The one who killed his son and his wife
The story "Open Arms’’ centers around a Vietnamese named Thập who joins the Australians in the beginning of the story. He is described as a dangerous man and when his history is revealed it is told that he was a communism who also used to travel from one place to another, telling others about his views and trying to make them Communists as well. Every time he would leave his village, someone would take care of his wife and child. Ironically, the wife and child were in the end killed by the Communist party which Thập idolized, thus Thập being betrayed by the one people in whom he believed.
Impossible
The story told in "Mr. Green’’ is from the perspective of a young woman born and raised in Vietnam. As she grew up, she moved to the USA with her husband and children and took with her a parrot that was important for her grandfather. When she was a little child, the narrator was thought that for a soul to be happy in the afterlife, the living have to pray for the wellbeing of the soul. Because the narrator loved her grandfather, she assured him she will continue to pray for him so his soul could find peace. When the grandfather heard her day this, he told her it is impossible because she is a woman and thus her prayers have no value. Ironically, even though she was told there was nothing she could do, the narrator continued to care for the parrot after the grandfather died and pray for him, being the only person in her family who did that.
Worshiping the dead while Catholics
One of the ironic element found almost in every story is the idea that the Vietnamese mentioned in the stories continue to worship their ancestors and to build shrines for them in the countries where they moved. This is ironic because most of them are Catholics, a religion which is against worshiping the dead which are not mentioned in the Bible. Thus, according to Catholicism, the Vietnamese who worship their dead loved ones are committing a sin.
A bargirl once more
In the story "Fairy Tale’’, the narrator wants to leave Vietnam and dreams of coming to America and becoming a housewife. The narrator wanted to have a husband and do everything she can to take care of a house and do household chores. Ironically, after she arrives in America, the narrator starts prostituting herself once more, thus resorting back to the life she once had.
Not my name
One of the ironic elements in the story ‘’Crickets’’ has to do with names. Ted is a Vietnamese immigrant who is affected when those around him refuse to call him by his real name and give him an American name. When Ted has a son, he gives him an American name, Bill. This is ironic especially when considering how he claimed to be feeling when someone would not get his name right.
