Monday, November 16, 2009

The girl

Any thoughts on Sarkin Aung Wan and her determination to play house in Paris with Paul Berlin?
Posted by at

5 comments:

Erin said...

She bugged me. Playing house is a good way to put it. She seemed like such an opportunistic manipulator.

And then we find out she's a figment of Paul Berlin's imagination. So why did he imagine her that way? Why did he make her so young? (Or at least look so young?) Why did he make it such a junior-high romance?

2:37 PM, November 16, 2009
kc said...

I think I cut the introduction of this character a lot of slack because I was just initially so relieved that the soldiers didn't assault her when they found her with the other women. That seemed fairly likely, given the lawlessness of the environment and the stories that O'Brien recounts elsewhere. I kept thinking she was going to be sexually victimized either by the Americans or some other men, and I'm glad that didn't happen!

But then, like you, I began to wonder why, exactly, Berlin imagined her the way he did. Is this just a typical male fantasy about Asian women at work? She's kind of a mix of stereotypes: the take-charge dragon lady manipulator who tries to snare men with sexual guile and the subservient domestic who offers Geisha-like comforts and performs services like cleaning his toenails (ick!).

Did Berlin love her? I couldn't really tell. His affection seemed so enshrouded in his own need and loneliness that it was impossible for me to tell what he really felt about HER.

I found the relationship between the lieutenant and the Indian woman much more relatable and understandable, more mature.

I did like the affinity that Sarkin Aung Wan seemed to have with the lieutenant, though, even if there was a whiff of subservient Asian lady taking care of old white guy. There was a lot of tenderness there.

8:20 PM, November 16, 2009
Erin said...

Yeah, good point about the sexual assault. I'm glad that wasn't a part of the story.

I know what you mean about her tenderness with the old lieutenant, but I always had the impression she was doing that stuff to get something out of it for herself. I guess I just didn't trust her for some reason. Like I thought she was being the domestic caretaker because she knew that's what the men would like, and she could then bend them to her whims. But maybe I'm being too harsh on her.

Who knows what Berlin felt about her. Who knows what he felt about anything, aside from being afraid. He seemed so blank most of the time.

10:40 AM, November 17, 2009
kc said...

I don't think you're being too harsh. I didn't trust her either. She seemed too manipulative. I think she had some touching, genuine moments, but on the whole she was looking out for No. 1. Maybe Berlin imagined her in that way because he understood that the life she was seeking in Paris was just the stuff of daydreams. Interesting how reality soaked into his own imagination — instead of a charming, idyllic apartment, the kind you'd daydream about, it was in disrepair and had pests and such.

What did you think of the bit at the end where she and Berlin are giving statements? I'll have to look at that again because it's been too long since I read it, but it's clearly significant.

12:01 PM, November 17, 2009
Erin said...

Yeah, I wondered why Berlin didn't imagine things turning out the way he wanted. If this is his daydream about escaping the war, why didn't he and the girl wind up lovers in an idyllic Parisian apartment?

That chapter at the end where they are debating is definitely significant. I read somewhere that it was the theme of the story: following your own happiness vs. meeting your obligations in society.

3:06 PM, November 17, 2009

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)