... his confusion about his own identity. His uncertainties of culture and gender manifest themselves in his opinions about Vietnam, and the guiltier he feels, the more he uses prostitution and anger towards Vietnam as mental escape. He writes that, "Saigon was a whore, a saint, an infanticidal maniacshe hoped for a better tomorrow, hoped for goodness," (109). Here Pham intertwines the ... body as a sexual commodity with survival, hope, shame, masculinity and femininity, communicating his complex outlook on Vietnam and what it means to be sacrifice one's own body for the sake of others. His...

• Word Count: 2179
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate