Paradise of the blind

1Rishi Rishi Mr. Charles English Literature A1 (SL) 14 March 2012 Reflective statementth How was tour understanding of the cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the interactive oral? ‘Paradise of the Blind’ is a novel my vietnamese author ‘Duong Thu Huong’. It is a very controversial novel as it highlight sensitive social issues about Vietnam. It is the first novel that gives us a vivid image of the sociological change that was taking place in Vietnam in that time period. The interactive oral was really helpful to me as it allowed me to understand the motifs, issues and culture better. The most important issue according to me is the society shown in the novel. It is both beautiful and cruel. It is strikingly sexist. It is favorable to the men, and unfair to the women, who are considered to be lesser beings. This is seen through the relationship between Que and Chinh. Que sacrifices her daughter’s happiness to fulfill the needs and wants of Chinh and his family. She does this as Chinh is the man of the family-the heir, and so she believes she is lower to him, and is selfless. Chinh on the other hand is selfish, does not seem to care about his sister, he ruins her marriage, and is consequently 2Rishi responsible for all the grief in Que’s life. Hence, women were exploited. Another interesting aspect of the novel is that it is filled with references to food. According to my understanding, food serves as a method to express human emotions in the novel. Happiness is shown through large feasts, and sadness is represented by simple food. The interactive oral also allowed me to understand the characters better. Especially Que, who selflessly chooses her selfish brother over her helpless daughter. This is selfish as she chooses tradition over her daughter. I understood the importance of tradition and culture in the novel. This importance is what leads to many significant events in the novel. Lastly, the interactive oral gave me an insight into the beautiful aspects of vietnamese culture. Such as the colorful feasts and festivals. Moreover, I can see how the culture acts as a binding force to bring everybody together and share their smiles and tears. Thus, the interactive oral is very helpful is understanding the complex culture and traditions of Vietnam. And this just makes the experience a lot better for the readers.