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.