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Essay / The allegory of rape in Paradise for the Blind
In the novel Paradise for the Blind, Duong Thu Huong tells the story of Hang, a young Vietnamese girl, after the establishment of independence in Vietnam and the imposition of communism. Vietnam, with a history of invasion by foreign entities, initially accepted the communist system because it allowed it to be independent from its previous colonial oppressors. However, when corruption began to seep into the system, the flaws in the idealistic government system were exposed. Through the allegory of the rape of orphans in Paradise of the Blind, Huong demonstrates the failure of communism in its implementation due to the ignorance of the Vietnamese towards political injustices and the inevitability of corruption in a Vietnamese regime repressive. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Through the characterization of the deputy director, Huong demonstrates the inevitability of corruption in a communist system in Vietnam due to weakness human. The director is first described very kindly, stating that “every time he opened his mouth, it was always to give a moral lesson” (Huong 213). The deputy director is described as a moral figure, dedicated to preaching a “revolutionary spirit, a sense of discipline, international obligations and civic duty” (213). Likewise, the communist system idealized concepts of morality, teaching the practice of mutual support and uniting members of different social classes. The assistant principal's characterization changes dramatically as the allegory progresses, revealing his character's hypocrisy. We see the director “crushing a nine-year-old girl under him [as she]…writhed in pain” (213). Rape is generally associated with lust and the desire for power and domination. The rape of the little girl highlights the human weakness of the assistant principal, as he holds these very sinful vices of lust and greed, as opposed to the traditional values of love and moral integrity that he once held. In comparison, the communist system was attached to moral values and sharing among all. However, during its implementation, the system became corrupted due to the Vietnamese's inability to uphold these principles. Lured by the opportunity of wealth and power, many abandoned the original values and concepts idealized by the communist system. The juxtaposition of Bich's character with the seven deadly sins reveals the inevitable corruption of communism due to human weakness. The character of Bich comes from a “soldier expelled from the French colonial army” (25). Bich has a military background, a position often associated with nobility and dedication to nationalism. However, his allegiance was not to the Vietnamese people but rather to the French colonizers, the previous oppressors of Vietnam. Additionally, Bich is described as “very lazy” (25). This alludes to one of the seven deadly sins; the lazy, which is characterized by avoiding engaging in physical work or tasks. Bich was promoted by Chinh to the status of “‘agricultural proletarian’ and ‘pillar of agrarian reform’” (26). As soon as he achieved this very ironic rise to power, he became “intoxicated with himself.” His satisfaction was that of a creeping and parasitic vine” (26). Bich's description further alludes to the seven deadly sins, as he is conceived with the sin of pride for his own very misplaced abilities and accomplishments. It seemed noble to help Bich because of his background as a veteran dedicated to nationalism and equality, whichembody communist values in Vietnam. However, his commitment to these principles is tainted by the weaknesses of his character, which are manifested through the description of his sins. Likewise, Vietnam's communist leaders were unable to implement the system with its original intent due to their weakness in the face of opportunities for wealth and power. Huong's characterization of the orphan girl demonstrates the natives' vulnerability to corruption due to their lack of education and culture. The little girl is described as “mentally ill, the orphan of a railway worker” (213). The quality of the little girl's mental state is similar to that of the natives, disillusioned and manipulated by the communist leaders due to their lack of education. Furthermore, the little girl is “the orphan of a railway worker” (213). Having no roots, the little girl is representative of the indigenous people of Vietnam. The little girl lacks a father figure, who is usually responsible for providing structure and purpose to the child's life. With a long history of colonization and occupation by foreign entities, Vietnam lacked a father figure-like infrastructure, having no roots or background to support the development of its country. They were therefore vulnerable to exploitation and corruption due to the possibility of a foreign entity or ideology taking power in Vietnam. The vice principal, while raping the orphan, “gagged her with his hand” (213). The mouth is a mechanism of expression and communication. His inability to speak out and express his voice is similar to how the voices of the Vietnamese people were suppressed by corrupt leaders. People have been unable to speak out against corruption and violence for fear of bowing to political pressures within their government. Additionally, the orphan is described as being very “sweet and very generous, sharing everything with us, even a tangerine.” or a guava” (214). The characterization of the orphan as being very gentle and generous is juxtaposed with the description of the rape scene. This juxtaposition suggests that these characteristics of the orphan are exploited by the director, leading to her manipulation. This is reflected in Chinh's characterization of his own family's treatment. Chinh asks Que for money at the beginning of the novel, stating: "My wife and I requested a transfer here to the capital...they allocated us money for an apartment." But we're going to need a little money to repair and furnish it” (52). Que agrees to give money to Chinh because of her attachment to the puritan values of family and sharing, similar to the values of the orphan. However, when Hang went to Uncle Chinh's house to ask for money to supplement the medical expenses related to Que's operation, Chinh argued with Aunt Chinh over these expenses, asking her, " Can we borrow money? [to which Aunt Tam replied] 'Absolutely not. We never borrowed money from anyone” (223). Uncle Chinh, although seemingly devoted to communist concepts of sharing and equality among all, refused to help his own sister as she lay dying. Compared to the rape of the orphan, Que is exploited by Chinh for money, and when Que's health deteriorates, Chinh does not express the same dedication to these values, despite the fact that he has a financial stability more than enough to do so and he very ironically preached these same philosophies in the past as a member of the communist party. The laughing children witnessing the orphan's rape are designed to represent the passivity of the natives due to their ignorance, resulting in the severity of corruption under the communist government. A.