The Sorrow of War (Saturday's Reading)

Saturday's Reading:

1. "His father had hardly mentioned her. He had avoided talking about her for his own sake, to avoid suffering. He had resigned himself to his fate of keeping his family of two in modest circumstances." (pg 124)

• This quote indicates the conflict man vs society. It is traditional that a man and women should be together as a family.
• This quote relates to the theme of suffering. It hurts Kien's father to talk about Kien's mother due to her leaving them.

The Sorrow of War (Thursday and Friday's Reading)

Thursday's Reading:

1."From that day on, Kien avoided her. If their paths accidentally crossed, Kien would bend his head and weakly mumble, "...Sister. "...Perhaps in their dreams, for soon she was gone."(pg 67)

• This quotation relates  the theme of guilt. Because of Kien was avoiding Hanh after what happened that day in the air-raid shelter, he avoided her and he never got to know what she wanted to tell him, which made them loose their connection. This made him feel guilty.
• During this contemporary society, alot of people avoid one another after something agaping happens, such as Kien tried to avoid Hanh very chance he got after what happened in the air-raid shelter.

2."Kien sat forlornly in his apartment, emotionally exhausted....What he saw astounded him: his hair, his beard, his wrinkles, the circles under his eyes....His looks, his voice, seemed to upset others these days. Was it the empty, blank stare he knows saw in the mirror? Was that what they turned from, avoiding his glance?" (pg 70)

• This quote relates to man vs self. Because of his constant drinking and smoking problems, he has cause himself to look this way. 
• This quote leads onto the conflict of Kien quitting his studies and decided to just let everything go for no apparent reason.

Friday's Reading: 

1." ...he sat for hours  just listening to the quiet wind blowing over the lake as he gazed into the distance, far beyond the horizon of thought to the harmonious fields of the dead and living,of unhappiness and happiness,of regret and hope."(Pg 87-88)

• This quotes theme is loneliness. Many people go to certain places just to get away and clear their minds about certain situations and topics that makes their mind clutter.Places like this seem to make people calm and to find their "happy place."
• This quote is man Vs self. He is trying to fade things out and escape reality with the sound of the wind blowing over the horizon.

2." Now, even after many years, whenever I see a flood I feel a sharp pang in my heart and think of my cruel stupidity. No human being deserved the torture I left him to suffer." (Pg 94)

• The quote is  man vs. man conflict. Because Phan was not able to save the ARVN Special Commando, he will always wonder what he could have done differently in order to save him.
•  This quote relates to the theme survivor's guilt. Phan survived the bombing and the flood,but because he was not able to rescue the ARVN Special , he still has flashbacks of that terrible memory.