1. John Frontczak<br />Period 4 IB HL A1 English<br />Mr. Fitzgerald<br />06/04/10<br />Life, The Treachery and Hope of History<br />While dealing with the present situation may be a person primary goal, the past is key to understand how that person has come to be in their current situation. One of the most reveling passages about Kien and family in general, in Boa Ninh's quot;
The Sorrow of Warquot;
, is the brief reflection on Kien's parents in pages 122 through 128. Through this passage, the book reflects on what Kien's situation was leading up to his life in the army, and the dynamics and effect that family has. It may first appear to be a section that focuses mostly on the plot, though it does delve into deeper meaning using language, tone, and connotation within the plot.<br />In its most basic form, this passage reveals some of the events and reasons behind Kien personality and actions leading up, to after leaving, the army. Between Kien's Mother's very pro party opinion and philosophy, and his father's eccentrics, Kien had a very split message from his parents. This might of lead Kien to develop a bitter dislike for his father, as he may have seen his death as an abandonment, and in defiance join the party due to physiological need to please his mother, ultimately fulfilling both his mothers and fathers hope. This defiance may of largely come about due to the fact his father quot;
had left only his son in this worldquot;
taking everything else with him, the furniture, himself, and even his painting, and even tries taking his sorrows, though only succeeds in passing them on to his son. (pg. 128)Kien's father may have seen this act as a gift, leaving none of his sorrows for his son, and giving Kien a clean slight, but Kien inherits his father's dying hope and eccentric, crazed, drive that comes from both their sorrow.<br />The feeling and tone of this passage is reflected and created from the particular language that encompasses this section of the text. Like much of the book Kien writes about this time, not in regret or pity, but as simply reflection of his past. A statement of past events. Kien only talks about his own thoughts or actions, in relation to the impact on his mother or father, with his father being to primary subject of these pages. In addition, the color yellow is used repeatedly in this passage. The color yellow usually meaning of wealth or prosperity but can also mean treachery, is first used to describe a picture of Kien mother, who symbolized a time of wealth in Kien life and her betrayal to him and his father. It is also the focus and entirety of Kien's father's paintings after Kien's mother's departure, with each and every painting being of haunting, wondering, lost figures painted in nothing but shades of yellow. Kien states that he saw life through these paintings, and indeed the painting represent the irony and sorrow of life, with each figure simply walking lost in life being betrayed by it and finding wealth and sorrow throughout their journey.<br />Some of the meaning behind this passage, while not delving into the meaning of life, has a much more personal importance for each person behind the message. This passage is key to understanding some of Kien torment and hints at overall messages about life, family, and history. The history of each person is complex and deep, with each event tied to all others, our hopes, our dreams, and our very selves, with each person remembering the meaning behind the event that they want to.<br />