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Jot down what you've learned about the perspectives of the following:

Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnam
South Vietnam
Ha
Mother
Brother Quang
Brother Vu
Brother Khoi

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Coming soon...

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Context:
The Vietnam War led to a decline in the working population, uncertainty in the economy and a rise in debt due to government spending being focused on the war and not society's infrastructures (ex. schools, food production, etc).

Connection to IOBA;
We see Ha's family experience inflation when they see the cost of food rise dramatically and they are hardly able to afford basic food staples such as potatoes and rice.

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- The impact of French Colonialization on Vietnamese culture
- French-Vietnamese post-colonial relations

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Relevant Poems: Papaya Tree, Two More Papayas, Promises

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- The influence of Chinese and Russian communism on North Vietnam
- Comparing the arrival of communism in Korea vs Vietnam

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Essay Topic: Explain how Ha’s experience illustrates the Hero's Journey
Hero’s Journey
1. Call to adventure:
Poem: Inside Out
Evidence: ‘The war is coming closer to home.’
2. Meeting a mentor:
Poem: Bridge to the sea
Evidence: “Unbelievable luck! This door bypasses navy checkpoint and leads straight to the port.”
3. Crossing threshold:
Poem: Sour backs
Evidence:
4. Trials+failures
Poem:
Evidence:
5. Growth new things
6. Death & Rebirth
Poem: Alabama
6. Revelation
Poem: Mrs. Washington’s response
Evidence: Ha’s understanding the perspective of the US side
7. Change
Poem: Hate it
Evidence: breaking point
8. Atonement
Poem: confession
Evidence:
9. Gets Gift
Poem: Shift

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Poem: Promises

Point:
The papaya represents Ha while the trunk represents her old life.

Evidence:
"cling to the trunk" (cling = to hold on tightly)

Explanation:
Ha and her family cling to their old life as a way to cope while the war changes everything around them.

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Essay Topic: Select a prominent theme from IOBA. Describe how the theme develops throughout the story
*Examples of Themes:

Culture and Tradition

War

Resilience

Family Relationships/Friendship

Language

Etc (your choice - must be pre-approved by teacher)

Resilience
Poems: Early Monsoon, Quiet Decision, Slowly, Floating
Evidence: “We pretend the monsoon has come early. In the distance bombs explode like thunder, slashes lighten the sky, gunfire falls like rain(48).”
“I chew each grain s-l-o-w-l-y(75).”
“We are told to sip water only when we must so our bodies can stop needing(73).”
Explanations: Ha pretends the monsoon came early to forget about the war and ration the foods for the left. Ha eats slowly and drink water only when she must so she can feel more full and stop needing bathroom
War
Poems: Inside Out, Current News, TV News, The President Resigns, In the Dark, Saigon Is Gone
Evidence: “At noon today the Communists crashed their tanks through the gates of president palace and planted on the roof a flag with one huge star(69).”
Explanation: Ha can hear and see the bombs, slashes and gunfire coming close to Saigon and Saigon is gone after Ha took the navy ship

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Essay Topic: How does symbolism enhance the reader's connection to the characters? Explain how symbols represent the characters and their experiences.
*Examples of Symbols:
Papaya Tree
Doll
Chick
Amethyst Ring
Papaya tree
Poems: Papaya Tree, Too More Papayas, Promises, Ssshhhhhhh, Wet and Crying
Evidence: “Black seeds spill like clusters of eyes wet and crying(60).” , “Cling to the trunk.”
Explanation:
Ha and her family=papaya fruits
Trunk=old life

Ha’s doll
Poem: Choice
Evidence: “I love her more for her scars(55).”
Explanation:
Doll=Ha
Ha love herself more for the things she went through during the war
Brother Khoi’s chick

Poem: Sssshhhhhhh, Brother Khoi’s Secret, Last Respects

Evidence: “No matter what Mother decides, we are not to leave. I must protect my chick and you your papayas(46).”
Explanation:
Brother Khoi’s chick=hope, stability, control
Amethyst ring
Poem: Amethyst Ring
Evidence what’s the point of new shirts and sandals if you lose the last tangible remnant of low?
Explanation:
Amethyst provides emotional and spiritual protection and mother’s amethyst ring symbolizes relationship with father because it’s father’s gift

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Want:
Brother Quang wants to stay and rebuild the country because he believes it’s all falling apart and needs to be fixed immediately.
Feel:
Brother Quang feels sad because his whole family is falling apart and leaving which also makes him feel lonely later.
Think:
“How can we scramble away like rats, without honor, without dignity, when everyone must help rebuild the country(44)?”
“One cannot justify war unless each side flaunts its own blind conviction(25).”

Pt 2. Translator, teacher, loyalty to Vietnam, has a bittersweet relationship with US

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Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnam

Communism

Modeled after Russia and China

Fought against French for Vietnam’s independence

Won the war

Team up with Laos and Cambodia

Ho Chi Minh  Trail

South Vietnam

Democracy, Capitalism

Allies with US

Western culture influence

Lose the war

Most refugees from South Vietnam

Ha

Ten years old

Wants normalcy, stability

Symbol: Papaya

Small, out of place, innocent, nothing in her control

Admires mother, emphasize with her

Narrator

Starting to accept

Resonate with Khoi’s grief

Mother

Wants safety for her family and her husband to return

Has to leave

From North Vietnam

Experienced hardship(living under communist rule)

Chooses US for educational opportunities

Hopes Dad to find her

Brother Vu

Admires Bruce Lee

Finds first papaya

Carries Ha on his shoulders and guide mother

Brother Khoi

Wants the old life back

Worries about the father can’t find them

Chick

Boat people

Most desperate

Who didn’t get on the navy ship

The US and their role in refugee assistance and resettlement

Operation frequent wind

Operation baby lift

Indochina migration refugee assistance 1975

Resettlement of Vietnamese, Laos and Cambodian refugees to US

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-tent city
-countries that South Vietnam refugees immigrated
-treatment

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Amethyst ring
Poem: Amethyst Ring
Evidence: what’s the point of new shirts and sandals if you lose the last tangible remnant of low?
Explanation: Amethyst provides emotional and spiritual protection and mother’s amethyst ring symbolizes relationship with father because it’s father’s gift
Resilience
Poem: slowly, floating
Evidence: “I chew each grain s-l-o-w-l-y(75).”
“We are told to sip water only when we must so our bodies can stop needing(73).”
Explanation: Ha eats slowly and drink water only when she must so she can feel more full and stop needing bathroom
Summary
Ha and her family spent almost 4 weeks at sea and arrived to Guam and waited for a sponsor to take them and finally their decided to go to Alabama in U.S.
1. Ha and Brother Khoi threw their dead chick and doll to the sea

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-agreements
-why welcome or not welcome the refugees

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How they think about the Vietnam War