Vietnam Memoirs

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that the message of Tang's memoir emerges clearly and eloquently. The paper further explains that Tang's message was that the war was indeed a war of liberation from the point of view of the ordinary Vietnamese, but that the ideals that motivated the forces of liberation became corrupted when the revolutionary regime came to power. The paper explores how the target audience of the memoir is likely those who would still debate the war's necessity and the extent of Soviet influence in motivating the original struggle. The paper then analyzes how Elliot's memoir emerges out of a more personal need to chronicle the experiences of her family during a difficult time, and to show how in a war there are no winners, no matter what side one becomes affiliated with.

From the Paper:

"Nor should Elliot's experience should not be read as a 'perfect' embodiment of the anti-communist journey of an ordinary Vietnamese woman. Although younger than Tang, she was also descended from a highly influential family in South Vietnam, whose aristocratic roots extended even before French control. She had an older sister who later married a Communist, although her brothers supported the anti-communist fighters. Because her grandfather was a mandarin, or highly placed official, as was her father in the French colonial government, political debate was a part of her daily life. Socially and culturally both Elliot and Tang came from a higher echelon of society than the average Vietnamese person, and from families with a greater articulated political commitments, that extended beyond the family's personal concerns for its welfare."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Elliot, Duong Van Mai. The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family. London, Oxford University Press, 2000.
• Tang, Truong Nhu. A Vietcong Memoir. New York: Vintage, 1986.

More papers on Vietnam Memoirs:

• Creative Essay # 63865 : "A Young Man's Memoirs"
• Analytical Essay # 126631 : "From Idealism to Ambivalence"
• Book Review # 114459 : "D.J. Waldie: "Holy Land: a Suburban Memoir"

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