By Brianna C.
This picture represents Bich's American dreams during her early childhood. Her vivid, idealized descriptions of American food are the very substance of her dreams, as her visions are constructed of airy cotton candy and dreamy whipped cream. Her thought clouds lead up toward a ladder-like chair which climbs up toward a seemingly endless tower of ice-cream. This ladder symbolizes the hierarchy of social status, within which Bich believes she must elevate herself in order to attain the spoils of her American dreams. From this chair's side of the table, the platform seems to be floating and quite difficult to reach because it hosts the metropolis of American-brand treats that Bich craves. Although she knows it is difficult to attain these things, Bich demonstrates that this is the reason for which she desires them, and thus the reason that the sun shines happily on this candy-filled paradise. On the other side of the table, and the opposite end of Bich's desires, lies the Vietnamese-cuisine city, which is cast into the moonlit night because it represents the opposite of Bich's daydreams. In this realm, the fish and squid dishes jump into the tea and rice dishes to hide their fishy smells from the lovely sweets on the other end of the table. Within the chaos, a rice bowl is flying over this little group, soon to crash over and upset the Vietnamese foods. This represents Bich's awareness of her Vietnamese heritage retreating and collapsing over itself in her own mind as she compares it continuously with American culture. However, the table at this end appears much more accessible due to the closeness of the rice-bowl chair, representing how Bich's place at home is always prepared and ready for her, rice and all.
Brianna, I love your take on the juxtaposition between Bich's two different cultures. I think the use of lightness vs darkness is perfect for this situation. It seems that the American food even illuminates her life, while the Vietnamese or Mexican food darkens it. I also really connected with the idea of the food hierarchy. Even when Bich did receive the off brand American food, she was unsatisfied with it because it wasn't high enough on the food hierarchy. This illustration truly captures the pull between the two cultures.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a well thought out piece of art. I really liked how your depiction and description of your art mirrored the same tone of chaos as the memoir. I think addressing the fact that Bich starts to become aware of why she feels chaos is important to understanding the memoir as a whole and how food functions as symbol of the clashing cultures.
ReplyDeleteBy Jenna C.
Brianna, I like the thought you put into the rice bowl on the other end of the table representing the side of her Vietnamese roots. Along with her rice always being ready for her, her roots will always be a part of her. I really like the chair ladder, it was really creative representing her constant climb in the American culture.
ReplyDeleteBy Stephanie K.
Brianna, I love this piece of art, and how it accurately depicts the novel and Bich's constant thoughts. The American food is absolutely full of sunshine, and the Vietnamese food full of darkness, at least in her eyes. I agree with you when you say that Bich wants the American food most because she cannot attain it. It's available to her, but it is just out of her reach. The ladder is a great representation of her constant desire to want those foods, and how she has to continually climb into the culture.
ReplyDeleteBy Ashley P.