First They Killed My Father Analysis

The Cambodian Genocide was the result of imperialism, ethnic supremacy, ultra-nationalism, anti-colonialism, a power grab, and religion. It began with the Cambodian people struggling against French colonization and grew in inspiration from Vietnam (end genocide). The French believed that Cambodia was a gateway into China to expand their trade with Southeast Asia. The French occupied southern Vietnam and wanted to expand their territory. There were many civil wars and invasions in Cambodia fought between the Vietnamese and Thai, and it greatly affected Cambodia. While the French did help Cambodia become independent and grew their infrastructure, while exploiting Cambodian labor, they failed to educate Cambodian people and establish a solid and effective judiciary system (Cambodia tribunal). Thus began their feelings of anti-colonialism. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. used Cambodia as a base to regroup, but also bombed the country to kill suspected Viet Cong targets. This began their feelings of imperialism and ultra-nationalism. The Khmer Rouge began feeling great animosity towards the West for their influenced corruption to Cambodian land and its people. Between January and August of 1973, 300,000 Cambodians were killed by American bombers that had joined forces with Lon Nol, head of the Khmer Republic.

Resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back when faced with a trying situation. In the memoir First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, Loung narrates to us the story of her childhood under the violent reign of the Khmer Rouge. Throughout the memoir, there are many circumstances in which Lound demonstrates incredible resilience through her unwavering determination and persistence. These traits are also evident in my best friend and fellow teammate, Kerry. Every night at swim practice, without fail, Kerry demonstrates remarkable resilience, pushing herself to the limit to complete every set.

The Man I Killed is the story of the man that Tim O’Brien killed. However, this story is not true. He later mentions that he did not in fact kill the man, yet he was present and that was enough. This story, according to him, is told to show the reader how he feels, because O’Brien feels as though the truth is that by doing nothing, he killed the man, so in his story, he does kill the man. Imagery is the biggest literary device seen in this story, but diction also helps make the story seem more true, it helps the reader to truly believe that O’Brien did in fact throw the grenade that killed the man. This story is told from O’Brien’s point of view, which would be first person, despite the fact that the word “I” is

* Joan explains that once their shop had been burnt, they left Penang and went to Singapore. Her philosophy is that once things are gone, you must change – turn away. Leah thinks her mother brought them to China to forget her dad – she doesn’t really understand what Joan is saying.

Between the years of 1975 and 1979, an estimated 1.5 to 3 million people were killed by the Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian genocide. First They Killed My Father is the story from the perspective of a five year old girl, Loung Ung, and how her life was changed by the Khmer Rouge. Her and her family were forced out of their home, and into labor camps where they were to work for food in order to survive. They relied on each other, and pushed through the Hell that they were unfortunately placed into. In the memoir, First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, the author demonstrates how the Khmer Rouge use the techniques of confiscation, dress regulations, and food rations in order to remain in control of the citizens.

Loung Ung 's First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers follows her struggles as a child during the Angkar rule. Children in Cambodia directly suffered from trauma, which obviously dismisses the myth that children experience less pain than adults. The importance of Ung 's book is the emotional impact she has on the reader because she gives a voice to the victims and to the dead. As Americans, this topic, the Cambodian genocide does not get taught commonly in education. It shows the trauma that the citizens went through and how it affected the country.

Though her family was her main source of strength, Klein had to find someone else to rely on when she lost them. Her childhood acquaintance, a girl called Ilse, filled that void in Klein life, and Klein did the same for her. Together they pushed each other through illness, back-breaking labor, and a 350 mile death march through freezing rain and snow. Klein and Ilse became more like sisters than best friends. Ilse last gift to Klein was a single, bruised raspberry for her birthday. Klein held Ilse as she lay dying on the freezing ground. Before she drew her last breath, Ilse begged Klein to o on for one more week romise me. (p 205) Exactly one week later, the war ended and Gerda Klein found herself a free woman.

This is the story of a Hmong family, it goes into a very interesting narrative about their history, culture, and traditions. Delving into the Hmong healing rituals and forms of keeping away the spirits that they believed caused illness. The story continued to tell the story of the Lee family’s life and their journey

Louise went to her room where she tries to process the news. It is clear that she is sad, she knows that her husband was a good loving man. But then she recognized that she finally could be free, and she will be able to make her own life by her own decisions and desires.

Loung is a ten-year-old girl living in the town of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Loung was once a normal village girl. She had friends and went to school. All that changed when the Khmer Rouge came into power in 1975.“When Pol Pot’s communist Khmer Rouge stormed into the city April 17, 1975, my charmed life came to an end. On that day, Cambodia became a prison and all its citizens prisoners.”(1). Loungs life takes a sudden turn, Her once luxurious life has turned

"If baby Hung and I and my father's spirit were to survive the death of Vietnam, we would have to turn our eyes elsewhere—to the West…" (239). Le Ly had married an American, who many see as the enemy, and most of her family members did not approve of this. Marrying an American was only a part of the problem. The difference in ages, with Ed being much older, and marrying so soon after the death of her father went against traditions. "You betray your ancestors" (347)! Even knowing all of this, moving to America is what needed to be done to protect her family and their futures. When Le Ly's father was alive, he had told her to take care of her son, whatever that entailed. "Raise him the best way you can. That is the battle you were born to fight" (201). Now, honoring her dead father, she remembered his words. The future was not bright for her in Vietnam. And with a growing boy to think of, she had to make the hard decision to leave everything and everybody she knows behind. With Ed as her husband, she knew she could give her son a better future where endless opportunities await him and he will not know the hardships of war. "…he would see to it that I would never have to work again; that my little boy, Jimmy, would be raised in a nice neighborhood and go to an American school; and that neither of us would have to face the dangers and travails of war again. …the

In 1975, The Khmer Rouge became the ruling political party of Cambodia after overthrowing the Lon Nol government. Following their leader Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge imposed an extreme form of social engineering on Cambodian society. They wanted to form an anti-modern, anti-Western ideal of a restructured “classless agrarian society'', a radical form of agrarian communism where the whole population had to work in collective farms or forced labor projects. The Khmer Rouge revolutionary army enforced this mostly with extreme violence. The book “First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers”, written by Luong Ung, is the author’s story of growing up during this time period. She was five years old when the Khmer Rouge came

In this poem, ‘The Man He Killed’, the poet Thomas Hardy explores a complex theme, which is war, using the simplest language. Throughout this essay I will be discussing the thoughts and opinions Hardy has on war.

This passage is adapted from Wayson Choy’s ‘The Jade Peony’ and portrays the fear of a young boy who has recently lost his mother. The reader is able to infer the situation from the passage despite it not being clearly mentioned. The reader infers that the passage is about a juvenile boy who sits beside his dying mother and is then taken care of by family friends, predominantly the Chins.

Eighteen year old, Vietnamese Phuong was terribly naive. This young girl was in a state of peace with Fowler, but what she really wanted was to be settled, married. She, much like Vietnam, was being fought for. And was constantly wavering between Fowler and Pyle. The Vietnamese “want[ed] enough rice” (94) that’s all, and all Phuong wanted was to be settled. That was why she left Fowler for Pyle, why Pyles’ death wasn’t so devastating for her, and why she was so happy to be able to be “the second Mrs. Fowler.”