The trip back analysis

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

from a traditional Asian culture to a modern American one.

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.

The significant conflict of the trip back is the different perspective of

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

colony of French and it cause Vietnams culture was influenced by French

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

Vietnam culture is the way of how they communication. In Vietnam society,

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

culture as Khan mentioned in the first paragraph of page 34 Im a blunt man.

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

influence to the communication. Moreover, the obvious different thing between

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

important thing but can remember an unnecessary thing. Therefore, when it

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

and in American culture they not believe in omen.

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

Mr.Chinh, he has a contrast perspective with Mr.Khan and it cause Mr.Khan

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.