"First They Killed My Father" by Loung Ung

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the book "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung. The paper contains an argumentative analysis of the book, including style and structure. The paper then looks at the quote from her father: "The first victims are always the children" (Ung 66), and Ung's book backs up this quote by showing how the children of the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime were victims of violence, mental manipulation, and physical punishment as part of their treatment by the regime. The paper also points out that Ung uses fear throughout the book to build tension and create fear in the reader.

From the Paper:

"In the beginning of the book, it is clear Ung's family is well off. They eat out often in restaurants, they own three cars, and they have a maid in their large apartment. Ung's father works for the government, however, and when Pol Pot takes over the country and brings communism to the country, her father is a prime target for removal, and the family leaves their home with little else but the clothes on their backs. As the author movingly notes, "Yesterday I was playing hopscotch with my friends. Today we are running from soldiers with guns" (Ung 27)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ung, Loung. First They Killed My Father. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2000.

More papers on "First They Killed My Father" by Loung Ung:

• Analytical Essay # 29573 : "Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge"
• Analytical Essay # 42850 : "Forgiving My Father"
• Analytical Essay # 49961 : "My Father's Life"

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