Notes for Module C (Nam Le)

Resource Description

NAM LE NOTES
 Nonlinear structure/flashback/self-reflexivity
o Oscillates between the past and the present; different memories give him new
perspectives to write from  finding authentic voice
o Fragmentation blends fiction and reality; hard to follow  as he questions his own
memory of certain events his own confusion is projected onto us

 Stylistic features
o Use of Vietnamese/cultural proverbs  adds authenticity
o Syntactical variation  establish memory, imagination, places, imagery
o Dialogue  running concurrently = disengagement
o Objective correlative setting  metonym for something Le is experiencing

 Themes
o Memory  tendency to suppress confronting experiences, requires continual
negotiation of reality and imagination (motif of dreams + concealment)
o Regret and guilt  father/son relationship
o Authenticity and truth  personal voice

and quotes…