The Gangsta'

Following the discussion in class on Friday, I was left to reflect on what he had (or had not discussed) as a class. I found it interesting that the discussion was not as plentiful as I had expected, and there were many, long moments of "dead air." The entire time, I was wondering why people had nothing to say about the book. After all, I thought, the book was of an interesting topic and had many complexities. That left me to think about my experience reading the book.

I remember when I finished the book, I was left sitting on my bed and wondering what had just happened. I had spent hours immersed in the raw details of the book, turning from page to page, anxious to see what would happen next. And when I finally reached the end, I was not satisfied. I realize that I was not satisfied because I found that the book was so complex that I was not really sure how the book ended. This may or may not have been because I was rushing to finish the book before the presentation, but nevertheless I still stand by the fact that it was just a complicated plot. The details, while not only in a confusing anti-chronological order, were conflicting and unsettling. When it came time to ask the question, "Did Le really find who she is?" I could not even answer the question. It seems to show in the story line in that Le and her parents spend so much time wandering from place to place that they don't have energy to do much else than keep themselves safe and alive. Because they are lower class immigrants, they don't really have time to sit around and ponder the meaning of their existence and whether or not their names are appropriate for them. It is exactly my inability to answer the question that makes the book what it is--raw, emotional, and real.

I am also reminded of the many, tangible, real life stories that I have heard of the Vietnamese boat people. While the Namesake was a compelling fictional expression of conflicting Asian American feelings, Le's book was more of a snapshot of a more tangible experience. She is almost describing a picture, using more than one thousand words. In all honesty, I am partial to the Namesake more because I simply found it a better read, but I respect the fact that The Gangster was something that no one could truly just make up out of their imagination.

Now, back to the question: Why was the class so quiet when there should have been so much to talk about?

Perhaps it was an off day. Or, maybe there were so many complexities at play that no one could deciper the true answers to the questions (which was also my personal feeling). Or, it could be that the story line did not generate strong opinions. I am sure everyone had their opinion about Gogol, but maybe when it came to Le the true story factor did not leave much room for judgment, especially about such a sensitive topic for so many people. Who knows. What I know is that I am still confused about what really happened to Le's family. Who is the gangster? Le or her father? What makes that person the gangster? What did Le's father do to make him a gangster? It's all still a big mystery to me.

On a side note, I started reading America is in the Heart a few days ago and was fascinated to learn about the Filipino-American immigrant experience through the introduction chapter. I thought that Filipinos were not considered Asian (or perhaps that is what is portrayed by standardized testing bubbles), but am excited to read more about a group that I have never learned much about in terms of immigration. It was interesting to read that Filipinos were once looked down on in the early years of their immigration. Chia-Chi said in class on Friday that it is his favorite book of all time, so I hope that I can see why when I'm through.