest boy, and most ruthless to Mui, enjoys killing lizards and performing other acts that degrade nature. The middle child in the house also commits acts of hatred and destruction towards nature. Mui, representing the Vietnamese people, and the young boys, representing the colonization of Vietnam throughout the war, show the impact of the war on the nation. Instances of symbolism affecting nature are evident when the young boy pours hot wax onto ants. Camera focus is used to highlight these moments, often times focusing in or pausing on the scene. This is symbolic of the way the Vietnamese were often incinerated from above through the use of napalm bombs. Crickets were kept locked up in a cage, just as Vietnamese villagers were kept in strategic hamlets that were similar to prison and did not allow them to live their lives freely. In another scene, two fish were in a small bowl with shallow water, struggling to stay alive, just as the Vietnamese struggled during the war. The sounds of planes flying above remind the viewer of the time period and what is occurring that has an impact on the family. The lives of the family are symbolic of the Vietnamese struggle during the war. Despite good reasoning by some, the family still falls apart when the father steals all of the family’s money and then he dies, just as the Vietnam War did for the Americans. Another reminder of the time period during the film is the family’s struggle to get food. The quality of the food received is mentioned when the rice is considered good. Subtle reminders such as the food quality and the sound of planes flying over help the viewer discover symbolism in the film. The male female relationship is also a noticeable theme in the film. Despite women having the majority of the dialogue, men have the greatest impact on the film. The men’s impact is seen through the husband’s actions towards the family and the distress that the young men have on Mui. Mui also falls in love with an engaged man, raising her to another social class. Through the use of symbolism in nature, cinematography emphasizing nature, and Vietnamese social situations, connections to the people of Vietnam and the war can be made.

The Scent of Green Papaya

The Scent of Green Papaya revolves around the life of a Vietnamese girl named Mui. The movie is placed in 1950s, but later jumps to 1960s. Although this is a movie that can be predominately focused on the Vietnamese people, it is also a love story. At the beginning of the movie she leaves her mother, sister and village to work for a wealthy Vietnamese family as a servant. Mui learns that the master has left the family three times with all of the money, yet each time her returns he is accepted back. This portrays the power of men over women in Vietnam during this time. The men control everything in the household, and the wives, although not servants, are treated similar to them. In the beginning scenes, the women are seen doing all of the household chores such as cooking and cleaning, while the men play their instruments. This distinguishes the the gender roles of Vietnam in which women are left to the house while men are left to themselves.

Another aspect that is quickly noticed in the movie is the lack of noise. There are very few conversations through out the movie, yet there are sounds of nature, birds, crickets and wind, that resonate throughout. This could symbolize the Vietnamese' simplicity and connection to nature. Being in a tropical environment with few buildings and technology, there is nothing to connect to but nature. This allows them to lead a life of simplicity and peace.

A third major symbol seen in the movie pertains to the scene in which the master's son lights a candle and pours wax over the ants. This could be seen as the murder of the Vietnamese people during the war. The boy shows little emotion which could be seen as the American's nonchalant attitude toward the war. In the movie, the master is constantly reminded of the curfew which allows the viewer to know it is wartime.

In the last scene of the movie, Mui and her master Khuyen end up falling in love. Khuyen was engaged to another Vietnamese women but the engagement was broken off. In most cultures like these marriages are arranged, but Khuyen breaks the conventional bonds and falls for Mui. In the last few lines Mui speaks of a cherry tree and even though it under goes many changes it still remains a cherry tree. I feel this symbolizes Mui and the many changes she has undergone throughout the movie. She has gone from being a servant to the wife of a wealth off Vietnamese man, but she is still Mui.

Blog 2: Scent of Green Papaya

The film, "Scent of Green Papaya" was very different than any other film I have seen due to its ability to portray the daily life of a Vietnamese family using a very limited amount of words. Almost everything learned about the Vietnamese life through this film is seen through images and through the actions and behavior of the characters.
The symbolism in this film is clear and abundant, not a scene goes by where something is not represented. The close up views of nature as well as when we see Mui simply studying small animals such as ants and lizards and taking care of her pet crickets show that the Vietnamese value the simple aspects of life just as much as the complex one. Symbolism can also been seen through the ants in various other ways. In one scene, viewers see one of the sons slowly torturing ants to death on his window sill by pouring hot candle wax onto them, trapping them in the sticky mess. The ants struggle to get free but eventually accept their fate and wait there to die. This could represent the soldiers currently struggling in the war or the soldiers marching off to war, unknowingly sending themselves to their own deaths.
You can also see symbolism in the way that males and females are represented throughout the film. Females are almost constantly seen doing housework, whether it be cooking, cleaning or anything else. This shows their ability to work hard and their dedication to their families. On the other had the men are constantly seen disrupting things and being troublesome, ranging from the father running off with the family's money to the son peeing in the mistresses favored vase. By comparing males and females we see that females can be just as competent as men, especially in hard times.
Symbolism is also found in the occasional sirens heard, signaling curfew, and the planes heard flying overheard. These sounds symbolize that the war is beginning to make its way into the home of all Vietnamese people, though its presence is not yet extremely prevelant and destructive.

Blog 2

The film, Scent of Green Papaya, depicts the life of a Vietnamese girl Mui, who becomes a servant for an upper class family. This movie showed the balance of power between men and women in Vietnam. Throughout the film the audience sees how women entirely maintain the house and care for the family. The power men hold was shown in both how Mui and her brother were treated differently and also how the wealth husband treats his wife and mistress. Another important symbol was the ants dieing in candle wax. The large amount of ants that died was symbolic of the huge losses of life throughout the Vietnam War. Another aspect of the film representative of the Vietnam war is the growing number of portraits of lost ancestors. That not only shows how the Vietnamese value family. It also was evident the strain the war put on Vietnamese families as a results of the war.

The Scent of Green Papaya is about a young girl Mui who goes to work as a servant for a wealthy Vietnamese family. As we see in the first couple of scenes she does the daily chores for the family which include cooking dinner, scrubbing the floors and doing laundry.

One thing that is also very noticeable is the lack of conversation throughout the movie. If there is conversation it is mainly between this women. This symbolizes the simplicity of Vietnamese people. They don't need a lot to make them happy. Another symbol i noticed was the power men have over the women, gender roles. We see this in one of the first scenes when the women are doing all the chores around the house and the men are sitting playing their instruments. We also see this when the master runs away with the families money. He does this three times and each time he comes home, the mistress is so happy to see him and doesn't say a word to him about it.

The third symbol I saw was when the large colony of ants is burned by the candle wax. This symbolizes the huge loss the Vietnamese faced during the war.

Blog 2

"The Scent of Green Papaya" gives us great insight into the lives of a tradition viatnamese family. The firts relevant sign of this is the lack of dialogue in the household. We see in the first few scenes that the men and women dont talk to each other much, if at all. The women are also doing all of the work, while the men are playing their instruments. The women care for the men no matter what they do. The grandmother tells of the husband who ran away with all their money three times and was taken back in each time. This just shows us the power that the men had over the women at this time. Even after she tells this story we see him leave again with the money. In these times women would not divorce their hubands as it was severely frowned upon.

Mui, the main character, is being taught to do the housework, such as cooking and cleaning when we first see her. One thing i oticed right away is that she has an atrraction to nature, especially the green papaya. Her attraction symbolizes the connection with nature that the vietnamese people have. They do not just take from the earth, but they nurture and respect it. Most of the sounds throughout the entire movie is the sound of nature surrounding them.

The burning of the ants is a very symbloic moments pertaining to the war. As we watch the ants struggling to survive, and eventually dying in the wax, all i can think of is the images of the Vietnamese people that ive seen kiled by american forces. Many airstrikes were called in during the war sending many villagers and other innocent people to a fiery grave. Thoughout the movie we hear airraid sirens, announcing the arrival of enemy planes. They also have acurfew in effect during the war which is intended to save lives from the bombings.

Bloggity Blog Blog (part deux)

The film The Scent of Green Papaya follows the story of a young servant girl in Vietnam named Mui, and her progression from a young girl into a beautiful woman. It is clear that from a very young age that Mui has a deep appreciation for simple natural things and occurrences: ants toiling to and fro in the sun; frogs sitting in small puddles; the dew on a leaf; the scent of green papaya. Mui's calm, observant demeanor is in stark contrast to just about everyone that surrounds her.

The first 10 years of the film begin with Mui's arrival to a family in Saigon in 1951. The family she serves is simply a mess. The father (the master of the house) is a drunkard of dubious principles, as is represented by his fleeing home one night with the family fortune to go off gambling and commit infidelity. The mother, though a kindhearted woman, is brokenhearted from the loss of her daughter at a young age, and accepts fault for many unfortunate things in her life including her husband's infidelity. They have three sons, but the film only gives screen-time to the two youngest: the youngest is a little hellion who terrorizes Mui during her daily chores; the second youngest is a quiet sadist that passes the time by reading and torturing ants on his windowsill. There is also the grandmother, who spends her days praying at the family alter. All of this is set to the backdrop of a seemingly peaceful looking Vietnam, but with the constant reminder of conflict shown with the nightly curfew siren and planes flying overhead.

When she matures into a young woman, the family has fallen into dire straits since the death of the father. She is sent off to work for a family friend, a successful musician whom she has fancied since a young girl. He has a trophy girlfriend for a fiance, but his feelings begin to change when one day he notices a Buddha statue. He observes the statue, and compares the face he sees on the statue with the face he sees on Mui, and draws a picture depicting such. The two eventually engage in an affair, resulting in his fiance leaving in an angry fervor. He teaches Mui how to read and write, perhaps to repay her for showing him how to take time and notice the little things he had neglected before, such as the smiling Buddha.

The film depicts the clear distinction of gender roles in the Vietnamese culture. Women do everything from cooking, cleaning, and other household chores, and even run family businesses (like the mother does in the family). The men, in contrast, are more often than not lazy and self indulgent. While men are considered superior, it is the women that ensure everything continues to run. There is also a prevalent religious and familial reverence, as is symbolized by the respect for the elderly grandmother and the veneration of the family altar. Additionally, the simple nature of Vietnamese culture is embodied in the way Mui views and appreciates the simple nature around her.

A recurring motif is the the ants, seen multiple times throughout the film. We see Mui interact with the ants once as a child and once as an adult, simply admiring their hard work and smiling. We also see the second oldest son interact with the ants, once drowning them in candle wax and again crushing them with his finger. The wax could be viewed literally to represent napalm, burning innocent Vietnamese.

Blog 2

The “Scent of Green Papaya” was a layered film that definitely brought up many issues related to the Vietnam War. The fact that it was a French film in Vietnamese was an interesting and symbolic piece in itself. I think this shows the from the beginning the French view of the Vietnam war and its effects on the Vietnamese people. Even though the war was not directly mentioned in the film, the consequences of it were. Curfews were mentioned and air raids were heard. During the time that the French were still in control of Vietnam, the beginning of the movie, the tone was prosperous and welcoming. Mui was seen as another daughter, an even though classified as a servant, experienced much affection from the family. The film begins to turn when the father of the house dies, leaving the family to struggle on their own. The shift forward in time in the movie symbolizes the shift of American oppression in Vietnam. Mui must go to work for another man and leaves behind the bond with a women aged by grief. Throughout the movie, Mui appreciates the simple beauties of nature around her and is especially fascinated by the green papaya’s seeds. She adds one seed to the meal despite its culinary usefulness. I feel this was a significant part to the meaning of the film. This seed in this prized sugary fruit staple was often discarded as were the common citizens of Vietnam by the Americans. Mui was quietly sheltered in many ways although she still held a pride for her work and curiosity for the beauty of the world around her. Same as the Vietnamese people united and took pride for their country in the war, despite being sheltered to the overall effect.

Blog 2

The Scent of Green Papaya is a film that depicts the lives of a privileged Vietnamese family. Rather than there being a lot dialogue, the director used well thought out scenes to capture the life of a Vietnamese family, showing their culture. Mui, a young girl becomes a maid for a well off family. Mui is a young girl and very caring for nature, she and the other women in the movie have more dialogue than the men, showing the importance of women in the household. While Mui caring for nature symbolizes the caring nature of Vietnamese women, the boys in the household counteract and defy the women. The film was created to show that the French colonization in Vietnam was not a good thing, and that a simpler time with more traditional values for members of the family, would be better for the Vietnamese. The traditional sounds of a piano and more naturalistic sounds of crickets or rain, show that when times where simple, life was good. However, when there are other sounds, which are not as natural and pure such as plans or sirens, it shows that the life of despair they were forced into.

Blog #2

The movie Scent of Green Papaya was an extremely detailed depiction of what life in war time Vietnam was like. One of the most obvious themes that was portrayed throughout the movie was nature. During the movie Mui always seemed at most peace when she was by herself admiring various scenes in nature like enjoying the scent of the green papaya or watching frogs swimming around in a small pond. This seems to to symbolize the Vietnamese desire to just be left alone in their own country. They don't need outside influences to make them happy and force peace upon them. The Vietnamese would be at peace if the foreigners left their country and let them just be by themselves. Another scene that used nature to describe the war was when the middle son dropped hot wax on the ants. I feel that this act symbolized the foreigners specifically the French and the Americans bombing the Vietnamese. The innocent ants are just trying to work and go about life but the wax falls and kills all of them and when the damage clears and those that survived try and escape they again are repressed and killed. It symbolized how hard and brutal life was during the war.

Another prominent part of the movie was the role of women. This movie thoroughly showed the roles of women in Vietnam. The main role of them was to act almost as servants doing all the cleaning, cooking and other chores. Clearly, the men were in charge. This is shown especially well when the mistresses husband leaves and she is blamed for not loving him enough and being a good enough wife. Also, the youngest child Tin was able to get away with anything including peeing in vase and making a mess all over the floor Mui had cleaned without getting sort of trouble or even being told off. However, towards the end the movie depicts Khuyen's fiance as a more of a free women who did more of what she wanted. This could have represented the Americanization of Vietnam.

Another important part of the movie was the subtle hints of the war going on. There were constant reminders that everyone had to be home before a certain time because of the curfew that had been imposed. Also, in the background air raid could be occasionally be heard. The war was also shown by how poor everyone was. For example, Mui had to movie away from her mother because she could not support her and she need to start making earning a living. However, the war didn't just effect the poorer people at Vietnam but the rich as well. The first family Mui worked for had to sell many of its valuables to treat the husband when he came home sick because they could not afford doctor bills. Also, after he died they were living week to week because business was not steady and they could barely afford rice and other food to eat. Clearly the war affected everyone in every class.

Blog 2 - Scent of Green Papaya

"Scent of Green Papaya" is a very simple movie with very little visible plot. This movie is based around the everyday activities of Mui as she works around the house for a family that had their only female child die. I think this film's simplicity is it's greatest asset. I think the simplicity of Mui's life is symbolic of the lives that the Vietnamese people want to live. They don't want other countries imposing puppet regimes or meddling in their affairs, they just want to be independent and left alone to enjoy life.

Another piece of symbolism that I found prominent in this movie is the part where the ants die in the candlewax. This type of mass death is symbolic for the type of death that people are dying in the Vietnam War. As soon as I saw the ants and the candlewax I thought of the use of napalm in the war.

Also, I thought that the fact the movie was almost completely silent was very symbolic. The common Vietnamese citizen trapped in between two sides of a raging war probably felt very weak, helpless, and repressed. I think that the lack of language in this movie captures that sort of silencing of the common people by leaders and groups with political agendas.

Blog 2

The movie, Scent of Green Papaya, is about a young girl who becomes a servan at a wealthy family's house. One thing that the film did a good job at was portraying the lives of the Vietnamese people and the differences between the groups of people. Everybody enjoys their simple lifestyle and wears very plain clothing. There is also a lot of vegetation around and people are constantly playing their instruments. There is a large difference between the way that the men and the woman act. For one thing, it is apparent that the men have more power than the women. An example of this is when the husband runs off with all of the family money and nothing is ever said to him about it (it is even blamed on the wife for not loving her husband enough) or when the youngest boy pees all over the floor and in the vase. The women, however, are very calm and focused on the chores and household duties. They do most of the talking in the movie, but it is mostly about what they have to do or cook.
All of the portraits of passed family members on the mantel show the importance of family and ancestry in the Vietnamese culture because even the family members who are no longer are around are still honored and never forgotten. The ants are a symbol of the French occupation of Vietnamese people in the light that they are watched, hurt, and even killed by the French and that's what is done to the ants by the people (especially the master's youngest son). Not to mention that there is the sound of the curfew sirens going off throughout the movie to reming the people that they are not free to do what they please and have to obey the rules restricting what they can do.

Blog 2

Watching "The Scent of Green Papaya" showed how much symbolism and messages the movie had without the actors and actresses saying much in terms of dialogue. The movie moved really slow but there was so much you could pick up just by the images and the situational things thats occured in the movie. Ironiclly women had alot of importance in this movie. They were still treated with less respect and less importance by the males in the movie but the focal point was highlighted on them, considering the main character was the servent girl Mui. Mui was a sweet girl that had a great appreciation for nature. There would be many times where she would be mesmorized by plants and animals, scrutinizing how they would live and grow. She loved looking and cookling the papya plants and it would excite her when the juices would drop from the plant. There was even a point where kept a baby cricket as her pet and made a caged home for it. This symbolized how the Vietnamese viewed their country and how important it was to them. The movie also symbolized the amount of hard work the Vietnamese people do everday. As a servant, Mui would wake up early every morning to do her dailey chores. The other servant and her made sure the house stayed clean and the men were fed everday, but with that came a lack of appreciation from the men in the movie.

The Father showed his disrespect to his wife my leaving her to have an affair with another women. Not only did he have an affair but took all the money that the family had to use to buy food and other things that was a necessary to their living style. The father did come back very ill, expecting his wife to aid him back to health, which she tried to do but soon lost him to death. Like the saying says "the apple doesnt fall far from the tree". The youngest son Tin treated Mui bad during her time there. It could have been because of how young he was, but he knew the differences between good and bad. There was different occasions where he would harass her and making her life more difficult making extra messes for her to clean. This was probably a common case because women were inferior to men in Vietnam during the time of the war. This is why Mui did nothing when the younger son harassed her or when the father would cheat on his wife, she would never comfront him about it. The middle aged son always seemed destresssed and bothered. I think he symbolized the people of Vietnam during the war because they were in constant battles in trying to gain there freedom and indepence. There was a time where he poured hot wax from a candle on the working ants and this symbolized the bondage and struggles the vitenamese faced trying to earn or even fight for their freedom.

The movie also showed how important materialistic things were to them. The mistress's cloths were important to her and the family because that is what made their money. She had to sell these to gain money to buy food for the family. She also had many valuable vases that were important to her. When Mui broke one of the vases, the Mistress acted like it wasnt anything serious but when she needed to sell her vases for her husbands health the value wasnt as great because the vase Mui broke was gone. Mui was also excited when she wore the dress and jewelry the mistress gave her. It was also important because the dress and necklace was suppose to be for the daughter who had passed away which showed the sentimental meaning behind it. The movie didnt need much talking to get the messages that it was trying to express across to its viewers and I think it did a good job of doing it.

Blog 2

The film “The Scent of Green Papaya” follows the life of a young servant girl who goes to live with a wealthy Vietnamese family for ten years. It depicts her life through her daily work, her relationships with those around her, and her observations of those she lived with. The film has very few words and focuses on the simplicity of life and the enjoyment that one can get of the surrounding nature. The natural essence of the film is one of the biggest symbols; representing the beauty of nature and life and the true beauty in the everyday tasks. The green papaya is a perfect example of how the beauty of nature parallels the beauty of life. The green papaya can be seen as the beauty of house work that the women do; whether it be cooking or cleaning.
Another symbol from the film is the constant reference to the accumulating portraits of the various lost family members. They represent the ancestral struggles of a Vietnamese family and how those struggles perpetuate through many generations. One of those struggles is presented by the sound of the curfew bell. It is a constant reminder that there is a war within the country and this war manifests itself within the family as well. The men and women divided by their outlook on life; the men are very tricky and devious and the women are very calm, carrying out their daily chores. Another symbol of the war is the ants; they are a constant infestation like the French colonization of Vietnam. The different reactions by the men and women in the movie reflect their different demeanors about life. The ants are always constant, appearing in a few scenes and presenting themselves to various characters in the film. When the master’s son pours the wax on them and kills them it shows his discontent with the current French infiltration. All of these symbols are intertwined in the inner workings of the simplicity of life and how a film does not need many words to convey a strong message.

Blog 2

Overall Scent of Green Papaya is very symbolic and can be connected to the Vietnamese experience and lifestyle. The most striking thing about the movie is its lack of dialogue. This is probably a result of Mui being a shy girl and as the film focuses on her life it lacks dialogue many times. This small amount of speech ,however, gives us time to view the lifestyle of the people of Vietnam. During the movie there are allot of scenes that have ties to nature. The camera shows us all the living things around the setting which range from Papayas to lizards. Also its clear that Mui has a great love of nature. In many scenes we see her take a break from her work to admire the plants and animals around her. She even keeps crickets she found as pets in her room. I think this all shows that the people of Vietnam have a very close connection to nature and love it greatly. Also I noticed that in the movie the camera didn't just cut off when a scene ended. Instead it tracked over to a location nearby and gave the audience a view of the gorgeous scenery around the main setting. I think that this unusual camera movement was meant to show that Vietnam is actually a beautiful country of natural wonder. I also noticed that the movie treated women in a much different way than we do today. Most of the women we saw in the movie were either working or cleaning, they clearly did not have as much power as men in the society. This is highlighted when the man of the first household leaves with all the money. The entire time his wife is worried and crying (she thinks that it should be her job to insure that her husband is happy and does not leave the house). Then when he comes back she is not angry at him for taking away their means of living (their money) ,instead she cries out of joy at his return. I personally can't relate to this if I was in her situation I would be furious at the man. He left with no concern for his family for selfish purposes. In the end I think this shows the lack of authority of women in the movie. Also during the movie we see the first family practicing certain religious ceremonies. In particular the grandma spends most of her time around candles and statues. After seeing the movie I think that they were practicing Buddhism which is one of the prominent religions in Vietnam. Finally when I saw the young son pouring wax on the powerless ants it reminded me of the Americans waging war. I thought that the Vietnamese people were similar to the ants because they were peacefully minding their own business before the giant ,that is America, came in and started attacking them with superior weapons and technology. I think that Scent of Green Papaya can be interpreted in many ways but in the end it is a very symbolic film that shows the lives of the Vietnamese people.

Ryan L Blog 2

"The Scent of Green Papaya" mixes rich detail, and compelling symbolism to form a remarkable memoir to the Vietnamese people, and the war. Taking place during the war, as realized from the curfew and the sound of aeroplanes overhead, one gets a sense of Vietnamese culture, especially during the war. For example, the worker ants which get hot wax poured on them, are a clear representation of the oppression of the people during the war. The innocent ants are tortured and killed, much like the Vietnamese people with the napalm. Furthermore, the expected domesticity of women shines through this film, however it is clear that the women ran the show in the movie. The women were in charge of pleasing their men, and when the husband left, the wife was blamed. In addition the extreme poverty was shown through even in the wealthy families. Starvation was rampant, much as it was during war-times. Along the same lines as starvation, the diseases which devastated the Vietnamese people was represented in the death of To. Also, religion was one factor which drove the people during the war, and this religious devotion shined through clearly with the alter of the dead relatives. "The Scent of Green Papaya" provides rich symbolism of the hardship and atrocities of the war.

Blog 2 AZ

The scent of Green Papaya was a very slow film that placed a strong emphasis on the simple, every day tasks and details of life. It explored the normal household activities during the time period of the Vietnam War. Although there was very little dialogue and an almost non-exhistant plot, the film did a wonderful job of portraying the natural beauty of Vietnamese customs, environment and house hold surroundings. For example there was constant serene music that played in the background ( birds singing, crickets chirping, rain falling, the father playing his instrument or the other man playing the piano). The only time there wasn't calming background music was when the occasion airplane would be heard overhead or the alarms announcing the curfew would go off. These noises served to remind us of the war that was going on at that time.

There were also lots of scenes in the movie that centered around animals such as frogs, lizards, and ants. I think this represents how the Vietnamese are very observant and seemed to pay attention to a lot of small unnoticable things. For example, the young boy who slowly watched the ants die in the candle wax. This scene could represent the soldiers fighting in the battlefields of Vietnam and how helpless some of them were. How the entire country was stuck in the war and had no way to avoid it. Another example of creatures was how Mui kept to her crickets for years. These crickets stood for goodluck and they could also be thought of as a symbol of certain occupiers during war that oppress people.

The film also highlited the traditional roles in the Vietnamese society. For example the different expectations between men/women and servant/master. One other thing I found interesting in the film was the emphasis it placed on cleanliness. It seemed like every other scene involved some sort of washing or cleaning. I think this just further emphasizes the amount of detail that the Vietnamese pay attention to in their life.

Blog 2

The film, "Scent of Green Papaya", depicts the Vietnamese culture in many different ways. The film has almost no spoken words, and when someone does talk, it is usually a female. Mui is shown as a person who is in touch with nature, which is symbolic to all citizens of Vietnam. The appearance of many plants and animals are just little details in the film that allow the viewer to observe the Vietnamese appreciation for outdoors and nature. The film also very clearly depicts the specific roles of men and women. The women are much more concerned with the household and cooking (green papayas), which shows that they take much pride and honor in these things. They are shown as hard workers with respect to their households. In opposition, men are depicted in a more negative light. The young boys of the film are constantly causing disruptions and the father leaves his family and takes all of the money. Khuyen, who is engaged to be married, has an affair with Mui.

Through this film, we learn that men are more important than women with reguard to the government and country as a whole, but in respect to the household, women are much more apt to be hard workers. This film is going on during the war, and you can see how the war is affecting each character. The war was a constant in the character's every day life, and it was slowly ruining everything they had.

Blog 2

Throughout the film, “the Scent of Green Papaya” one notices that there is a minimal amount of dialogue. Apart from the older servant giving directions to Mui, nobody really says much of anything to anybody. The females in the movie have many more lines than the men in this film. This is not to say that the women are chatting it up throughout the film, but that the men are dead silent. To run through the characters; Mui’s crush Khuyen barely says a word until he teaches her how to read and write at the end, the Father of the household just sits on his bed and plays his instrument all day until returns to the house and dies, the middle child doesn’t say much except tell his younger brother to shut up, and the youngest doesn’t say anything except for a couple one liners when talking to his mother. The silence in the film is not key however, it is the images portrayed in the film that are of symbolic importance. Mui is constantly displaying a true appreciation for nature. Whether she's splitting open a papaya, listening birds chirping, looking at frogs hop around, or feeding her pet cricket water from a soda cap, she shows a fascination for nature unparalleled by anybody else in the film.

Additionally, the males in this film represent recklessness and destruction. Mui works hard to keep the house clean while Tin, the youngest son, runs around urinating in vases, scaring her with lizards, and farting after each victory. Mui builds a little cage and a water bowl for her pet cricket, while the next brother, Lam, has bugs nailed to his wall. He also enjoys dripping hot wax onto ants crawling along his windowsill, watching them squirm to try and break free of the hardening substance until they give up, accepting their fate as they lay there to perish as so many surely have before on that very same sill. The father leaves the house with all the family’s money to go on what sounds like a sex spree and return when he’s finished after a few days. However, when he returns this time he is ill and soon dies, leaving the rest of the family to fend for itself. Khuyen as well, with his sudden appeal to Mui, cheats on his fiancé.

We get a look into Vietnamese society while watching this film. While it is immediately apparent that men are more highly regarded than women, everybody enjoys a simplistic lifestyle. Greenery is abundant, nobody wears any flashy clothes (with exception to the fiance at the end), and they're always pickin away at their guitar or practicing their piano skills. With the siren's occasional reminder of a curfew and sounds of planes flying overhead, we are reminded that all this takes place during a time of war and that there is something to be said about these people's steady mindedness.

Blog 2: Scent of Green Papaya

The Scent of Green Papaya, a Vietnamese film directed by Tran Anh Hung, has very few words but yet conveys messages which define the Vietnamese culture. While there are few spoken lines, the camera angles and pictures illustrated suggest much about this family. The young servant, Mui, is often shown interacting with nature; such as the frogs and the ants that live around her mistress's house. She does not often touch them but she is shown to be observing them. This suggests at her appreciation and respect for nature. This connection to and respect for nature can be linked to the Vietnamese in general. The house in which Mui serves in is exposed on all sides to the outside world. There are large, unscreened windows which lets the nature in and the house is decorated with different types of plants. The camera's detailed attention to these symbols shows the viewer the respect the Vietnamese have for all things alive. The movie frequently shows moments where a character is delicately admiring a specific item of personal value. In one scene, Mui, as a young girl, is shown running her fingers along a small wooden box. These tender symbols suggest at the Vietnamese's appreciation for family and spiritual connections.
The movie shows us the differences in males and females. While the women are always seen preparing the food, specifically the green papaya, the boys of the film, particularly the younger ones, are shown as contradicting the actions of the women. The mistress has a special attachment to one of her vases, and the youngest boy is seen peeing into it. Mui is seen several times observing ants working from afar, but the older boy is shown crushing it with his finger. it is made apparent that women are of high importance to the household. Their work with food is always shown as very detailed and up-close, suggesting that the Vietnamese women, as well as the Vietnamese in general, are meticulous and hard workers.
The movie as a whole provides us insight into the lives of the Vietnamese that were destroyed in the war, showing the viewer the complications of their relationships as well as the extent of their daily-living work.

Blog 1

One thing that I learned from watching the PBS Documentary Film was that throughout the war, Diem was always backed by the United States, but sometimes disobeyed the thoughts of the U.S. There were many times when Diem knowingly did things that were disapproved by the United States, because he felt his ideas were more important than those in support of him.

In A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Butler, he uses two separate narratives of a dying man named Daoto try and explain past and future. First, he has conversations with the already deceased Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh shows up three nights in a row, and each of the nights he has sugar on his hands because he is trying to figure out the recipe for a pastry. This sugar is used to show the original relationship between Ho Chi Minh and Dao. Dao was a dishwasher while Ho Chi Minh made pastries. After their original meeting and friendship, the narrative shows how they took separate ways after that. Ho Chi Minh went into the future, and tried to get an independant Vietnam state, while Dao turned to Buddhism and really looked into his past. Also, the two talk about Dao's lack of support for Ho Chi Minh when they left Paris. Dao felt that Ho Chi Minh was upset that Dao did not go with him and support him. On the contrary, Ho Chi Minh is not upset at Dao, but does show a little unrest while there. This makes Dao a little uneasy because of uncertainty that lies ahead of Dao in the afterlife. The second narrative is about the Vietnamese Culture and how it is similar to the thoughts of Ho Chi Minh. Dao Recalls Ho saying that they should not have trusted the Americans, because the Americans are foolish. Dao's family also states this, making Dao uneasy because he feels there should be harmony. Dao also overhears about how his family members helped in the murder of an innocent man, which links the past to the presents and future. There are still the same problems occuring now that did before. Dao's main focus is that he is happy in the afterlife which he is doubtful of because of Ho Chi Minh's lack of enthusiasm.

Blog 1 - "A Good Scent" Narrative

One thing that I learned about the Vietnam War from the PBS Documentary was background information on the leaders of both sides of the war. Before, I pretty much knew that there were two sides with differing sides on an issue, but I didnt know anything about the people leading on either side. It was interesting to see how American Presidents affected the politics of the war and the effect it had on the outcome.

In "A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain," Butler uses two narrative to effectively add situational depth. The two narratives he uses help to give the reader more information about the characters in the story, but more importantly serve to let the reader know what was going on at certain points in time. These memories are vivid, and serve to show us readers what events impacted the story.

The first narrative in the story was about Nguyen Bich Le, a small time newspaper reporter who was assassinated for his communist-tolerant political views. The author makes it a point to add that Le drives a Chevrolet pickup truck, because this is considered an "American" vehicle. This adds to the irony that he was assassinated in American by people who shared the side that America took on the war.

The second narrative was about the speaker and his good friend Quoc. This part of the story described how the speaker found comfort in the Buddhist religion and describes him in a time of few material posessions. More importantly this talks about Quoc and his attempts at lobbying for political equality of the Vietnamese. The author describes how Quoc dresses formally in a suit and bowler hat in preparation of his trip to Versailles. The speaker says he looks "foolish" and notes that "his bowler made him angry". This is not a good sign, and shows how he does not feel comfortable with Western culture.

Both these narratives add to the readers sense of unrest in the Vietnamese popluation during these times. The first narrative shows us the hostility between opposing political sides using irony. The second narrative foreshadows dealings with Vietnam, and how they were not ready to accept the Western culture being shoved in their faces. These two narratives help the reader understand the trials of the times.

Blog 1- "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain"

From the documentary American Experience: Vietnam War I was surprised how the struggle in South Vietnam was portrayed to the people in the United States. Protest signs were shown in English and broadcasted by American news crews back to the United States. The American reporters were there during every major event, including the self incineration of several Buddhist monks. With these anti-war protests displayed to the United States public along with other varying ideas coming from Madame Nhu, the wife of the Chief of the Secret Police, Ngo Dinh Nhu, it was difficult to understand what was truly happening in Vietnam.

In Robert Butler’s narrative, “A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain” two different narratives are used in order to give insight into Dao’s life, the implications of the Vietnam War, and also the Vietnamese culture. One narrative seen in Butler’s writing is between Dao and Ho Chi Minh, a North Vietnamese communist leader. The deceased Minh visits Dao for three nights while Dao is slowing dying. Minh’s hands are covered with sugar because Minh and Dao used to work together in London where Dao washed dishes and Minh was a pastry cook. Minh struggles to remember the recipe for a pastry glaze. Every time Minh visits, a new part of the recipe is revealed, which parallels other information given about Dao’s life and the more restless Minh becomes. Dao not only questions whether or not he will meet certain people in the afterlife, but also if Minh is disappointed with how he has lived his life because he has changed to a different religion than Minh. Despite worrying about his own life, Dao notices a more recognizable sense of failure coming from Minh, shown through his inability to remember the ingredients to the pastry glaze. As Minh realizes more ingredients and directions, Dao receives more information. Butler writes, “‘I was thinking of the men who had to swim out to our ship’. ‘They are already among those I have served’” (Butler 244). Right after Minh replies to Dao, quelling his worries about their comrades, Dao remembers another part of making the glaze. As pieces of Minh’s past are put back together, symbolized by the cooking directions, Dao comes to peace with his past and prepares himself for death.

The second part of the narrative in Butler’s writing is between Dao and his family. The narrative shows the Vietnamese culture and the implications of the Vietnam War on a Vietnamese family living in New Orleans after the war. These implications give insight into communism and feelings that have been engraved upon the people’s minds. Through this part of the text, the Vietnamese tradition of gathering one’s relatives around them before passing on is shown. During this time Dao is not speaking with Minh, but allows the reader to gain greater insight into his life and a better look at communism. Although the family ties are very strong, Dao feels confused by and distant from relatives living in the United States. Dao discovers that his relatives murdered a man for political reasons. Dao pretends to sleep while his family is talking, but he describes how lying to his family is against his religion. Dao often asked Minh about topics that were brought up while listening to his family talk. When asked about politics and countries, Minh replies that these things do not exist after life, showing that Dao must come to terms with his life. This ties into the fact that Dao believes his relatives are responsible for a political killing, symbolizing that they must also come to terms with the war.

blog 1

I studied the surface of the Vietnam War during my junior year in high school; however I did not learn some o f the detail that were covered in the PBS Documentary that we watched. I never knew just how involved the United States was in supporting Ngo Dinh Diem. I also never knew how oppressive Diem was towards citizens who were not Catholic but still were against the Communist rule.
This is the story of an old man who is contemplating Vietnam on his death bed through the outlet of two narratives. Dao, the old man, first is confused and excited to see Ho Chi Minh, his friend prior to the war. Dao is drawn to Hi Chi Minh’s sweet smell as is reminds him of the detailed past they both shared before separated by beliefs and war. It is clear that Dao was divided by Minh during their time in France because he chose a Buddhist following while Minh explored more radical political views. Yet, both were connected to the war because both endured hardships. Dao, unlike Minh never participated as much in the politics of war. The second narrative in the story is more current and realistic. Dao’s family waits over him thinking he is on his death bed, although Dao claims to be alert. His son-in-law and grandson discuss their involvement in the murder of a Vietnamese man in New Orleans because of his embrace of American culture. Of the many Vietnamese living in New Orleans, he embraced the culture too much.Butler connected these two stories to show the cause and effect of past and present struggles. The background that Dao knew Minh before he caused such hardship is a new perspective. The two layers in the story prove that the war and even Vietnam before the war, has still effected and old man to go to the afterlife without peace. He cannot let go of Minh and his sugar expertise. He longs for his wife, dead children, and now knows from Minh that he may not see them. Vietnam is a culture satiated with layers of struggles, struggles still existed in two generations past him.

One thing i learned while watching the PBS documentary of the Vietnam War was that Diem was a devout catholic. I just assumed that because he lived in Vietnam he practiced Buddhism like most other Vietnamese.

In Robert Olen Butler's short story "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain," two narratives are used to depict the continuing struggle for the Vietnamese. The first narrative portrays Dao's, a dying grandfather's, dreams. As a young boy Dao and Ho Chi Minh were friends. They're friendship ended when Dao chose to follow a religious pathway through life and Ho chose to follow a politic path through life. Dao is nearing his death and is visited by Ho during his dreams three nights in a row. In these dreams Dao asks Ho about the afterlife and if he's happy. He is disturbed by the fact that Ho says no he's not happy. His dreams are interrupted when Dao is visited by his family members, this is the second narrative. He talks with his grandson, and son in law about the murder of Mr. Le who was murdered because of his opinions about the Vietnamese government. Mr Le. had the same values and beliefs as Dao. After talking to his family, Dao realizes that although they are living in America, communism stil exists in Vietnam and that it is a struggle that they'll have to overcome.

Blog 1

One thing that I learned about Vietnam during the PBS documentary was the depth of the United States involvement in the Vietnamese politics. I knew that they were involved to some extent, but i didn't know that there were so many political advisors in Vietnam advising Diem. I also didn't know about their involvement in the coup to overthrow Diem.

In "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain", Robert Butler uses two narrative to tell the story of a man named Dao. Dao is an old Vietnamese man who is spending his last couple days of his life reminiscing about his life and those who are in it. During these last few days he is visited by his extended family members (as it is Vietnamese tradition for families to say their farewell before a family member passes away) and becomes suspicious that his son and grandson are involved in the murder of a Vietnamese newspaper writer. In the meantime, Dao is visited by his old friend, who is already dead, named Ho Chi Minh. Minh comes to Dao during the night and the two talk. Minh has sugar on his hands and has forgotten the recipe to a pastry he used to make. The two lived in London and worked at a hotel together when they were younger. They went different ways when Dao decided to become a Buddhist. Dao and Minh talk over the course of these three nights about the afterlife and people who Dao has lost. I think that these two narratives compare the lives of the past and present Vietnamese as well as illustrate how the lives of the Vietnamese now are still being affected. Also, I think that Minh's struggle with the recipe is symbolic of his restlessness in the afterlife, where Dao seems more content with the decisions that he made in his life and more prepared for the afterlife.

Blog 1: A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain

"A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain"

In "A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain," Butler combines two separate narratives that, together, make up the composition of his story. The first narrative deals with a coversation between the protagonist, Dao, and his old friend Ho Chi Minh that takes place over a period of three nights. Dao frequently recalls moments from his past that he shared with Ho such as working at the Carlton Hotel in London as a dishwasher and living in the poorest district of France where Ho retouched photographs. Dao and Ho comment on the respective paths that their lives took leading them away from each other. Dao chose a simple, peaceful Buddhist life while Ho chose a life of politics and struggle. On each night that Ho and Dao converse, Ho's hands are covered with sugar that he refers to as "Maestro's glaze" (236). The coversation repeatedly returns to the substance covering Ho's hands and the process he used as a pastry cook; it is clear that Ho has forgotten a key facet to this process and is not at rest. After Dao and Ho finished talking on the last night of the coversation, Dao comments that the Ho "has used confectioners' sugar for his glaze fondant and he should be using granulated sugar" (249).
The second narrative taking place in Butler's story is the conversation between Dao's son-in-law, Thang, and his grandson, Loi. The conversation takes place in front of Dao, but Dao chooses to act as a listless old man who is not paying attention. Thang, referring to the murder of a Vietnamese man named Mr. Le, tells his son that "there is no murder weapon" (239). Mr. Le published a newspaper, in which, he stated that the United States should "accept the reality of the communist government in Vietnam and begin to talk with them" (238). Dao believes that his son-in-law and grandson know who killed Mr. Le and sympathize with them. Dao wonders if they took part in this political killing.
These two narratives are connected by the difference in paths chosen by Dao and Ho and Dao and his son-in-law and grandson. Dao sees that, through his conversation s with him, Ho is clearly troubled and not at peace with his past. On the other hand, Dao sees his relatives currently following a similar path that could possible lead to a similar unrest.

One thing that I learned from watching the PBS documentary in class is the enormous impact the immolation of the monk had on the public's view on the war. I also didn't realize that the antiwar movement in Vietnam was essentially made up of Buddhists.

Blog 1

One thing that truly stayed with me after the PBS documentary was the Monks sacrificing themselves. I had heard of this before, but I did not realize that there were numerous instances of the Buddhist Monks setting themselves on fire. The global impact of their actions was immense and truly brought the world to realize the atrocities taking place in Vietnam.

Robert Robert Olen Butler combined two narratives in his piece, "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain," to illustrate the continuing political conflict the Vietnamese still face. The dream narrative is between Dao, a Vietnamese man who is reaching the end of his life, and Ho Chi Minh, one of Dao's old friends. The actual narrative depicts Dao's visit with his son-in-law and grandson. Over the three nights Ho visited Dao, he recalled them working together at the Carlton Hotel in London, "where I [Dao] was a dishwasher and he [Ho] was a pastry cook under the great Escoffier" (236). When Ho visited Dao he had a glaze of sugar all over his hands, which reminded Dao of his past in France. Ho asked Dao, "do you still follow the path you chose in Paris?" (240). The path Ho was referring to was that of religion, Dao chose to become a Buddhist, following the path of harmony. This is not the path that Ho chose, he chose the path of politics, however remains "not at peace" despite the fact that according to Dao, Ho "won the country" (245). In the other narrative Dao was sitting with his son-in-law, Thang, and grandson, Loi. Once Dao appeared to fall asleep creating the opportunity for Thang and Loi to discuss the murder of Mr. Le. Mr. Le wrote a small newspaper in their community, and prior to his death had written that "it was time to accept the reality of the communist government in Vietnam and begin to talk with them" (238). Thang pointed out twice in the conversation with his son that "there was no murder weapon" (239), and later said to Loi, "you proved yourself no coward" (247). With all that said, Dao knew his family had been involved in the murder of Mr. Le. However despite his family's involvement in a political killing, Dao decided to take that knowledge to the grave. Throughout the story the reoccurring idea is the political conflict that the Vietnamese, who live in the United States, face after the war was over. The men who chose the path of politics continually refuse to even consider talks with the Communists, which is one of the causes of the ongoing strife to find peace. Dao had seen the value in peace and harmony, and chose to devote his life to that rather than fighting.

Blog 1

After watching the PBS documentary in class I realized that i did not know nearly as much about the Vietnam War as I thought I did. One of the most interesting things that i learned was the Untied States' decision to allow a coup d'etat of the present government and president. My knowledge of the war really only started in the late 60's and adding this large piece of information gives a much clearer picture of the rest of the war.

The narratives involved in "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain" include the narrative between Dao and Ho Chi Minh, and the conversations between Dao and the people that come to pay their tributes and respects to him before he passes on.
The conversation between Dao and Ho Chi Minh is very interesting. Dao gives us a brief history, describing the friendship between the two and how they used to work in the kitchen of a hotel in London, explaining the sweet smell coming off Minh's hands. It seems as though Minh is not happy with the way things are going currently in Vietnam even though he has long since passed. The narrative between Dao and the family members is a little more somber. These conversations are being held on the basis that Dao is either on or nearly on his deathbed and it is time for his family to say goodbye, in the literal sense. He listens to his son- in-law and his grandson talking about the murder of a local Vietnamese man and starts to believe that these two were in fact involved in the murder. Even though the grandson is a born American citizen, Dao feels as though he still carries the Vietnamese ideals of politics. it seems as though both these narratives give the ideals of the Vietnam political system and intertwines them into the personal life of Dao.

Blog 1

The biggest thing I learned from the PBS documentary American Experience: Vietnam War, "America's Mandarin 1954-1963" was the role that the US played in the beginning of the war and also how much they were involved with Ngo Dinh Diem. I also learned about how the priests would set themselves ablaze to protest Diem and the war.

Butler combines two narratives in "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain." The first narrative is Dao and the ghost of Ho Chi Minh, an old friend and the Prime Minister and President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Ho and Dao talk about many different things including their earlier life in Europe and the recipe for fondant that Ho used to make. Ho seems very troubled about the recipe and continually asks Dao to help him remember. They also talk about their religions and Dao inquires about heaven. The second narrative shows Dao, probably on his deathbed talking to members of his family who have came to visit with him. He hears his son-in-law and grandson talking about a political murder. Dao who is pretending to be sleeping, comes to the conclusion that they most likely were involved in the killing. The narratives relate because they both show the struggle of the war in Vietnam, with Ho's eternal worrying and how the war is still going on.

Blog 1

I learned many new things about the Vietnam war after watching the PBS documentary "American Experience: Vietnam War". The most shocking thing that I learned after the movie was that the Kennedy administration had actually supported the coup of Diem. I knew that by the end of Diem's rule the Kennedy administration was unhappy with his policy's, but I never thought they would go as far as backing a coup.

Robert Butler combines two narratives when he tells the story of the old Vietnamese man Dao. The first narrative is Dao talking to his old friend Ho chi Minh. Minh visits Dao at night during a time when it seems like Dao is near his death. They both talk about their past as young friends working in London. They both worked at the fancy Carlton Hotel where Minh was a pastry chef and Dao was a dishwasher. During their encounter it seems like Minh is having a difficult time trying to remember the recipes for the pastries he was in charge of back at the hotel. The overall style of this narrative makes it clear that Minh is not completely satisfied in the afterlife. Minh and Dao recall those carefree days where they talked about politics and religion. The second narrative ,which takes place in New Orleans, concerns Dao's current family. A local Vietnamese newspaper writer was shot while driving because he supported Vietnam and its communist regime. As Dao listens to the conversation of his son and grandson he becomes more and more concerned that they have something to do with the murder. They mention certain suspicious facts about the murder that makes Dao suspicious about their intentions. In the end Dao decides to let it go because he is already near death and he no longer is as involved in life as he was when he was younger. The two narratives connect and form the idea that Vietnamese people Will never be completely satisfied with their situation. Just like Minh is not satisfied and peaceful in the afterlife, Dao's family is clearly not happy either because they were involved in a murder for political reasons.

Blog 1: A good Scent From Strange Mountain

By watching the PBS documentary about the Vietnam War, I learned that Ngo Dinh Diem was a firm believer in Catholicism. I learned about the conflict between Buddhists and Roman Catholics in Vietnam during wartime.

"A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain" was a story about an old Vietnamese man, Dao, nearing the end of his life. His daughter would take care of his needs (she would also open the shades every morning). This story is separated into two parts: when Dao interacts with his family, and when he interacts with Ho Chi Minh.
When Dao dreams of his conversations with Ho Chi Minh, Ho has sugar stuck on his hands. This is because Ho and Dao used to work together in a London pastry shop, and Ho could not remember how to make a specific type of glaze. Ho Chi Minh also asked if Dao was still a Hoa Hao Buddhist. He asks because when Dao chose to become a Buddhist in Paris (and worshiping his ancestors), Ho chose to work towards his future (by freeing Vietnam from French rule). On Ho's second visit, Dao asks him if he is angry or disappointed about the fact that he did not help Ho in his political efforts. Ho says that it doesn't concern him, but what does still concern him is his inability to create that specific glaze he was supposed to make in that pastry shop in London. Even though Ho says this is why he is not at peace, Dao told him that he should be at peace because he succeeded in freeing Vietnam from the french. Ho simply says there are no countries in the afterlife.
Before Ho visits the first time, Dao is awake during the day with his eyes closed. His family perceives him to be asleep. Dao's son, grandson, and daughter are speaking about the death of a newspaper writer who was killed for voicing his ideas about accepting a communist government. Dao's family seems to be speaking in a sort of code so that, even if Dao was awake, Dao would not understand them. When Ho visits Dao for the third time, the men pace the room. Dao reveals to Ho that he believes his family had something to do with this political killing of the newspaper writer. He asks ho if there are politics in the afterlife. Ho does not answer him or talk to him. Dao could not see him, but could smell the sugar on his hands very distinctly. Dao senses that Ho passes through his body and then leaves the room. When Dao goes to bed he remembers how to make that glaze that Ho Chi Minh never remembered how to make. This is because Dao, even though he was a dishwasher, listened to everything that was said. To end this short story, Dao says that the kitchen they worked in in London "was full of such smells that you knew you had to understand everything or you would be incomplete forever." (249)
The two narratives in the story are of Dao and Ho interacting, and of Dao and his family as they see him for the last time as he nears the end of his life. The important main idea in this story is the one of harmony. Dao chose a life of simplicity and harmony, rather than the political life of Ho Chi Minh and Dao's family. Ho is left in unrest in the afterlife because he failed to reach harmony with his past (the inability to make the pastry glaze). Dao is confronted with the choice to address his family about their involvement with the death of the newspaper writer. In both narratives, it becomes clear that the most important thing to achieve in life is the ability to achieve harmony, reconciliation and acceptance with one's memories.

Bloggity Blog Blog (1)

Prior to viewing the PBS documentary American Experience: Vuetnam War, "America's Manarin 1954-1963," I had limited knowledge of the Vietnam War from taking AP US History my Junior and Senior years. As the course title suggests, we studied largely from an American perspective, and never delved into the Vietnamese side of the war. For one thing, the whole religious side of the war is a foreign concept to me. For instance, I had no idea Diem was Catholic, nor did I realize the extent of the impact of the conflict between Diem and the Catholics and the Buddhists.

In "A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain", Robert Butler weaves two narratives in order to show the Vietnamese struggle across generations. The story is of an old Vietnamese man named Dao, who is on his death bed in New Orleans. In the old Vietnamese tradition, Dao is being visited by loved ones and old friends in his final days. Here is where we witness the formulation of the two sequences.
The first involves several visitations in the night by his old friend Nguyen Ai Quoc, better known as Ho Chi Minh. Ho comes to him the first night, hands covered in sweet smelling confectioner's sugar. Over the next three night's, Dao and Ho reminisce of times past, including their time working at the Carlton Hotel in London, and the first time the two saw snow together. The next night they tell of their stint in France, where the two began to drift apart and live wildly opposite lives: Dao choosing a path of peace and harmony as a Buddhist monk, Ho choosing the life of radical political activist. Later, Ho reveals that he is not at peace, despite the North Vietnamese victory. Ho states that there exist no countries in the afterlife. As we have come to discover, there truly was no victory in the long run, as is evidenced by the current Vietnamese strife (which will be discussed in the second sequence).
The second sequence involves visitations throughout the day by members of Dao's extended family: Lam, his youngest daughter; Thang, his son-in-law, wife of Lam, and former South Vietnamese colonel; and L'oi, Dao's grandson and former lieutenant under his father Thang. Dao laments that these visitors are insincere, as they have lost touch with the importance of their visitation, as well as their sense of Vietnamese culture over their years staying in America. In response, Dao expresses disinterest by feigning sleep, where he can eavesdrop on their conversations. He learns of the recent political killing of Mr. Le, who wrote a newspaper for their community. He was killed by Vietnamese nationalists in response for publishing a piece calling for the acceptance of the Communist Vietnamese state, and for the beginning of serious discussions and negotiations. Furthermore, he suspects that Thang and L'oi may know the assassin, only to discover that Thang and L'oi may indeed be the assassins. The resentments of a past generation have spread into the current.
Ho's past and struggles are relived to today, shown in the political killing of Mr. Le. Dao was the only one to find stability through choosing a path of harmony, as opposed to the politically charged lives of Ho Chi Minh, Thang, and L'oi. Dao is more at peace with his past and memories, and is ready to move onto the afterlife, while Ho must reconcile his past in order to achieve a relative harmony in the afterlife.

Blog 1

After watching the PBS documentary: American Experience, Vietnam War, "America's Mandarin 1954-1963", I learned about how repressive Ngo Dinh Diem was to the South Vietnamese. On May 8, 1963, Buddhists gathered in order to celebrate the birth of Buddha, but because Diem was a Catholic he wanted the crowd to disperse. The police did this by killing one woman and eight children. This sparked the demonstrations that the monks later held.

In Robert Olen Butler's A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, the story starts with Dao, almost 100 years old, reminiscing about the important people in his life. The first person that visits Dao is Hồ Chí Minh, the Prime Minister and President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Minh asks Dao about a glaze, because they used to work together at the Carlton Hotel in London. Dao was a dishwasher and Mihn was a pastry cook. Dao and Minh were great friends but they chose different things, Dao chose the life of Buddhism and being at peace, where as Minh got very involved with politics. The narrative gets broken up as Dao has his family come in to say their farewells. Dao's son and grandson talk about the death of Mr. Le and why he was shot. Mr. Le recently made a newspaper and in it said that: "it was time to accept the reality of the Communist government in Vietnam and begin to talk with them (238)." In America at this time that this story is being told, the Vietnamese in the Country did not want to believe that Communism was taking over and because of this Mr. Le was killed. Dao believes that his son in law and his son where involved with the murder. Dao is reminded of a time of struggle in the past, and the killing of Mr. Lee illustrates how the same struggle is still going on in America. Mr. Le and Hồ Chí Mihn believe that the Communist government needs to be accepted, which seems to be the main point in the story. The two narrations show the constant political debate and even in America, the struggle continues for the Vietnamese.

Blog One

One thing that I learned from watching the PBS Documentary on the Vietnam War was that the United States had warned Diem about the possibility of a coup. U.S. officials had told Diem that if he continued with his actions they would have to publicly opposed and that could cause coup in the near future, yet Diem continued anyway.

The two narratives that are combined in “A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain” are the conversations that take place between the main character, an old man named Dao, and his old friend Ho Chi Minh each night, along with the conversations that take place when Dao’s family come to visit each day. The conversations between Dao and Ho remind Dao of their youth when they were close friends and worked in a hotel together. The conversations also trigger memories of the struggles Dao and other Vietnamese faced during the Vietnam War. This suggests that even though the war is long over, the effects of it are long lasting and ever present in the lives of the Vietnamese. The conversations that take place when Dao’s family come to visit show that some of the struggles faced in the past are still taking place, even though Dao and his family had moved to America. Those conversations force Dao to think that his son-in-law and grandson had a part in the murder of a local Vietnamese man who wrote about his positive views towards communism.Both of the narratives connect to the overall idea of the story, which is that the Vietnamese are still struggling because even though the war is over, they have brought the problems to their new homes. Ho has brought his problems with him to the afterlife, while Dao’s family has brought them to America and for that reason none of them can be at peace.