The Theme Of Love In Bao Ninh's The Sorrow Of War

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In Bao Ninh’s The Sorrow of War, follows the life of Kien during the Vietnam War and displays how his life is altered and where his loved ones have gone when the war is finally over. The original title, “Destiny of Love,” support the idea that the majority of Kien’s sorrows are not always a direct result of the war, but rather with the people he has loved and his idea of love even before the war. The main source of love that is most prominent is Kien’s childhood sweetheart, Phuong. Due to the lack of loyalty in their relationship, he becomes indecisive and is essentially betrayed of their innocent relationship. Love is an important aspect in Kien’s life, as it is essentially the only driving force he has to keep him going during the war and postwar. He idealizes love and associates it with characteristics of innocence, and complete …show more content…

Had Kien taken advantage of the night he and Phuong had together by the lake, a part of their innocence and naivety would be lost. Kien carries this idea of Phuong being so pure and delicate, and yet she is not at all as innocent as he would like to think. She is very aware of everything, as she is intelligent, rebellious, and very outspoken. She is more aware of the country’s current state as well as Kien’s own family than Kien is, and yet he still sees her as this perfect, uncorrupted being. Instead of becoming intimate with her, he shies away and snuggles against her arm “as a little boy would” and begins “suckling her” (Ninh 137). The ending of the scene during the night at the lake sounds more like a night spent between a mother and child, not two lovers. This mother and child imagery also returns to the idea of Kien seeing Phuong as innocent and he does not want to corrupt her by “accept[ing] her challenge to make love to her” (Ninh

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