The Best We Could Do Literary Elements

Memoir

The book is set in Vietnam and America in the context of the author's life

First-person narrative

Somber, horrific, worrisome and moving

Thi Bui is the protagonist of the memoir.

The major conflict is the war in Vietnam that forces Bui's family to relocate to the USA to start a new life. However, things are not easy for the family because the new environment is full of uncertainties. Bui's mother cannot get proper employment because her college papers are useless in the USA. Bui's father is a useless person who does nothing but drink alcohol and abuses the children.

The climax comes after Bui's full reflection of her wife and goes back to the present, where she is satisfied with her current life in the USA.

Bui's family's a hard life in America is foreshadowed by the Vietnamese war that made the family members refugees.

Bui's father frustrations are understated. For instance, the father is jobless, and he is forced to stay at home, and he resolves to drinking and smoking, making him an abusive father.

The story alludes to the challenges of war and the difficult moments refugees go through in a foreign country.

The Saigon Execution depicts sight imagery because it illustrates how the Vietnamese generals executed the Viet Cong mercilessly. The imagery paints a clear picture for readers to see how murders and other atrocities were committed during the war.

The main paradox is that life in America is not a walk in the park despite appealing. Many people think migrating to the United States will give them instant opportunities and elevate them from poverty. Bui's revelation provides a contrary opinion regarding the American dream. Immigrants go through hell in America not limited to racism and lack of opportunities but a lack of recognition.

Life in the USA parallels life in Vietnam. For instance, America is peaceful while Vietnam is a war zone.

N/A

The Vietnam War is embodied as futile.