Survivors-“Black-eyed women”
Nguyen writes, “Fame would strike someone, usually the kind that healthy-minded people would not wish upon themselves, such as being kidnapped and kept prisoner for years, suffering humiliation in a sex scandal, or surviving something typically fatal. These survivors needed someone to help write their memoirs, and their agents might eventually come across me.” Survivors withstand disasters which are worth writing about. Writers are instrumental in survivors’ lives since through their authorship they accord the survivors the opportunity to narrate their ordeals. Psychoanalytically, the writing is tantamount to Regression which is a module of the survivors’ restoration.
Ghosts-“Black-eyed women”
Nguyen’s mother asserts, “Ghosts don’t live by our rules. Each ghost is different. Good ghosts, bad ghosts, happy ghosts, sad ghosts. Ghosts of people who die when they’re old, when they’re young, when they’re small. You think baby ghosts behave the same as grandfather ghosts?” Nguyen’s mother is convinced about the realism of the ghosts. Consequently, she convinces Nguyen about them. Her portrayal of ghosts renders them mystical beings who are disparate from orthodox humans. Ghosts are dominant symbols in Nguyen’s ‘ ghost writing’ career.
Recession- “War Years”
Nguyen’s mother asserts, “I wish I could help, Mrs. Hoa, but times are hard,” my mother said. “Our customers are cutting back on everything, what with the recession and the gas prices. And our daughter’s in college. Her tuition is like a down payment on a house every year.” She cites the recession to accentuate her argument vis-à-vis the ‘hard times ‘ characterized by inadequate finances.
