In-Class Timed Essays

Prompt: Why is Chapter 20 titled "Fullcircle-Halflives?"

Andrew Pham uses the title "Fullcircle-Halflives" as a juxtaposition, explaining part of his journey in Vietnam. Arriving at his father's prison, a place that he described earlier in the book, symbolizes Pham's complete journey. The use of the word "half-lives" shows Pham's views of the people he encounters on the way to the prison. This juxtaposition is an interesting choice by Pham because it not only sheds light on the people he meets during this part of his trip, it also gives insight to Pham's feelings about Vietnam and its citizens during his entire journey.

Pham’s use of the word “Fullcircle” in the title of Chapter 20 represents coming full circle physically and emotionally. Pham begins the chapter in search of Minh Luong prison, “where [he] had watches [his] father working the minefield” as a child in Vietnam (143). Pham is deeply affected as a child, watching his father in the fields. He writes, “I felt that if I kept my eyes on him, stayed vigilant enough, bad things wouldn’t happen” (11). This response appears to be the typical response of a child, but to Pham, it is a vivid memory that shows one of the ways the Vietnam War affected him personally. Coming back to Minh Luong prison years later, Pham seeks to find himself in a sense. Since he has memories of the prison, he will not feel “more lost than [he] has ever been in [his life],” which he senses during another part of his journey (108).

The second half of the title of this chapter is interestingly enough “Halflives,” a juxtaposition to “Fullcircle.” Pham uses the word “halflives” to describe his feelings about the people he meets. He believes they are not living life to its fullest extent because they simply “don’t know anything better exists beyond their borders” (155). Pham says he pities “the Vietnamese who believe with all their hearts that Vietnam…is the most gorgeous place on Earth” (155). Pham knows there is more out there since he has lived in America, the land of opportunity. The Vietnamese people must plan anything they can in order to make money; in Andrew’s eyes, they are not living life the way they should be. It’s almost as if Pham wants them to focus on more than “their single-minded pursuit[s] of earning a living” (159). When he is in the waterfront district, for instance, he says he “grow[s] bored” of the women and men’s single desire to make money. In a sense, Pham believes living life this way is boring; this “halflife” that the people live is wholly uninteresting to Pham. He wants them to experience life in its entirety, not just for the single pursuit of money.

When Pham witnesses the men trying to sell medicine to people on the bus, he feels a “bottomless rage that burns in [his] deepest pit,” wanting to fight the soliciting men (148). He is partly angry because they are harassing him for refusing their offer, but he is partly angry because he sees this “intimidation program” used to make money (147). He doesn’t agree with the way these people are living their lives.

Pham makes several references to hope in this chapter: the hope for a better life. He thinks Vietnam is “a land of abject poverty, the smiles of its people its only hope” (152). He believes there is little hope for the people of Vietnam to lead happy and full lives. He writes that Saigon “hoped for a better tomorrow,” meaning that today is not nearly close to the best day it can be (109). This relates back to the idea of a “halflife,” a life that is not lived fully in the present. Pham also describes the driver Truong that takes him to the Minh Luong village as “bitter, but hopeful that things will change” (160). In Pham’s opinion, because of what the war has done to the people, they cannot live full and happy lives, either because they must suffer or constantly try to make money. Pham does not know this life from experience, but he does not agree with it either.

Pham’s juxtaposition of “fullcircle” and “halflives” serves as a comparison between Pham and the people in Vietnam. Pham believes he is coming full circle on his own journey, but the Vietnamese people are only half way on their life journeys, hoping for a better future.

My Thoughts: I believe I incorporate evidence well in this timed assignment. Since this is near the beginning of the quarter, my writing skills are not as strong as they can be. For instance, I use repetition a lot instead of adding a unique perspective to my thesis. However, I do illustrate the juxtaposition in the topic. I am clear about my points. Since we were only given 50 minutes to work on this, I think I did a pretty good job of synthesizing my ideas for only my second in-class assignment.