Reflection of Paradise of the Blind

           I thought that the book Paradise of the Blind was interesting, not only because of actual topic of the novel, but because of the way the author was able to convey the characters feelings without actually writing them word for word. It told the story of a girl, Hang, and her relationship with everyone around her and how it is affected by the Vietnamese revolution, or the "Paradise of the Blind". Through the activites we did in class, like the presentations on Vietnamese history and the journal entries we had to write on a character of our choice, I was able to better understand the dynamics between everyone in the story. To such an extent that I could point them out on the street if I were to see them.
           The journal writing activity is the one that affected me the most, because I really made a connection with the character I had chosen, the Bohemian. The Bohemian was a man who helped Hang when she went to visit her uncle Chinh ,and helped her realize that her uncle only called her to use her. The Bohemian was in no ways a major character in the story, but he was the only one who showed any sort of affection to Hang that wasn't familial or completely friendly, he was attracted to her. Using the very small details that we are given about his personality and life, I created a man who was deeply depressed and disgusted with everything around him, and who finally finds himself in his love for Hang. The emotions that I put into his mouth reflected the sort of things I also feel on a daily basis, so it was as though I was putting a piece of myself into my character. Even now, I can feel an emotional bond with him,  and Hang that was not there before the activity.
             Listening to everyone's presentations about Vietnamese history gave a good backdrop to the story. Before, when I had just finished reading the book, I knew quite a bit about certain points like the Communist Manifesto and the Cultural Revolution, but seeing them all together and tied together with the novel through the presentations was a totally new experience. I was able to understand to what extent communism was distorted in Vietnam, turning it into something that was against the people instead of for.
              The language with which Duong Thu Huong writes her novel, "Paradise of the Blind" is one that describes everything without using words. The sentences that she forms are in no ways complex or wordy, and yet they convey the atmosphere of Vietnam during that period perfectly, hard and yet soft. Hard in that they people have seen so much hardship in such a short amount of time, they have become calloused. They are no longer as warm and welcome as they used to be because they have seen the pain of a misunderstood system and do not want to make a false move, save they may be punished. Yet, they are still soft in that their environment is still the same, they are still on the lush, green and colorful land of Vietnam. No matter how much pain is inflicted, there are still the strong bonds that hold a family together, there is still a search for love, and life continues.
              If ,"Paradise of the Blind", had not been a part of our curriculum I doubt I would have read it, or even heard about it, which is why this whole experience has been so valuable to me. Most of the time I feel as though many of the things I learn in school I could easily learn myself, but not this time. Even if I had read it on my own, I would not have been able to write journal articles or listen to my classmates presentations about the book, which really helped me better appreciate it.