The book I will talk about today was assigned to me in a class on Asian-American studies. I've always been fond of studying history, but have always had a special place in my heart for literature. The class we discussed this book in was my favorite lecture in the entire semester in the course. It put a story behind all of the facts we had learned. This book also has an abundance of, my favorite, imagery. Beautifully written and powerfully rich, I am glad I am finally posting about this novel on justajae.
TODAY'S BOOK: THE GANGSTER WE ARE ALL LOOKING FOR BY LE THI DIEM THUY
The book delineates the experience of a young girl who comes to America from Vietnam, much like the author did herself in 1978. When I was reading this novel, I kept finding references to water-- a swimming pool, a well, a drowned brother, a crying father, and constant similes such as "a road like a river" and "rushing water in a dream." I remember being extremely proud of myself having noticed all of this imagery, and wondering if any of my classmates had done the same. Turns out I had missed the gorgeous and telling quote on the first page of the book: "In Vietnamese, the word for water and the word for a nation, a country, and a homeland are one in the same." So if you end up reading this book, I recommend doing what I did and note every referral to water; the concept is quite elegantly inter-weaved throughout the entire book.
One of my favorite parts of the book is when the main character finds a butterfly in a glass disk. She becomes convinced it is alive, just trapped. She is determined to free the creature, and goes to her father for advice. She claims she knows the butterfly wants to "get out" because it said "Shuh-shuh/shuh-shuh" to her. To this, the father reacts by shaking and tapping his head. His reply when his daughter asks what he is doing is my absolute favorite quote from the book:
One of my favorite parts of the book is when the main character finds a butterfly in a glass disk. She becomes convinced it is alive, just trapped. She is determined to free the creature, and goes to her father for advice. She claims she knows the butterfly wants to "get out" because it said "Shuh-shuh/shuh-shuh" to her. To this, the father reacts by shaking and tapping his head. His reply when his daughter asks what he is doing is my absolute favorite quote from the book:
"'I must get these butterfly words out of my head before they grow bigger,' Ba {her father} said, tilting his head far to one side so the words could slip out like water."
Take this as you will-- I think an interpretation of what this means could differ for everyone. But the image solidifies the idea of how a lot of Asians who immigrate to America come with emotional baggage as well as physical. Many come because of the poverty, violence, and broken political systems of their country, escaping out of sheer necessity. And yet, America makes them feel just as trapped as ever. A lot of immigrants in America can relate to the struggles of this girl's poor family, from the rage and despair due to the past, to the loss and disconnection due to the present. This book also talks about the successes of the family ; rebuilding relationships, taking opportunities, and moving forward from pain.
The Gangster We Are All Looking For makes a huge contribution to the Asian-American movement by talking about the experiences of a Vietnamese family in America from the abstract perspective of an eccentric, brilliant child.
Until next time,
justajae
The Gangster We Are All Looking For makes a huge contribution to the Asian-American movement by talking about the experiences of a Vietnamese family in America from the abstract perspective of an eccentric, brilliant child.
Until next time,
justajae