"Gates of Saigon" is an interesting story in Aimee Phan's We Should Never Meet because it deals with Operation Babylift and the impending loss of South Vietnam in the war through the context of Hoa working at an orphanage. Hoa's relationship with Steven, the American volunteer, is symbolic of the American presence in Vietnam. During one of their initial conversations, Hoa feels that he is intrusive--but out of genuine concern--when he begins asking her personal questions she doesn't want to answer (119). Hoa also notes how the American volunteers' ignorance about adjusting to Vietnam irritates her, along with their denial that they could be more in the way than helpful (117). This represents how the American presence in Vietnam and support to the South was rushed because they believed they could easily win the war with their resources. This was of course a false assumption, and they ended up being more in the way than helpful because they didn't have combat experience in the Vietnam Jungle terrain, and were also unfamiliar with Northern Vietnamese war tactics. This resulted in the South losing battles and countless soldiers' lives lost for both Americans and Southern Vietnamese.
American involvement in the war might have seemed intrusive, but it was allowed because the aid seemed out of genuine concern for the South. The Americans' help wasn't exactly selfless though, since they were concerned about South Vietnam losing the war, but only because it would spread Marxist Ideology. The part in this story when Steven is grieving over the dead child is also notable because it represents America's reluctance--or possibly stubborn denial--in letting the South fall to Northern Vietnam in a losing war. Steven clutches to the baby desperately and in denial because he wanted to "save" it so much. Hoa brings him back to reality and reminds him that the baby was sick to begin with. This represents how the Americans tried to intervene in an already losing war.
by Eric M.
I hadn't considered the dynamic between Hao and Steven to mirror that of the Vietnamese struggle and the U.S. presences during the war. I think the more obvious connection was that of Bridget's story, but this one was much more subtle, and to me, much more interesting. I thought your claim that the death of the child holds the same ground as the inability to acknowledge where the war is headed holds true. However, I don’t know that the belief that the U.S. was doing well by having a presence in Vietnam was only held by The U.S. itself. There are a handful of instances where Vietnamese themselves see the benefit of the American presence, for example, the belief that having a child from an American gave the young women a leg up.
ReplyDeleteBy Oscar A.
I think equating Steven with the American influence in Vietnam is interesting, especially when you consider Bridget as another perspective on American interference. While Steven thought there would be sufficient American resources, Bridget disagrees and grows unsatisfied with her initial donations to Vietnamese orphanages. While I agree that American interference was overall debilitating to the Vietnamese that they were trying to save, it does demonstrate how the American people involved in the orphanages were claiming responsibility for their involvement and committed to reducing the casualties as humanly possible.
ReplyDeleteBy Kevin D.