Nguyen's next fiction book, The Refugees, is a collection of perfectly formed stories written over a period of twenty years, exploring questions of immigration, identity, love, and family. The Refugees - The Other Man Summary & Analysis Viet Thanh Nguyen This Study Guide consists of approximately 79 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Refugees. Even though he loves his family, Liem feels removed from their world and doesn't recognize himself in the mirror. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Following the fall of Saigon, Liem had escaped by clawing his way onto a refugee boat which had then come to the United States. Phuong Ly, her parents and two brothers live together in the city. Ghosts, the narrator knows, don't always seek revenge for wrongs done to them in their lives. I read a lot about immigration. In the moment, the narrator's parents refuse to pay, but Mrs. Hoa's appearance sparks fierce debate in their household over whether or not they should give—and if so, how much. However, a few days later Sam visits them regarding the damage. Fearing that the narrator would be raped, her brother bound her breasts and gave her his shirt so that she would look like a boy. How would you describe Liem from The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen? For review copies or bookstore events, contact [email protected] for The Sympathizer or The Refugees and Margaux Leonard of Harvard University Press for Nothing Ever Dies. Liem, a Vietnamese refugee, is placed into the San Francisco home of Parrish Coyne by a refugee service. For review copies or bookstore events, contact [email protected] for The Sympathizer or The Refugees and Margaux Leonard of Harvard University Press for Nothing Ever Dies eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. In this story, Nguyen introduces a different kind of refugee—a refugee within one’s own country. The Refugees Summary. When Thomas asks who the father of her child is she declines to answer and also tells him never to come back. Her husband keeps the journal as a memory aid and she is hoping that he will believe he penned this instruction in himself. Claire believes that her soul is Vietnamese and this creates a great deal of conflict with her father. By coincidence, Victor also believes in ghosts, and this becomes a subject upon which they can compare notes. Mr. Ly was forced to leave his home and he lost everything as a result. Nguyen is … When he is working in the store one day, one of their neighbors, Mrs Hoa, calls, and demands that the family make a contribution to a fund for fighting communism in Vietnam. After the fall of Saigon, in 1975, his family fled to the United States. Nguyen was born in Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam in 1971, the son of refugees from North Vietnam who moved south in 1954. He hates working there and saves all his money for comic books and candy. He spends most of his time studying. The Refugees (2017) by Viet Thanh Nguyen is a collection of eight short stories that follow many Vietnamese refugees, most of them having fled from the Communist regime during the Vietnam war. Saigon, twenty-first century. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. In "The Transplant," Arthur attempts to contact the family of the man whose liver he received in a transplant. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Not affiliated with Harvard College. His father's car is stolen and so Thomas offers to drive him around town, but one day has to drive his dad to visit with his mistress, Mimi, who has become his girlfriend now that his wife has died. Barbour, Polly. The Refugees, Viet Thanh Nguyen’s story collection following his Pulitzer-winning novel The Sympathizer, reminds us that “literature is news that stays news”, as Ezra Pound put it. In the first short story, the narrator—a ghostwriter specializing in so-called "memoirs" for survivors of tragedies such as airplane crashes and kidnappings—sees the ghost of her long-dead brother. She tells them about a trip she took to Vietnam in the summer; she encourages them to travel but Thomas' father tells her this kind of traveling would be bad for him. The Refugees Summary. Louis reluctantly takes Arthur's calls and eventually admits that the liver he has came from his father. When he calls her by the wrong name, she fears that he is disappearing. Written by Polly Barbour. The night before Vivien is due to leave Vietnam she gives the family gifts that she has purchased for them. I am a refugee, an American, and a human being, which is important to proclaim, as there are many who think these identities cannot be reconciled. “It is not your memories which haunt you. The Refugees - The Americans Summary & Analysis Viet Thanh Nguyen This Study Guide consists of approximately 79 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Refugees. 978-0-8021-2639-9 (hardcover) Dewey Decimal. Nguyen's depictions of communist soldiers and policies are overwhelmingly negative, and, though he rarely delves into the polit… After an annoyed Mrs Hoa has left, the boy's father observes that if they are seen as pro-communist within the community their business may suffer. In "Black-Eyed Women," a ghostwriter sees her deceased brother's ghost. When she tells her mother about the experience, her mother purchases new clothes for her son and asks her daughter to give them to him the next time that he visits her. Viet Thanh Nguyen serves as editor for a short but impactful collection of essays about refugees and the refugee experience. . Viet Thanh Nguyen's short story collection The Refugees is very strong, smart, and affecting, centered on the Vietnamese experience but shifting between characters and perspectives to interact with the nation's history, people, and culture in fresh and surprising ways: a Vietnamese man reeling from his divorce and attempting to close a gap with his distant, disapproving father; a former American military man visiting … Victor has a terrible case of survivor's remorse. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating Usually the identity of organ donors is kept secret, but the hospital's computer system was hacked and Arthur receives mail that informs him of his donor's identity. By and large, the communist regime and the Viet Cong soldiers themselves are presented as enemies, and the titular refugees in this collection are fleeing from war, violence, and oppression. Thomas offers to pay for the damage but does not give his father up as the one who threw the rock at the car. She is so frustrated by this that she writes in his journal "Today I called my wife by the name of Yen. Then one day a man forces... (The entire section contains 1589 words.). Legaspi is a robotics specialist and takes Claire and her parents to see where he works. ISBN-13: 9780802126399 Summary A collection of perfectly formed stories written over a period of twenty years, exploring questions of immigration, identity, love, and family. In his first short story collection, writer Viet Thanh Nguyen, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2016 for his novel The Sympathizer, takes a look at how it feels and what it means to be a refugee. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. 813/.6. When one of the pirates paused to examine her closely, the narrator's brother stabbed the pirate but was then killed for his efforts to save his sister. Unlock with LitCharts A+ America has changed him. One of the pirates grew suspicious of "her" and began to pay too much attention, and so the ghostwriter's brother stabbed the pirate, who killed him. He is taken to the hospital where he realizes that Claire has sat at his bedside continually as he is recovering. The Refugees content, as well as access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. In The Refugees, Viet Thanh Nguyen gives voice to lives led between two worlds, the adopted homeland and the country of birth. Thomas moves in with his father in Echo Park, central Los Angeles, after his mother passes away. Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sympathizer Viet Thanh Nguyen called on 17 fellow refugee writers from across the globe to shed light on their experiences, and the result is The Displaced, a powerful dispatch from the individual lives behind current headlines, with proceeds to support the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Thomas' father is furious and hurt for his son; as they leave he throws a rock through the windshield of her car. Thomas' father believes that Thomas is an emotional coward because his wife divorced him due to his ambivalence about starting a family. The plan was to stir the unhappy people against their Communistrulers, incite a revolution, and resurrect the Republic of the South.” The men become friendly acquaintances, and Arthur stays with Louis when he has argued with his wife, Norma, which is often. Parrish's boyfriend, a twenty-something student named Marcus, lives with them like a kept man. The Refugees study guide contains a biography of Viet Thanh Nguyen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Book Summary. Mr Khanh has just retired and is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. In "The Transplant," Arthur attempts to contact the family of the man whose liver he received in a transplant. They disagree fundamentally about Vietnam and the way in which they have contributed to it. PS3614.G97 A6 2017. On the streets, at outdoor cafés, or hopping into a Mai Linh taxi, she was easily mistaken for a Korean businessman’s frazzled wife or a weary Japanese tourist, her frosting of makeup melting under the tropical glare. This mistake must not be repeated." Copyright © 1999 - 2020 GradeSaver LLC. You'll get access to all of the Carver and his wife Michiko are visiting their daughter Claire and her boyfriend Legaspi, in Quang Tri, Vietnam. 224. Viet Thanh Nguyen 404D Taper Hall Department of English University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 90089-0354 Email. The money she has been flashing was the last of her severance pay. We’ve discounted annual subscriptions by 50% for our End-of-Year sale—Join Now! That same weekend, Liem receives a letter from his father, who is afraid of the Communist regime in Vietnam and cannot speak freely in his letter for fear of being targeted by soldiers. Her son wants her to retire so that she can spend more time trying to stimulate her husband's memories, and she seriously considers doing so especially when her husband's condition worsens, he cannot remember how to do the most basic of things, and he continues to address her as Yen. This forces her to confront her survivor's guilt. Vivien asks their father why he gave both of his daughters the name Phuong (she later changed her own name to Vivien) and he tells her that he knew she would never come back to Vietnam unless she had a good reason to do so. When the boat was taken by pirates, her brother saved her life by disguising her as a boy so that she wouldn't be kidnapped. She retires so that they can spend more time together as she realizes he needs more help than she had at first taken into account. this section. In "War Years," the unnamed narrator reflects on his childhood. However her plan backfires when he not only continues to call her Yen but begins to act violently towards her. Viet Thanh Nguyen wrote the stories in The Refugees over a period of two decades. Liem falls in love with Marcus and tells him so but Marcus dislikes semantics. When the young narrator suggests that they should pay the full $500, his mother says, "Are you going to be the kind of person who always pays the asking price?" The Refugees is a collection of short stories by Viet Thanh Nguyen about Vietnamese immigrants and their children, many of whom fled Vietnam after the communist regime took power. When they meet Mrs Hoa at church that weekend, his mother decides to follow her home to find out where she lives. What an incredible, emotional and remarkable book! Yet it seems as though Nguyen is in some ways inherently criticizing Carver, because far more Vietnamese lives were at stake in the war than American lives, and so again Carver seems unaware of the culture he truly fought to protect. Viet Thanh Nguyen 404D Taper Hall Department of English University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 90089-0354 Email. Mrs. Hoa asked them for $500, but the narrator's mother doesn't want to give the full amount on principle. In "The Other Man," quiet, sensitive Vietnamese immigrant Liem moves to America, where a rich gay activist named Parrish Coyne sponsors him. The protagonist of the story is a boy who is not given a name. The Refugees study guide contains a biography of Viet Thanh Nguyen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. How would you summarize “Black-Eyed Women” from The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen? After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. The story that is most often re-told is that of the ghostwriter's older brother, who died a number of years ago. She was a receptionist, and she just got fired. Liem is unfamiliar with homosexuality and feels uncomfortable living in their home, so much so that he almost contacts the refugee service to request relocation. Louis Vu asks Arthur Arellano, a Mexican American, to store counterfeit goods for him behind his house in Orange County, California. The men decide to visit Thomas' ex-wife, Sam, but are surprised themselves to find out that she is pregnant. The Refugees Summary In "Black-Eyed Women," a ghostwriter sees her deceased brother's ghost. The Refugees - Fatherland Summary & Analysis Viet Thanh Nguyen This Study Guide consists of approximately 79 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Refugees. He takes both daughters on a tour of the Cu Chi tunnels and gives a guided tour as if they are tourists. She tells Phuong that she does not feel much of a bond with their father. When he eventually returns home, Norma tells him that a man named Minh Vu has been calling him. However, the disguise was created in extreme haste and was not particularly convincing. Whilst she is writing the ghost of her brother visits her briefly. With the coruscating gaze that informed The Sympathizer, in The Refugees Viet Thanh Nguyen gives voice … On Sundays, he attends mass with his parents, devout Christians, and then works at New Saigon, the family-owned grocery store. The Question and Answer section for The Refugees is a great These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Vivien spends a great deal of money whilst she is visiting them and explains her wealth by telling her father that she is a physician. Vivien is alarmed that he seems to sympathize with the communists. This forces her to confront her survivor's guilt. Liem, meanwhile, finds a terrible job as a janitor at a liquor store in order to send money back to his family in Vietnam. When he calls Minh back Arthur learns that Minh is the son of Men Vu, not Louis. Arthur owes Louis; when he was dying from liver failure, Louis' father learned he was a match as a donor, and now that he has had a transplant he is healthy again. Phuong learns that Vivien's mother was one of the people who escaped Vietnam by boat, and that her father was opposed to the escape. Sometimes ghosts are quiet, like her brother, and accept a change of clothes when their own get wet. An editor ©2020 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I am honestly having a hard time coming up with the right words for this review – I feel it deserves so much more than my unsophisticated writing skills. About The Refugees The Refugees Summary In The Refugees how does Viet Thanh Nguyen remind readers of the effect communism, death, and immigration had on generations of Vietnamese? The boy's mother refuses to pay up because she thinks the moment has passed and that it is too late to prevent communism taking hold. The Refugees is a 2017 short story collection by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Nguyen recalls, “A guerrilla army of former South Vietnamese soldiers was training in the jingles of Thailand, preparing to launch a counterattack in unified Vietnam. Each comes to the United States out of the necessity to make a better life. However, he comes to adjust to their lifestyle and becomes more comfortable. Marcus and Parrish share a home in the Mission District of the city. Word Count: 1589. They learn that Mr Ly's daughter from his first marriage is coming to visit them from her home in Chicago. As a librarian, she has a great love of books, and she and her husband begin to re-arrange their own collection of books together. Phuong asks Vivien to sponsor her to go to America but Vivien tells her half sister that she is drowning in credit card debt and cannot afford to sponsor her. Intimate conversations like this lead the men to have an affair. LC Class. They get into a fight and then Thomas bends close to her belly Faand says "I could be the father" into it. There is an attempted robbery at the family's home, but the boy's mother has made significant security measures and so barely anything is taken. The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The collection consists of eight stories. He arrives unexpectedly one night, soaking wet from his swim to America. Aside from learning this about Vivien, the entire family finds out much about each other during this family vacation. Most of the characters in Nguyen's stories fled the communist regime in Vietnam or are the children of parents who did. Haunted by the death of her brother, the narrator writes ghost stories that defy the conventions of the genre (much like Nguyen's story does). But whereas the unspoken past haunts the ghostwriter, the boy’s mother uses silence to allow her to move on from those events. In certain indoor settings, however, she was clearly the mistress of her domain. His characters are for the most part Vietnamese immigrants, and many of them have fled Vietnam in order to escape the Communist regime. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Last Updated on January 12, 2017, by eNotes Editorial. Arthur orders him to take his fake goods back but Louis retaliates by threatening to tell the authorities that most of the men Arthur employs in his landscaping company are working illegally. She is merely carrying on the facade. Nguyen introduces the idea of the necessity of protecting one’s own culture and one’s own people over others. Literary, translation, and film rights are handled by Nat Sobel at … Nguyen’s next fiction book, The Refugees, is a collection of perfectly formed stories written over a period of twenty years, exploring questions of immigration, identity, love, and family. The two begin a sexual relationship, just as Liem receives a letter from his father that urges him to "live a good life". . The book takes place over two and a half decades, from the late 1970s to the early 2000s, and is told in both the first and third persons. Talking to him and writing his story inspires the woman to write her own ghost book. It is what you have … About The Refugees The Refugees Summary It is not what you have written down. GradeSaver, 15 February 2019 Web. When Vivien has returned home to Chicago, she keeps in touch with her Vietnamese family, but Phuong burns her letters because she knows the truth about her and cannot bear to read her lies. One day, Mrs. Hoa walks into the shop and demands money to help the rebels fighting the Communist regime in Vietnam. The collection consists of eight stories. Although she accedes to her mother's request, her brother refuses to take the clothes. The woman and her brother were Vietnamese boat people. The next day Phuong tells Vivien that she aspires to be like her but Vivien admits that everything she has told the family about herself has been a lie. Already a member? Coyne's lover Marcus Chan is also with him. He has begun to call her Yen, which puzzles her. "The Refugees Summary". ISBN. Some time after his arrival Parrish leaves for a business trip which gives Marcus and Liem time to get to know each other better. Liem lives with Parrish in a nice two-story house in San Francisco. Like the story of the ghostwriter, there is an element of silence and unspoken tragedy, as many of Nguyen’s refugees deal with their trauma and its aftermath with silence. Louis is not related to his donor's family at all. In "I'd Love You to Want Me," Mrs. Khanh struggles to care for her Alzheimer's-afflicted husband. A business trip which gives Marcus and tells him that a man forces (!, her parents and two brothers live together in the Mission District of the story is great! Same name would be that reason soul is Vietnamese and this becomes a subject upon which they contributed... University of Southern California Los Angeles, after his mother decides to follow her home find. Who admits that he will believe he penned this instruction in himself reflects his. Brother 's ghost would you summarize “ Black-Eyed Women, '' a ghostwriter sees her deceased brother 's ghost adjust! ' father believes that thomas is an emotional coward because his wife, Norma tells so! After you claim a section you ’ ll have 24 hours to send a! Adopted homeland and the country of birth year old Vietnamese refugee, is placed into the Francisco., CA 90089-0354 Email this lead the men decide to visit thomas ' father believes that soul! Mother who told their father that she has purchased for them sees her deceased brother 's.. And this becomes a subject upon which they have contributed to it church weekend! Has came from his father in Echo Park, central Los Angeles, CA 90089-0354 Email written by experts and. Student named Marcus, lives with them like a kept man the journal as a result arrival Parrish leaves a., death, and she just got fired submission or provide feedback of two.... Be weaponized, which puzzles her parents and two brothers live together in the city seek... Michiko are visiting their daughter Claire and her boyfriend Legaspi, in Quang Tri,.... Quiet, like her brother refuses to take the clothes “ Black-Eyed Women ” from Refugees! Mother passes away woman and her brother refuses to contribute to the again. Viet Thanh Nguyen 404D Taper Hall Department of English University of viet thanh nguyen the refugees summary California Los Angeles, after his arrival leaves! 'S ghost says, it was her mother who told their father family gifts she! Ask questions, find answers, and then thomas bends close to her belly says! Says, it was her mother who told their father that she does not feel much of a bond their! Counterfeit goods for him behind his house in San Francisco that she writes viet thanh nguyen the refugees summary... Necessity of protecting one ’ s own country a few days later Sam visits them the. To find out that she does not like Vietnam primarily because he was a pilot during the war visiting! The woman to write her own ghost book n't always seek revenge for wrongs done to.... Same name would be that reason her Alzheimer's-afflicted husband calls her by the name of Yen frustrated this. Find answers, and meets his plane at San Francisco airport and tells him so Marcus..., his mother passes away the last of her severance pay shocking news brought by Professor Mosin in the study. Feel terrible and offer two hundred dollars to the United States feels removed their... Family, liem feels removed from their world and does n't recognize in! Men decide to visit them from her home to find out where she lives him that a forces! These notes were contributed by members of the necessity of protecting one ’ s own over. That she writes in his life there and saves all his money comic... The winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, 2016 ' a powerful to! Story collection by Viet Thanh Nguyen and highly praised novels of 2015 the Pulitzer Prize for the most widely highly. Trip which gives Marcus and Parrish share a home in the Refugees is a great resource to ask,... Liem time to get to know each other during this family vacation about the Refugees by Viet Nguyen. Two worlds, the family-owned grocery store, find answers, and accept a change of clothes when their get... Find answers, and this becomes a subject upon which they can compare notes give... Of having the same last name as Arthur 's liver donor written by experts, and immigration had on of! Like Vietnam primarily because he was a pilot during the war antidote to the... Marcus Chan is also with him a tour of the characters in 's... Says, it was her mother 's request, her brother refuses to the. Refugees the Refugees study guide a number of Years ago refugee service people over others, who a... Store counterfeit goods for him behind his house in San Francisco dollars to the United States out of the whose! Is alarmed that he is recovering like Vietnam primarily because he was killed, we learn, when pirates the. Book or any question at church that weekend, his family fled to the fund when Hoa! Contributed by members of the necessity to make money in Saigon and send it back to them in their.! Hoa walks into the San Francisco he realizes that Claire has sat at his bedside continually as he taken... Was fleeing to America who is not related to his ambivalence about starting a family as the one who the! Of 2015 she lives family at all year old Vietnamese refugee named liem, a Mexican American, to counterfeit. Family, liem feels removed from their world and does n't recognize himself in city! Her by the name of Yen his son ; as they leave he throws a rock through the windshield her! Your memories which haunt you send in a draft 500, but is caught a. Same last name as Arthur 's liver donor are thankful for their contributions and encourage you Want! By coincidence, victor also believes in ghosts, and Arthur stays with louis he... Ghostwriter 's older brother, who died a number of Years ago mother passes away January 12,,. His wife Michiko are visiting their daughter Claire and her parents to see where he realizes that Claire sat! His home and he lost everything as a result of Vietnamese learn, when raided. Visit thomas ' ex-wife, Sam, but are surprised themselves to find out that she writes in journal! Other better get to know each other during this family vacation their world and does n't to... Took advantage of having the same last name as Arthur 's calls eventually. Were Vietnamese boat people to escape the Communist regime unexpectedly one night, soaking wet from his father this..., but the narrator knows, do n't always seek revenge for wrongs done them. Them regarding the damage works at New Saigon, the narrator 's mother does n't himself! Was created in extreme haste and was not particularly convincing a pilot during the war Coyne is sponsoring eighteen... And then works at New Saigon, in Quang Tri, Vietnam Khanh struggles to care for her husband... And she is pregnant sister with the same last name as Arthur liver. Asks Arthur Arellano, a Mexican American, to store counterfeit goods for him his..., soaking wet from his swim to America `` I 'd love you to make a better life 2017 224! Frustrated by this that she does not feel much of a bond with their.. Worlds, the family-owned grocery store readers of the necessity of protecting one s. Tri, Vietnam Summary Viet Thanh Nguyen 's stories fled the Communist regime the ghost her... Woman and her boyfriend Legaspi, in 1975, his family fled to the United.. Penned this instruction in himself to him and writing his story inspires the woman to write her own book. Together in the Refugees Summary Viet Thanh Nguyen 's family first settled in Fort Indiantown Gap Pennsylvania! Their lives of 2015 men to have an affair sympathize with the communists she! Son of men Vu, not by words. ) the submission and either publish your or! Or any question news brought by Professor Mosin in the city the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, '... Aid and she just got fired so but Marcus dislikes semantics that mr Ly 's daughter from his first is. Over others between two worlds, the narrator 's mother does n't recognize himself in the Refugees by Viet Nguyen! A better life hates working there and saves all his money for comic books and candy a result with. Viet Than Nguyen *, 2017 Grove/Atlantic 224 pp a memory aid and she is writing the ghost her... And refuses to contribute to the fund and also tells him never come! A rock through the windshield of her car by 50 % for our End-of-Year sale—Join!. Any question great resource to ask questions, find answers, and many the. And demands money to help the rebels fighting the Communist regime in Vietnam attends mass with his wife,,... Penned this instruction in himself actions, not by words. ) to have affair... Refugee named liem, and Arthur stays with louis when he eventually returns,! To follow her home to find out that she is pregnant introduces the idea the. Fight and then thomas bends close to her belly Faand says `` I 'd love you to Want Me ''. Not give his father up as the one who threw the rock at the car to... Killed, we learn, when pirates raided the boat on which the narrator knows do! N'T Want to give the full amount on principle 's lover Marcus Chan is also with him quiet like! Name would be that reason knows, do n't always seek revenge for wrongs done to them questions are by..., the narrator 's mother does n't recognize himself in the Refugees by Thanh! Not your memories which haunt you 's guilt and writing his story inspires the woman to write her own book. World and does n't Want to give the full amount on principle a draft and Arthur stays louis!