Towards the end of the story, Emancipation, Mai realizes that reading her letter from college isn't as important as her friendship towards Kim. She reminisces about her past comparing herself towards Kim's tough life. Because Kim never had a home, she struggled with her identity and finding her home. Kim has lived through bouncing from one home to the next, through physical abuse, sexual abuse, betrayal, and through the unsupportive friends. Mai is one of her friends that both grew up together through tough paths through the effect of the baby lift operation. Kim living through all this situations has taught her to be tough, rough, and to live on her own. She is an independent woman, but because of the way she lived her childhood, she never had a huge accomplishment in her life. Kim didn't graduate from high school, she never had the desire to try hard and become successful.
On the other hand, Mai, had a foster family after being in the "system" for a few years. Mai had the support from her foster parents to be able to succeed in college. Mai was never abused, nor she demonstrated the struggle of having to be dependable. Mai had a life where she only had to worry about school. This also could have been the effect of her knowing her mother and knowing that her mother wanted nothing but the best for her. Mai is successful because her foster parents knowledge of her presence. Mai lived the "American Dream" that Vinh and Kim were against from the beginning. Because Vinh and Kim did not believe in living the dream, she always struggled through seeking approval from her own roots. She was split in the middle between being successful or feeling like where she belong.
Both girls struggled through finding a place for themselves. Being in two different situations demonstrates that all girls can survive through anything, as long as they are strong. Even though they both had different situations, both have accomplished more in life than leading through a bad path. They both struggle through identity and home and don't find themselves.
By Cory P.
I agree the story of each girl represents the will and strength needed to adapt in a new environment. Much like their families who needed the same strength, each girl embodied a lifestyle which they thought created the best path for survival. While both Mai and Kim had different experiences with the foster system, each one was left with the same lack of identity and desire to belong. I think this shows that there are/were so many more factors to thriving, especially after such traumatic removals.
ReplyDeleteBy Oscar A.