On page 54, Lan says to Kien, "So that's the short story of my life. First my brothers, then my mother, then my husband, then my son. No wonder I feel a little weaker every year. I live in this shell of loneliness, going from house to hill, hill to house, and around the hamlet, with no one paying any attention to me and me not noticing others."
This exemplifies the theme of isolation that we see not only in this novel (The Sorrow of War) but also in Enemies, A Love Story and to a certain extent, in Survival in Auschwitz. This seems to be a crucial element in understanding exile or war-based texts. All of our main characters so far (Levi, Herman, and Kien) exhibit signs of reactionary isolation in addition to self-imposed isolation. The character of Lan is also a perfect example of one who has been both forgotten/left behind by her family/community yet has resolved to stay in exile (arguably) by choice. One must question if maybe isolation is just an inevitable part of post-trauma life that can sometimes be managed but never actually avoided.
--Kathy
I like your post a lot, Kathy! There are a lot of similarities between Kien and the other protagonists we've encountered in the course and I'm glad you're showing us concisely how this novel relates thematically to our other texts. This reflection really gets at something profound and is an excellent jumping-off point for thinking about the aspect of trauma in the novel, which is very much evident in Kien's response to his memories of the war. I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on this! :-)
ReplyDelete-Tim J.
Hi, Kathy!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post! :) I really didn’t consider this idea of isolation in relation to the other novels we have been discussing until you mentioned it. It is true that while many of the protagonists do isolate themselves so do other key female characters who are directly or indirectly affected by the trauma of the atrocities which surround them. These women embody this idea of being disconnected as well. I find it interesting, that you bring up this point because from a gender perspective, we usually think of women needing the support of other females and sharing their emotions with them. You chose an excellent quote which sums up this point of loneliness as a result from exile or war.
- Claire
That's a very insightful post! You make a great point about how isolation is important in understanding the encompassing theme of exile in the novels we have read so far. I never really noticed how the protagonists go through different types of isolation (reactionary and self-imposed). But I'm glad you brought that up because it emphasizes the great effect that trauma has had on those characters, especially Kien. Isolation is definitely hard to predict because multiple reasons can make it happen and it's does seem that it is rather unavoidable in a post-war life.
ReplyDelete-Ace
I liked your post Kathy. It was very interesting how you tied this book with the other books we've read in class so far. This has really got me thinking about how no matter what Kien does he may never be able to escape loneliness after the war because of his post traumatic stress. I like how you brought up Lan because she is a great symbol of loneliness. She had lost so many of her family members due to the war and even her friends, so over time she lost a little part of herself, just like Kien. She and Kien were able to relate on some level because they both lost everyone that they cared about because of the war and because they both chose to stay in that kind of life. However, even though she professed her love for him, Kien couldn't stay in that relationship because he was still stuck in loneliness and despair.
ReplyDelete-Paula Martin
Hi Kathy,
ReplyDeleteI found your journal entry to be extremely insightful into how the characters deal with the effects of war, in this case by isolating themselves. I too found that this passage of the book stood out amongst the rest. I found it interesting how Lan explains that since her family is gone it is inevitable that she results to a life of isolation. The way in which you tied the theme of isolation from Sorrow of War and compared it with all of our previous reading gave me a new insight on how to interpret my readings. Amazing job Kathy!
-Fariba