With the fresh start in Saigon, Le Ly experiences the feeling of love with Anh, the owner of the house she works in. They have a "magical" night together and it has its consequences. Le Ly becomes pregnant with Anh's son, and Lien, Anh's wife, suspects that the child Le Ly is bearing is her husbands. Lien wants Le Ly and her mother out of the house away from Anh and back in Danang. The situation escalates and Le Ly's feelings are hurt when her mother fights to keep them in Saigon in this ad hominem argument below.
" 'She's just a country girl-- an ignorant, foolish, stupid child,' my mother went on. 'She'll make no claim on your husband. She's just a nanny-- a maid who'll never be a bride! Don't think anymore about it! She's nothing! Insignificant!' " (137).
In this experience of love and loss, Le Ly sees a new side of her mother trying to fight for a good life in Saigon. Le Ly's mother verbally attacks her daughters character despite her sitting in the room and her position on the issue.
We have all insulted someone behind their back to our friends to make ourselves feel better or just to crack jokes with our friends. When others are making fun of someone else we might join in without thinking of the other persons' feelings. Insulting other people is hurtful, especially when they are informed about what was said about them. Talking about someone behind their back occurs too often among today's society, throughout all ages. Next time we start to say something hurtful about another person, we should stop and think about their feelings.
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