Blog 1 Arianna Zervos

PBS Documentary-
Prior to this class, I have never learned the details of the Vietnam War. I know very little about the war, so I learned a lot from watching the PBS documentary American Experience: Vietnam War "America's Mandarin 1954-1963". What stood out to me the most in the documentary was the role that the Buddhist monks played in the war. I did not realize that they had such a strong global influence. I was amazed at how they responded to the government by holding such large demonstrations and also how some monks were so passionate about the cause that they had the will power to set themselves on fire in order to express their position.

Butler "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain"

This story is about an old man, Dao, who is near his death and the reflection process he is going through regarding his life and family. At night, he is visited by a ghost of his old friend Ho Chih Minh. Dao is going through the process of saying his farewells to his family and trying to make peace with his life, but he is bothered with some of the actions of his son and grandsons. At night, when the ghost of Ho Chih Minh visits him, he tries to ask Ho Chih Minh about his afterlife and whether or not things will be peaceful. Dao seems to start having doubts about the afterlife because when Ho Chih Minh appears in his room, he seems to be greatly distracted and restless. Ho Chih Minh is worried about some ingrediants in the cake he is making.Later in the story he admits to Dao "I am not at peace" (245).

I think that the cake symbolizes Ho Chih Minh's life. He is reflecting on the decisions he made and the things he did. He is wondering if he lived his life the right way. I think that he is not at peace with what he accomplished in his life and is stuck contemplating on what else he could have possibly done. I got the impression that Ho was more at peace with his life when he was baking and was friends with Dao. The glaze resembles a time from before he was involved in the war and it signifies the importance of remembering and his companionship with Dao. The glaze is something that was exactly sure and shared between Ho and Dao.

I think that this is related to Dao in the sense that Dao is more at peace with his life and is content with the choices he has made and the path he chose (the religious path of being Buddhist). He is happy to go on to the next life and be with his friends and family, he even says "I want to be with her in that square and with the rest of those we'd buried" (243). The only thing holding Dao back is his suspicions about his family. His family thinks that he his oblivious to the situation about the editor, but really he is paying attention. He is disappointed in how his family talks about the situation, and how they seem to be dwelling too much on the past.