The Vietnam War begins to come to a conclusion for Le Ly as she is married to an American soldier and leaves Vietnam to start a new life in America. As she leaves behind her past, she states:
"...I feel an immense mountain of peace rising inside me. But to rise above the surface of my life, that mountain of peace must break ground." (318)
Throughout the story, Le Ly uses flashbacks to recount her past as she journeys back to Vietnam to start her future. From the wisdom of age and experience, Le Ly discovers the power of forgiveness and peace in a time of war. As she forgives her past boyfriends who both physically and emotionally abused her, she is able to find peace with her new husband, Ed. Taking the lessons each relationship taught her, she is able to move on to an unknown future. Yet, she finds that her peace must be broken as she must face the pain of parting with her family so she can find peace in a new family. Similarly, on her return trip to Vietnam, Le Ly is preparing to part once more with her family as her time with them is running out. Once more, she is faced with the pain of parting in order to start a new life.
Finding peace is a daily struggle. Finding peace takes chances and risks as Le Ly risked everything she knew for a new life. Lee Ann Womack's song "I Hope You Dance" describes perfectly the journey to peace and the challenges one must overcome. Written from a mothers perspective, I feel that this song describes Le Ly's hopes for her sons. She left her past behind so that her family might live. For her sons, she hoped they could have the opportunities or "dance" that she did not have. Similarly, Lee Ann Womack's song states:
"I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making"
As Le Ly feels a mountain of peace, she realizes she can no longer settle for the easy path. She takes chances so that she might find peace.
To listen to the song, "I Hope You Dance", please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV-Z1YwaOiw&feature=player_detailpage
I liked that you referenced the song I Hope You Dance for the hopes and dreams Le Ly placed on her sons. I think that Le Ly's father felt the exact same way about all of his children, but especially Le Ly.
ReplyDeleteI also think this song related perfectly to this part of the book!
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