The most interesting aspect of The Best We Could Do was the relationship between Bố and Má. The clashing of two very different worlds from completely separate classes in Vietnam was striking: one, the daughter of a government official who grew up in Euro-centric environment speaking French, and the other, a poor villager who lived with some of his extended family speaking Vietnamese. One who had initially had a positive outlook on life and her career, the other conditioned to fear grown men and to seek protection by grown women. It seemed almost by fate that their worlds collided. How else was Bố able to meet his future wife at a relatively lucrative spot despite his poverty-stricken and troubled past, and for them to grow old with one another and raise four children? And not only that, but to have obstacles that could have easily caused separation (miscarriages, domestic disputes, periods of separation and isolation when attempting to immigrate to America). That, to me, is what give...
This blog post, I wanted to really take the time to address some questions and some of my thoughts relating to The Best We Could Do. Firstly, and probably the most relevant in terms of the total scope of what we read Friday: was Bo's neglect of Thi and her siblings due to what he thought a father's role should be (as in a foil to the mother) as a result of what he saw as a child, or was it due to some deep-rooted pain as a result of the abuse he suffered as a child, as detailed in flashback form (pages 135-151)? Why did Ma have so many children (page 29)? Many children, especially in a place as poor and politically turbulent as Vietnam, would lead to economic downfall, and Ma came from a well educated background. Was it a result of Bo mainly? Also, why are two of the children (Quyen and Thao) obscured (page 29)? Are they deceased? These questions mainly relate to the family dynamic of the novel, as I believe that is the think that is most easily convoluted in my mind. Hop...