Unanswered Questions

The sincere tale of Loung Ung's struggle allowed me to form an intimate connection with her and ultimately Cambodia, yet as I tried to put myself in Ung's shoes, I was left with several questions.

Dissuade- Persuade someone not to
take a particular action

    First, was it right for Ma to send her kids away? Even if she had their best interests at heart would they truly understand that? You might say I am cowardly and immature, but honestly if my mom told me to leave and go far away, I would fight back and never leave her no matter what. Instead, Ung obeys Ma and gets angry with her: "Instead of missing Ma, my blood boils with resentment toward her. Ma doesn't want me around anymore. Pa took care of us and kept us together. Ma cannot do this because she is weak" (123). I am certain that I wouldn't have separated from my mom if I were only eight, even if it was better to do so in order to live.

      Second, how did Loung know that something was wrong with her mother and Geak? You might have probably guessed by now; I am the kind of reader who doubts every detail and thinks about every action of the author. Long Ung states, "Rage erupts in my body. I don't understand the electricity in my body....I have to see ma. I have to go to her" (159). How in the world was she able to connect with Ma and Geak and know that something was wrong? 

      Third, how would things have been different if Ma had survived just two more months? Or if Pa had not been taken away? When Long Ung screams, "Two more months and she would have made it! Why couldn't she hold on for two more months"(214)? I tried to imagine Ma making it to Bat Deng with her kids and how that would have changed Ung's story. 

Dispensable- Able to be
replaced or done without

        But after I asked myself these questions, I realized that I would never be able to put myself in Ung's shoes. It is one thing to read about a violent, oppressive regime from a memoir, but to see it through the eyes of a child is definitely something else. Sure, some of the details of her memoir may be embellished, but it shouldn't be dismissed or judged. Therefore, I would like to thank Loung Ung for sharing her story, even though it must have been hard for her. Two million people were killed during the reign of the Khmer Rouge, but Loung Ung was one of the few people who had the ability and courage to share her story, which makes her account all the more valuable.