Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Why do the characteristic of people keep changing when they move from
one place to another? How it affects other people? Some people might argues that
our characteristic cant change because it is the thing that will stick for lifetime,
but some people say that changing where we live for a long time can change our
personality and our perspective. In the trip back by Robert Olen butler, the story
was located in the America, which made the idea of how the main character react
toward other change. The story shows its conflict, which arise when people move
In the story, the main character and his wife moved from Vietnam to America
because of the war in their country. After they can adjust to the new tradition in
America, the narrator wife invited her grandfather to live with them, and that
cause the controversy between two characters perspective. The main character in
the trip back was Kahn. He is the head of the family who, in some way, drives the
story forward. Another person who also performs as the main character is the
grandfather, Mr. Chinh. He is an antagonist that shows the Vietnam side. Last
character is Kahns wife. She is a quiet and less confidant women, and she is a
daughter of Mr. Chinh. However, Mr. Chinn cant remember her because he
suffers with Alzheimer. Even though this situation is has some affect to Kahn and
change his perspective. Kahns family was from Vietnam, which they used to
with the extended culture, but after they move to live in America, it was different.
Nowadays, most of western live in nuclear family, which they are more focus on
individual and their own business. They believe that living with the old people
will cause more duty in the family, so they choose to live separate. On the other
hand, in Vietnam, every descendant has to take care and live with old people. In
page 31, the author stated, we are all like that in Vietnam. We honor family. So,
this quote shows how American society and Vietnam society different.
people and different of culture. In this short story, Khan decides to leave form
Vietnam and start his new life in USA. Then, when he spends a long time in
USA, he absorbs an American culture and how American people look the world.
The dialog form page 35 No, Mr. Chinh. Its a very good car, and I stopped
myself from telling him it was from Japan. But Mr. Chinh reply him by suggest
him to buy some French car. In the history of Vietnam, Vietnam use to be a
culture and it happened with Mr. Chinh. However, in Khan side, American
culture is free to receive a new thing from another culture and not stick in only
one culture.
Other evidence that show the different between American culture and
they are often using an indirect word instead of blunt world because they
believe it will make the receiver feel better. The huge different in American
Business has made me that ways, particularly business in American. After that
he decide to ask a blunt question to Mr. Huong, it shows about how the culture
American culture and Vietnam culture is the goal of life and the perspective
with the world. In American society, especially with businessman, they only
think about money and how they become to be rich men. In contrast, in Vietnam
culture they wish to have a warm family and honor family or use a simple life.
Moreover, the author gives the symbol that implied some of the meaning.
For this short story the author decide to give a symbol in Mr. Chinh. In this short
story, Mr. Chinh is suffering with Alzheimer, and he cant remember many thing
even his grandchildren, Mai. Alzheimer is implied about when Khan decide to
move to USA, and he forget the traditional culture of Vietnam and it is the same
as with indication of Alzheimer. Other thing that can relate to this symbol is
when Mr. Chinh arrives in his home and exited with his car. It shows that he can
remember his favorite car but forget his daughter; it can show he forgot the
compare with habit of Khan, he is just only think about the money and business
but he forget the most important thing in his life that is his family. He spends too
much time in his business indeed with family. Then, it shows Khan is similar
with Mr. Chinh in some angle. Also, in the whole of this short story the author
try to tell the reader that Mr. Khan is a businessman in many times. It can tell the
reader that business man is symbol of American culture and American dream
In this short story the author use many style to drive the story such as using
the dialogs to convey the emotion in each actor or use the symbol to sample
some of meaning. The story is trying to compare between the two different
cultures and how they have different perspective. In the emotion part, the author
tries to allow the reader to feel with the environment of the actor. For example,
in page 43 I had taken Mai onto my back and straightened up and I began to
move about the yard, walking at first, down the long drooping lower branch of
the oak tree and then faster along the sidewalk and then up the other side of the
house. This is some of the example that author use to describe the environment
and characteristic of actor. It appears to show how Khan changes from the
beginning of the story. Moreover, the author decides to tell the background of
the main actor because it will make reader easily to understand the story. At the
beginning of the story, for instance, the author tells the background of Mr. Khan
and why he was different from Mr. Chinh. When the author decides to use this
style, it causes the reader more engage with the story. However, the author tries
to put dialogues in some part of the story. The dialogs also make the reader
understand more about the actor because when we read the dialogs, we can
know how each character feel toward or think about other people. For example,
when some actor uses a local word, we can assume the background of that actor.
To sum up, the trip back is about how the environment and society is
affect with the characteristic of people. In this story, Khan and Mr. Chinh is
stake in the contrast of society. So, it cause the characteristic of them are
different and when the reader read this story, the reader can realize what is the
most important thing in their life. At first, Khan is very fascinated about the
American dream and always think about the money and business, until he met
know something new in his life. Also, at the end of story, Khan realizes about
the real goal of his life and knows what is the most important. The author decide
to compare between American culture and Vietnam culture, and he shows how it
different.