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.