Chapter Fourteen - Letting Go - Letting go

"For a glistening instant, Ky La dances before my eyes, then vanishes into a memory (Hayslip 362)." After all that Ky La went through she has finally decided it is time to go to America. As she leaves behind everything, she sees her Ky La for the last time (until her return, 16 years later). For me, it is traditional to travel to Mexico each summer for about 1 to 2 months. Every year, I grow close to and make friends. This becomes the only time of year where I have the privilege to see my loved ones and spend valuable and unforgettable time with them. As the months rolls by, it is time for me to say good bye after an amazing summer. Every year, although I know I am coming back, I feel as Le Ly does. The town where I stay dances in my eyes, and it all becomes memories. Memories that I will never forget and spend time telling my children about them. That moment, when I look into my grandparents eyes for the last time that year, tears run down my face and I remember all of the laughs and arguments we shared together. I, like Le Ly, will never forget those times and will always be our source of joy in remembrance.

Chapter Thirteen - Finding Peace - Peace and Forgiveness

"That you're never too old to forgive people; that it's never too late to patch the dike and save a little more of whatever life's left in you (Hayslip 337)." This quote shows that even after EVERYTHING that Le Ly had gone through she did not give up. She had strength each time to keep moving forward. Le Ly had not been a flat character throughout her life. Every time something happened to her, she would learn from it and become a wiser, stronger person. In my life this quote is significant because it remind me that each time I am struggling, I need to push myself a little farther to restore everything that I have felt is lost. It's always early to start and realize that you can reach peace in your life. As she said, it is never too late to forgive those who have hurt you because as posted before, they will make you stronger. Lastly, it is okay to stop and look back in your life to fix everything that you someday felt guilty of or hurt you in someway.

Chapter Twelve - Finding a Family

"Marriage for me, was simply one more thing on the long list of things I would never have (Hayslip 303)." This statement shows me that for Le Ly, life must have been hard. She had been severly raped several times, and was always being abused of by men. It makes me sick to my stomach, that to this day men are still that way. So much so that it causes a woman no to want to get married, something beautiful that all woman should want to enjoy. I also feel that the tone Le Ly says this statement is of despair. She has been through so much with her life, with one man leaving and another coming. She is completely lost and probably has no idea what love is like. I think for someone like Le Ly who is so strong, compassion and love are the only things missing in her life.

Chapter Eleven - Almost in Paradise - Letting Go

For Le Ly's mother it was hard to see her baby daughter grow up. Most of the time, Le Ly was treated like a foolish young girl. As time passed, her mother would soon find out, and dissaprove, that Le Ly was hanging around Americans. She accused her of being immature and told her she was just a child. "'I'm not a little girl, Mama Du! If you haven't noticed, you're holdingg my baby son in your lap! And who do you think's been supporting us for the last year and a half?' (Hayslip 277)." This quote symbolizes not only the immature way Le Ly is looked at by her mother, but also the feeling of not wanting to let go of that child. Every once in a while (mostly always), parents are having to swallow the idea of their little babies growing up. For some, it is mere protection and worry of what they will find in the real world. The maxim I would give to other parents, is to let go slowly and let their children grow up in a healthy invornment. After all, children are always following in their parent's footsteps.

Chapter Ten - Power on Earth - Strength

"I cannot remember the exact moment I decided to leave Vietnam. But one day I became aware that everything I had done for the past few months had been a preparation for departure --- a ritual leave-taking that meant little when those acts were considered by themselves but, when viewed together, were much like my father's own preparations in anticipation of his death (Hayslip 255)." The mood of this quote- success or rather something leading up to success- reminds me that everything we do happens for a greater something in the end. Schoolwork in particular is something most people dread, and as the school years pass by, we become stronger with knowledge. Knowledge that one day we will use in a career or even in life. Not just schoolwork, but also life itself is a gradual stepping stone. Every mistake we make is a way for us to learn not to make it once more and creates us stronger people. For every great thing, we become grateful for it and learn to appreciate the good things given to us. To me, everything has a meaning and lesson for us that gradually all are stepping stones for when we decide to do something amazing with our lives.

Chapter Eight and Nine- Sisters and Brothers, Daughters and Sons

"When the worst around you are only victims, forgiveness and compassion come much easier (Hayslip 227)." This quote reminds me that sometimes the best way to deal with someone who has been badly hurt emotionally is for you to give them the most compassion ever. For Le, she was being compassionate toward the GI's who has been victims of the war and ended up hating themselves. She would use motivation to make them feel better. I feel that if I was Le Ly, it would have been extremely difficult for me to forgive someone who had created so much damage (for her, in war). Although, one person is not the sole cause of such destruction, they were followers and most likely had done something to deserve their hatred. Yes, no one merely deserves hatred but in a time of war, that is all a human being can do to the enemy. For Le Ly it was different, she forgave and gave all her compassion to them.

Chapter Seven - A Different View - Grown Up

As the story continues, the narrator (Le Ly) continues to move on with her life. Her souvenir business continued for a couple years after she had been caught selling fake illegal drugs. On an occasion, Le Ly decides to go back to her village. Her mother and sister are reluctant but Le goes anyway. When she arrives she finds that her father has been severely beaten and is dehydrated. All of her childhood memories are destroyed with sights of her once perfect little village. As she stays, she begins to notice that all of her childhood friends are now married or have moved away. "I discovered that most kids I grew up with (those who had not been killed in the fighting) had married or moved away (Hayslip 198)." To me this statement is powerful because Le Ly had gone through absolute, horrible situation. She was forced out of her innocence and into the life of adulthood. When Le Ly realized that all of the aspect of her childhood were gone, all she was left with was memories.

Chapter Five - Losing Love - Lost Love

"Yet even as I sopke, I knew Anh's actions over the past few weeks had been anything but loving (Hayslip 135)." As Le Ly's life got better working in a wealthy home as a maid, she began to fall in love with her master, Anh. Anh was interested in her, for Le was very pretty. Le Ly would flirt with him until one night it came to a kiss and a compassionate hug. As Le Ly went to bed, she heard her door open and saw Anh's face. They kissed and before Le Ly knew it, she had given everything to Anh. Much later, Le Ly came to realize she had become pregnant and was reluctant to tell anyone. As soon as her mistress found out, she was kicked out of the house. At this moment, Le looked for compassion, love, and care from Anh but Anh did not give her any of this. Their love was lost and she was left with a seed for her to care for.

Chapter Six - A Question of Faith -independence

"For the first time in my life I was truly independent --- of the Viet Cong and the village and the government and even our mother and  father --- and I liked the feeling very much (Hayslip 190)." As Le Ly's life changed, she became more independent each time. Her baby son was finally born and she was forced to move out from her sister's apartment. She was initially lost with no where to go but eventually had to find her own apartment. She seemed to like the privacy but it taught her how to be independent, with a baby and without her mother. My inference about the situation, is that being such a young mother would be very hard to handle. Being independent would come with hard responsibilities but it would also be didactic for me to learn how to be on my own.

Chapter Four - Losing the Way - A new beginning

"My mother and I left Ky La in the middle of the night and neither of us looked back (Hayslip 113)." Le Ly and her mother had pretty much been kicked out of the country by this point. Le's father suggested that they petition the Viet Cong for their release. As they left I began to think of their departure as a new beginning for them. A new beginning that might bring them peace instead of war, hope instead of misfortune, and love instead of cruelty. Although all these things were uncertain because they had never been there before, I felt hope in my own life as I continued reading. I realized that sometimes a little change can awaken you and bring hope to you if something bad has been going on in your life. It's as if a riddle of your life has been solved.

Chapter Three - Open Wounds - Misfortune

As Le Ly got more involved with the war, her actions got her into trouble. She would be seen doing deeds that were not particularly bad but looked that way to the rival soldiers. Sometimes though, she would be a scapegoat to actual crimes but would be miraculously saved from them. Le was not spared all of the time and one day was even sentenced to death. The only thing that saved her that day was the men's urge for sexual pleasure which resulted in rape for her. "I have been raped---I know the terror that every woman dreads (Hayslip 93)." I feel that it was beyond unfair for Le Ly to be abused the way she had been for a crime she did not commit. I feel that it is unfair to any woman to abused in such a way. No one has a right to feel as if their self control has been taken away. In the same way, men have no right to be so vulgar and mistreat a woman that way. I feel that for a woman, rape can be a big fear that can cause not only physical damage but psychological as well.

Chapter Two - Fathers and Daughters - Admiration and Strength

As Le Ly became a bit older, she became more and more attached to her father. She saw him as a diligent worker, easygoing, and helpful. She seemed to love when he admired her. "Even more, I was amazed and impressed by my father's pride in her [Phung Thi Chin] accomplishments (she was, after all, a humble female), and his belief that I was worth of her example. 'Con phai theo got chan co ta' (Follow in her footsteps), he said (Hayslip 29)." In my point of view, Le Ly was given the advice of following in Phung Thi's path because her father knew it would make her a stronger person and it was a great role model for her to follow. I believe that all people should have a good, humble role model to follow. In admiration to that person, it is easier to want to do something we are not used to and has a good outcome. That good outcome can teach us a single lesson that could change our lives. It would help us become stronger, better people and come to realization with particular things in our lives.
For example, I choose my grandmother Carmen as someone I should follow. She is a strong, determined, and the most compassionate woman I have ever met. She has showed me a path of forgiveness to anyone who has harmed us in anyway, for in return we have gained insight about dealing with such people. She has been my reason to forgive people when they harm me and therefore I have become a stronger person by: remembering to never look back and never struggling to move on.

Chapter 1 - Coming Back - Realization

The theme of chapter one of When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip, is presented as a time of discovery and realization for Le Ly. As Le Ly is growing up she is learning the true reality of war, love, and tradition. Learning from her mother, Le Ly attains important information in relation to becoming a virtuous wife and dutiful daughter-in-law. She discovers that to be a admirable wife she must please her mother-in-law. Additionally, she uncovered that man, not monsters, created her worst nightmare. "... I discovered who the enemy was. I realized they weren't magical devils after all, but men of another race (Hayslip, Le Ly 14)." As Le Ly uncovers this information she had a fresh reality to overcome. It reveals a truth to Le Ly that causes her to be more alert, the truth that humanity was her torment. The insight to this quote reminds us that the genuine cause to a great deal of our earthly destructions begin with our own humanity. These would be us not taking care of our planet or people with any single abuse.