TASK: The goal of Essay 2 is to interpret Ocean Vuong’s poetic narrative using a critical theory of your choice (caveat: see limits below). Write a 5+ page essay in which you make an argument for your interpretation of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous using one of the following prompts: (choose one only)
Choose one of the following topics:
1. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous describes the trauma three people carry coming out of war and
generations of foreign occupation. How do Grandma Lan and Ma show they’ve embodied the violence of war and occupation? How is Little Dog an “echo” of Ma’s trauma? Use 4-5 core concepts from postcolonial critical theory to frame and explain the traumatic experiences of these three characterswho might also be called psychological refugees in their new country. Find 4-6 passages in the novel where the writer relates to war and foreign occupation with later psychological trauma. Use one direct quote per body paragraph, analyzing these passages closely to explain their significance. (You may use paraphrased and direct quotes within the same body paragraph.)
2. Ocean Vuong’s novel covers several topics, including examining masculinity and gay
identity. In what ways does patriarchal structure (i.e., traditional gender roles and their rules) make it
difficult for Little Dog and Trevor to develop their intimate relationship? How do myths about
homosexuality create an environment that threatens and inhibits a secure development of
identity? Use 4-5 core concepts from feminist and lesbian/gay/queer criticisms to frame your
analysis. Find 4-6 passages in the novel where the writer observes the effects of gender rules, myths, or homophobia. Use one direct quote per body paragraph, analyzing these passages closely to explain their significance and how it helps you “prove” your thesis.
3. How does the author present his writing? First, what is the purpose of his writing? How does it
relate to preserving Vietnamese refugee lives or the memories of their experiences? Why might
documentation be necessary for people who are less visiblefor instance, refugees, former colonial
subjects living in the diaspora, or the LGBTQ+ population? Second, what are the challenges in
documenting their lives, challenges such as the limits of language? Use 3-4 core concepts from
deconstructive criticism to explain the limits of language (hence, documentation). Choose 4-6
quotes/passages from the novel that will help you develop your argument (thesis). Focus on one
quote per body paragraph, analyzing the text closely to explain its more profound meaning and how it helps you “prove” your thesis.
4. OEWBG illustrates first, how the struggle for the end of colonial rule, the initiation of Vietnamese self-governance, and the re-distribution of economic resources led to a (not?) surprising civilian reaction to the change; and second, how socioeconomic class in American capitalist society fuels the dreams
and behavior of Little Dog and his immigrant family. Use 4-5 core concepts from Marxist critical
theory to explain the formation of Vietnamese immigrant presence and identity in the U.S. Choose
4-6 quotes/passages from the novel that will help you develop your argument (thesis). Focus on one
quote per body paragraph, analyzing the text closely to explain its more profound meaning and how it helps you “prove” your thesis.
REQUIREMENTS:
?? Your essay should be 5 full pages and use MLA formatting and citation style (in-text citations within the body of your essay). Include a works cited page as the last page.
?? Your essay should have a strong, clear thesis that offers your unique interpretation of your chosen quotes in direct answer to ONE of the above topics (and its questions). Your thesis must guide your entire essay; in other words, all your paragraphs directly relate to (support) that thesis.
?? Your introduction paragraph should orient readers to the novel and your thesis by providing relevant background information. Consider strategies for “hooking” the reader.
?? Explain/support/develop your thesis with well-chosen textual evidence and provide plenty of in-depth analysis using deconstructive, postcolonial, feminist/lesbian/gay/queer, or Marxist critical concepts to frame your interpretations. When paraphrasing literal meaning, you should always follow up with interpretive analysis. The passages you choose should come from relevant sections of the book. (Option #1 involves mainly Parts I and II in the novel; option #2 involves mainly Part II; Parts I, II, and/or III work with options #3 and #4.)
?? Use coherent (PIE/TEA) body paragraphs with strong topic/point sentences, effective quote integration, and a clear focus on one main idea per paragraph that supports your thesis.
?? The sequencing of your body paragraphs should match the logical arc of your thesis statement.
?? Your conclusion should wrap up your essay by tying the critical points of your argument together and doing a “reverse hook.”
?? Allow time to revise, edit, and proofread for clarity and typos. Ensure your essay is in MLA format (or a citation format from your major).
OUTLINE FORMAT
To begin to be more detailed in your essay planning, your next step is to create a skeletal outline.
Thesis:
What topics will you write about in each of the body paragraphs? Remember that these topics should all clearly (logically) relate to your thesis.
Topic: ________________________________________________ (in a few words)
Eventually, you can write a complete Point/topic sentence for the body paragraph 1- but you may not be ready for that. Point sentences should be claims, not facts (mini-thesis statements)
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I: what information will you use here? _____________________________________ what quote,
example, etc?
Topic: ________________________________________________
Point/topic sentence for body paragraph 2
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I: what information will you use here? ________________________________________
Topic________________________________________________
Point/topic sentence for body paragraph 3
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I: what information will you use here? ________________________________________
Topic________________________________________________
Point/topic sentence for body paragraph 4
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I: what information will you use here? ________________________________________
1. Aside from his mother (or “Ma”), the author also grew up living with his grandmother, Lan. When we are first introduced to Grandma Lan in chapter 2, we learn that she has schizophrenia, which has worsened since the war (16). Vuong explains, “They say that trauma affects not only the brain, but the body too, its musculature, joints, and posture” (19). Can we infer then that Grandma Lan, Ma, and Little Dog (the author) have carried with their trauma from the past war and their homeland? Name one way Grandma Lan or Ma express their trauma in their new country.
Yes, it is implied that Grandma Lan, Ma, and Little Dog were traumatized by the recent war and their native country. Ma’s dread of authority figures is one way she expresses her trauma to this day, as she refuses to report her son’s assault to the authorities (23).
2. Little Dog says that his mother possesses fewer words than the coins she saved from her nail salon (29). When she was a young child, Ma “watched, from a banana grove, [her] schoolhouse collapse after an American napalm raid. At [age] five, [she] never stepped into a classroom again” (31). We can see how Ma’s limited language proficiency (both in Vietnamese and later in English) plays out in their American lives: She could not help Little Dog when he was bullied, she could not tell the butcher she wanted to buy oxtail for winter, she could not ask her boss for shorter hours at the clock factory when she broke from exhaustion. Explain how Ma’s loss of opportunity for education in Vietnamese may have affected her acquisition of English and how that, in turn, put pressure on Little Dog to be the communicator for the family in the U.S.
Ma’s lack of access to Vietnamese education potentially negatively impacted her ability to learn English since she needed a solid foundation in her mother tongue. In addition, because he had to translate for his mother and assist her in adjusting to the new culture and language, Little Dog was under pressure to serve as the family’s primary communicator while living in the United States.
3. Though there was a rhythmic re-telling of child abuse in chapter 1, Little Dog later recounts moments when his mother comforted him (like on the plane ride to California) and fortified him (when she forced him to drink milk every morning so he could grow bigger/become less vulnerable at school). What is your evaluation of Ma?
Ma is a complicated character since she supports and calms Little Dog while also having trouble communicating and standing up for herself and her son. She is a byproduct of her past, and the pain she has gone through is manifested in her behavior.
4. In chapter 3, the author interweaves two stories: that of Lan, at age twenty-eight, and the legend of five men gathered in the back of a garage preparing for a special meal. Do you find any parallels or correspondences between these stories? In your answer, focus on specific passages, such as the one running from the bottom half of page 38 to the top of page 39. Correspondences do not have to be logical or apparent equivalents. Instead, you might find parallels in tone, feeling, or mood.
The tone and mood of the two stories are similar, and there are parallels between Lan’s account and the legend of the five men preparing a special supper. Both tales have the theme of sacrifice and the loss of something valuable, and a sense of foreboding and unease characterizes both. In particular, the chapter on pages 38-39 highlights the visceral aspect of both narratives, as evidenced by Lan’s physical suffering and hunger and the men’s violent behavior and eating of the macaque’s memories.
5. Vuong notes, “Macaques are capable of self-doubt and introspection, traits once thought attributable only to humans…They can recall past images and apply them to current problem-solving. In other words, macaques employ memory to survive” (42-43). Yet, this chapter takes us back to Grandma Lan’s earlier life, when she was a young mother trying to protect her baby, Rose, during a war where soldiers killed civilians; the men have a tradition of eating the macaques’ brains until “nothing’s left…all of its memories dissolve into the men’s bloodstreams” (43). There is an association between Rose, the baby in the Year of the Monkey, and the macaqueor its memories eaten by the men. What happens when only one side of a war is told, when stories of powerless people caught in the crossfire like Rose (“Ma”) are obliterated?
The experiences of helpless people caught in the crossfire are frequently lost when only one side of a conflict is discussed. Rose’s experiences as a civilian are not given the respect they merit since the greater narrative of the war and its political ramifications obscure her tale. The assumption that some lives and experiences are less valued or deserving of regard is perpetuated through this erasure.
6. In chapter 4, we learn that Tiger Woods is a direct product of the Vietnam War and that Paul, a Virginia farm boy, was once married to Little Dog’s Grandma Lan and is now Little Dog’s grandpa. Were you surprised by the various connections between the U.S. and Vietnam, connections that persist? How do personal stories help us learn about the history of the countries?
Given the two nations’ shared history, it is not unexpected that the U.S. and Vietnam have relations. The personal accounts give us a more intimate and human perspective on the historical events that have shaped the countries, which aids in our understanding of their histories. In addition, we learn more about the intricate social and political factors at work by looking into the lives of those affected by migration and war.
THE REAL QUESTION TO SOLVE:
1. Review the overall question(s) listed in your Essay 2 prompt Download the Essay 2 prompt. You will directly answer your overall question(s) with your thesis.
2. Gather your prior homework from Modules 5, 6, and 7 (study questions, OEWBG presentation, essay outline, etc.) and review them. (Make sure you click on the “modules” button on left-hand side to get an accurate overview of all the homework feeding into this essay.)
3. Put together your rough draft by drawing on your prior assignments (<- responses is where you find material for your body paragraphs). If you do not draw from your homework, something is very wrong.
4. Here, you are submitting a rough draft for peer review. Your rough draft should be at least 3 FULL pages–enough so that you can get substantive feedback.