The Irony of the Americans
The Americans are ironic because they make promises, which they secretly break to score selfish goals. Nguyen discusses how Americans promise to rebuild Vietnam but secretly plot how to loot resources and destabilize the country for their selfish interests.
The paradox of Nguyen’s identity
Nguyen fled to America with his parents when he was four years old. With time, Nguyen became an American citizen and a university professor. Ironically, Nguyen hates being an American because he presumes Americans are killers. After all, they started the Vietnam War. In addition, Nguyen still believes he is a Vietnamese, the person being killed by the Americans. Consequently, the paradox of Nguyen's identity makes his life complicated.
The irony of Nguyen’s parents
The reader expects Nguyen's parents to forget about their horrible past as they age. During the Vietnam War, Nguyen's parents fled to America, where they lived for the rest of their lives. Ironically, the wounds of their painful past reopen as they age. When people grow older, their memory starts to dwindle, but for Nguyen's parents, their memory increases.
