By Caitlin M.
In Stealing Buddha’s Dinner, the narrator and author, Bich Minh Nguyen uses many coping mechanisms to overcome the fact that she is an outcast in American culture, Vietnamese culture, and most importantly, in her own family. One of the essential ways Bich copes with being an outsider is through American literature. The books she reads allow her to feel at ease with herself and with the three communities to which she does not belong. Bich states that “[she] read[s] to be alone. [She] read[s] so as not to be alone” (152). Bich’s act of reading is not one to extend her knowledge or learn something new; it is a way she perpetuates her self-inflicted isolation. She reads to be alone because she cannot handle the harsh realities around her but she realizes she needs a sense of community to survive, so she reads so as not to be alone. The sense of community she inherits is found in the way she refers to the characters in her books is as her “fictional friends” (152). She finds characteristics in these fictional American girls so she can insert herself into their made-up lives, which makes hers a little more bearable. For instance, all of her “fictional friends liked to eat,” just as she likes to eat (153). The fact that Bich has to project her love of food onto fictional characters signifies the troublesome relationship and obsession she has with food. Bich’s coping mechanism, reading in solitude, further perpetuates her social awkwardness and in a sense, does not allow her to grow and make lasting relationships with real people.
Your observations are spot on. This girl is a walking bundle of neuroses from the way she interacts with her friends, to her treatment of television adverts, and her obsessive consumption of American foods that leads her to rejecting the ones she loves. At least with literature she acknowledges the conflict the Laura Inngalls books presented in the prairie life setting. Mainly, that Bich would have been as much of an outsider there as she was in reality. True, she followed it up by saying she had a great propensity to ignore the unpleasant conflict Ma Ingalls aroused, but the sheer fact she even examined it in the memoir proves it didn't escape her notice. Which gave birth to my hope that eventually this book would see her coming to terms with her identity crisis but alas, no.
ReplyDelete^forgot to put my name Rebecca B.
ReplyDeleteI think this observation is well founded and well analyzed, but I wonder whether Bich's obsession with her "fictional friends" is a manifestation of her desire to escape her alienation or her desire to conquer her alienation by assimilating. When reading about Bich's favorite books, including those of Laura Ingalls Wilder, I was struck with the realization that Bich is reading books that exemplify traditional American values and expectations. I'm not sure that I agree with the statement that Bich is not reading to learn anything; rather, I think she might be reading to learn more about Americanization. However, this concept is complicated by Bich's dislike of Ma and Mary in Wilder's books. To Bich, they are too domestic and too proper, which indicates Bich's dislike of traditional American expectations of women. Although, I believe the explanation is fairly simple; Bich expresses both her desire and her reluctance to assimilate in her reading. She wants to fit in to American culture, but she is reluctant to become like Ma and Mary. By Ryan B.
DeleteI agree. Bich enjoys being alone to avoid criticism and unnecessary stares from others around her, but also because she is able to be in a type of fantasy world through literature. Like many people who love to read, Bich finds peace of mind when she is able to conjure a different reality in her mind. She imagines what her life would be like if she were characters in her books. She wishes to be more American and decides what being American means by reading about different American characters. Her social awkwardness probably does come from always being alone, and I believe that she only begins to grow when she witnesses her sister moving on with her life by making new friends. She appreciates the role models that she has in her life, which is what helps her to progress by going off to college, and even visiting her mother by herself.
ReplyDelete-Michele Garrett
This is true. Bich finds refugee in her stories. Particularly in the character of Laura Ingwalls. She relates herself to the love of food that both she and Laura take to heart. Their moments of weakness, the fact that they both know what it's like to not have something. It isn't until Bich comes to the understanding of Laura's role in the book, she realizes that she can never be her. She will never look like her, and they share completely different beliefs. However, it is a peace of mind that she gets while reading. The ability to go to a new world and meet new people who do not judge her. That is why she reads. She does not have to worry about fitting in, but through these stories she learns a little about herself, which starts to shape her acceptance in who she is. BY: Stephanie B.
ReplyDeleteI thought that was really interesting that she identified with the fictional characters through food, as well. The whole book is themed around food and what food represents, but relating food to fictional characters took it to a whole new level. It’s interesting that you point out that her projection to food symbolizes her social awkwardness because it makes complete sense. It is even funny connects with them so well when she admits that she actually does not connect with them because they are from a different culture. It seems like a contradiction but it makes sense at the same time because one does not have to have everything in common in order to relate. I guess the fictional characters served as a way Bich understood herself and what she wanted to change.
ReplyDeleteBy Angel Delgado