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The Colonies By Viet Thanh Nguyen

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Sanctuary is defined as a place of refugee or safety (“Sanctuary”). This broad definition can be interpreted in many different ways, and it can mean many different things to many different people. To many, a sanctuary is a place of calm, a place of peace, and a place of no judgement. Many people find that sanctuaries are places close to them, such as a cabin, special spot in the park they relax in, or a vacation spot. Many are open to themselves, and different from their normal day to day environment. These people find the particular spots a refugee from their daily tasks, or a getaway from their normal work environment.
In the short story “The Americans” Viet Thanh Nguyen describes a family who takes a trip to Vietnam, in order to visit their daughter. Claire, the daughter, is there teaching Vietnamese students and she wants to stay in Vietnam. She has a sense of sanctuary in Vietnam. It is a place she feels safe in, a place she likes being, and it is a place she is able to escape the the feeling of not belonging. In the story, Mr. Carver finds himself visiting his daughter in Vietnam. He and his wife are visiting to see how his daughter is doing and when she is planning on coming home. Both Mr. and Mrs. Carver find out that Claire will not be coming home, as she finds Vietnam feels like home to her. Claire explains that she never felt like she had a place to be growing up, and Vietnam feels like a home to her. Claire feels that Vietnam is her sanctuary. She feels like
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