When I was reading the first paragraph of this story, I thought
that this guy was horrible. How could he do such things? But then again I felt
really sorry for him. I’m sure there are many men today who have experience the
Vietnam War that feel the way he felt. While the story progressed, I could
understand why he felt so guilty and ashamed of what he had done in the past.
In Daly Walkers, “I am the Grass”, he describes a man’s
tragic story in the Vietnam War. His experiences in the war included torturing
and harming innocent natives. All these terrible memories have been haunting
him for the past twenty years and does not feel like he could share these
memories with his wife and daughter. He decides to go to medical school and
become a doctor. He travels to Vietnam to do surgery on kids but really hopes
to repair the damage he has done in the past. While he’s there, he meets another
surgeon, Dinh, who has also served in the war and they both create a special
connection with each other. Dinh has lost both of his thumbs in the war and had
asked the surgeon to repair them but the operation failed.
On literary element that stands out in this story is
setting. Setting plays a major role in this story in order for the readers to
better understand. On the surgeon’s flight to Vietnam he describes the setting
in great detail. “I see a green patchwork of paddies and fields of grass, dirt
roads whose iron-red dust choked me, whose mud caked my jungle boots.” Every
aspect of Vietnam reminds him of the war. “I climb out of the van and stand,
looking at acres of elephant grass blasted by the tropical sun. I think of Long
Binh when it was an enormous military base, a sandbag city of tents, barbed
wire, and bunkers.” The setting described
in great detail triggers the surgeon’s memory of his horrible past. While out
to dinner with Dinh, he describes how Vietnam seems so serene now. “I gaze out
at Long Binh’s grass. It ripples in hot wind like folds of silk.” The use of
setting in this story attracts the reader to be more intrigued. If the story
had been told from a different place it would not have the same effect.
What is the real symbolism of the failure of Dinh’s thumb
repair surgery?
The setting shows that the character is truly still stuck in the Vietnam War though he has found ways to deal with it he can’t fully get away from it. I think he still punishes himself for his past actions in the war because he knows that some of them were wrong not matter what and he regrets them. Dinh's thumb surgery is saying that though you tried to do good to make up for damage, it doesn’t always work in you favor and will never fill that hole; you just need to forgive yourself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Lauren. I believe that the symbolism of Dihn's surgery is about forgiving yourself because not everything is in your control. As long as you know you did your absolute best effort, then you should be proud of what you tried rather than what you failed. I also believe that is what the author was trying to say throughout the story.
ReplyDeleteAmazing insight to the story in my opinion, Ashley. I hadn't noticed it, but I think you're spot on with the setting being described how he does in this story. Walker sees Vietnam as almost evil and definitely hostile toward him because of his memories and how they alter his perception of the land, but as the story progresses you point out how that perception changes somewhat. Instead of hostility he describes parts of it as beautiful, just like you say.
ReplyDeleteI think the failure of Dinh's thumb repair is HIGHLY symbolic. It turns into this huge, pivotal event in the story for Walker; Walker feels if he can repair Dinh (which is a seemingly impossible task JUST like his PTSD/trauma) then he can become a new man and move on with his life. It's symbolic, in the end, that no matter how much "better" Walker is (no matter how much he heals) the memories of his past and the memories of the war will ALWAYS be there and affecting him.
I think it showed that they were both one in the same. If the repair had worked, the story would not have had the same out come. By it not working, it's almost humbling and makes him take a few steps back to realize he is no better than them.
ReplyDeleteTo me the surgery symbolized the main character attempting to gain his humanity back. I believe that war makes humans into animals. There is nothing more animal than killing another human. The fact that the surgery failed symbolizes the fact that no matter how many years go by the effects of war will never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone else. Dinh's thumb surgery is saying that even though one tries to mend the problems in your life, it may not go according to plan and will never really redeem yourself. Rather than doing all these surgeries to amend his past mistakes, he should face the fact he did it and forgive himself.
ReplyDeleteI think that this surgery was his way of making things right. He had been haunted by the things he had done many years prior and placed such a huge importance on this surgery. The surgery was symbolic of his change. He had become a new person and grieved for those he had injured and killed at war. The failure of the surgery became a reminder that even though he tried to right his wrongs, the wrongs still happened. He just needed to be able to forgive himself and move on.
ReplyDelete