The following are discussion questions for our Week 3 readings, "Volar" by Judith Ortiz Cofer and "I'd Love You to Want Me" by Nguyễn Thanh Việt.
You don't have to answer all of them. Just get the conversation going!
Volar Discussion Questions:
What do you notice about the narrative voice in “Volar”? How old do you think the narrator is when they’re telling the story, and how do you know she’s no longer 12 years old? Explain your reasoning using your knowledge of narrative voice, craft, and style.
What is the effect of the way Spanish is used both in the title and throughout the story? What might these uses of Spanish add to our understanding of the setting, the characters, and their conflicts?
Describe the setting of “Volar.” What kind of place is this, and why does the mother wish she could fly? What does the story suggest about how the characters have been shaped by their environment? About how they feel about it, and why?
I'd Love You to Want Me Questions:
A significant first line of a story is important in literary fiction. “I’d Love You to Want Me” begins with, “The first time the professor called Mrs. Khanh by the wrong name was at a wedding banquet…” Already, this sets up an interesting conflict. Explain how impactful this line was when you first read the story. Then, explain how it impacts you now that you’ve finished it.
What do you notice about the craft and style in “I’d Love You to Want Me?” How does Nguyen use imagery to paint a picture of how Mrs. Khanh feels? In other words, how does he SHOW us what she feels rather than simply TELLING us that she feels sad or jealous?
Consider the Setting in “I’d Love You to Want me.” What might be meaningful about the setting and related details? What does Nguyen gain by introducing Khanh’s son, Vinh, into the story, as well as glimpses into the Khanh family’s past? How might and might not it matter that they are refugees? That they are Vietnamese?
I especially like how Volar is an example of static characters. The mother and daughter have a beautiful parallel, suggesting that somethings do not change whether you are young or old.
I loved this lesson because I've hit one of my usual roadblocks with writing--I get an idea, but then where do I go from there. I usually think that my characters are supposed to take some drastic change, but this reminds me that we need to give ourselves permission to throw anything on to the page. A "flat" and/or "static" character might stick. Or the opposite. ...still not sure where I'm going to take mine. lol.
Volar
1. It is written from an adult perspective, one looking back with some amusement on her tween self. A twelve-year old would be unable to talk about herself with such frankness, especially about childish fantasies. The language alone (such as “incongruous”) tells us that this is a mature voice. Additionally, an adult can look back and realize that the time her parents spent in the morning was their time. Sure, she recognized their disappointment at an early age when she interrupted it but it is the adult who can translate this disappointment. It is the same adult who understands her mother’s disappointment, too.
3. The mother’s wish to fly would make it so much easier to visit her family. Her husband can’t get time off and they don’t have the money. The use of Spanish and the reference to Puerto Rico tell us that they have come from the island to the continental U.S., leaving behind their roots and family. The mother is cut off from her family in more than one sense and flying would certainly ease most of that heartache and homesickness.
I’d Love You to Want Me
1. I knew immediately what to expect within a few sentences of this short story. I can remember the first time my grandmother misspelled my name. She misspelled my name many times after that but I still remember the first time it happened and how I had stared at the letter.
The first line sets up the slowest and most terrible realization a person can come to when they love someone with dementia; there is no saving them. There are no memories to scrabble together for them because their mind won’t hold it. Mrs. Khanh, having been through so much in her life, eventually adapted to this as well. What is one more trauma? This short story sat uncomfortably with me for a few days after I read it and I expect it’ll continue to do so.
2. “Biting her lip, she fought the urge to snap off the rose,” is a perfect example of allowing the reader to see what Mrs. Khanh is feeling without simply telling us. There are a few instances in which the reader observes her thoughts, feelings, and actions without explicitly being told she’s angry, she’s sad, she’s frustrated.
...the question of who this woman was consumed her days.” and “She seasoned her eggs Benedict with three dashes of pepper, and when she was certain tht she could speak without betraying her irritation…” are also examples of this that I could see and feel so clearly.
"I'd Love You to Want Me" again seemed to play a bit with the unreliable narrator. In some ways, it seemed like the mom actually had dementia but was having to slowly be coaxed into a more secluded life with the idea that her husband was ill. While re-reading doesn't entirely support this theory, it was interesting to see the parallels between her husband's illness and her own withdrawal from society and even reality (accepting the name Yen).
I think setting this first line at a wedding was a great choice-- it juxtaposes the new, hopeful life together with a marriage that slowly faded into memory as the story progresses. I also liked how Nguyen points out that the Khanh's attend weddings out of obligation. While many share in the joy and reminisce about their own weddings, the Khanh's had an arranged marriage and Mr. Khanh was actually very shy on their honeymoon. This is not a celebration for this couple; instead, it recalls memories of awkward meetings and a less outwardly-affectionate marriage.
We really see Mrs. Khanh's emotions in her movements, often going still or hiding an upset behind a motion like drinking water.
Not only are the Khanh's dealing with the ravages of age, but they also struggle with the culture they find themselves in. Vinh seems to be trying to take care of his parents, and act as a good son by American standards, but he also is not in tune with what his mother wants and what would really bring her ease. He may struggle with dual identities, but Mrs. Khanh still feels like a Vietnam citizen, living in an alien world. As you pointed out in the lecture, she's lost her way of life once before and is now losing it again.
Volar
This feels like the musings of somewhat significantly more mature than 12, so I would guess late twenties or early thirties, at the very youngest. It doesn't have the fire or zeal of the youth. Someone in their twenties would spend more time railing against the landlord and capitalism, but this piece is more pensive like she's finally understanding her mother and seeing how similar they were even back then.
I love stories sprinkled with second languages! It adds more authenticity. Again, we see that conflict of belonging, of struggling to fit into a culture that may not have space already made for someone like you. We see this also through our narrator's need to change so much of herself to be like Supergirl rather than being able to find a strong hero in her mother or who even looks like her mother.