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1 The Collin College Book-In-Common Committee Presents A Teaching Guide to Accompany Loung Ungs First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers2 Contributors Betty Bettacchi Tracey Elliot Meredith Martin Kim Parker Carolyn Perry Debra St. John Cheryl Wiltse Delores Zumwalt Edited by Lauryn Angel-Cann Questions? Please contact : Lauryn Angel-Cann Betty Bettacchi Delores Zumwalt lacann@ccccd.edu bbettacchi@ccccd.edu dzumwalt@ccccd.edu
3 Table of Contents Cambodian Buddhism…………………………………………………... 4 Cambodian Culture……………………………………………………… 8 Filmography …………………………………………………………… ... 17 History ………………………………………………… ………………… 18 Literary Autobiography ………………………………………………… . 22 Political Science………………………………………………………….. 28 Sociology………………………………………………..………………... 30 Speech………………………………………………………………,…… 33 Additional Resources …………………………………………………… 37
4 Cambodian Buddhism Cheryl Wiltse Shakyamuni Buddha , the founder of Buddhism, is believed to have live d from 623-543 B.C. He was born Prince Siddhartha, heir of a rulin g family, who gave up his royal position to search for an end to all suffering. There are thre e basic types of Buddhism, and Cambodians practice Theravada Buddhism. Theravada is a toleran t, non prescriptive religion that does not require belief in a supreme being. Its precepts req uire that each individual take full responsibility for his own actions and omissions. Buddhism is base d on three concepts: dharma (the teachings of Buddha, his guide to right actions) karma (the belief that one’s life now and in future live s depends upon one’s own deeds and misdeeds; karma fo llows you), and sangha (the Buddhist community within which man can improve his karma). The fundamentals of Buddhist dogma are the Four Noble Truths : · suffering exists · desire is the cause of suffering · release from suffering can be stopped by ending all desires · enlightenment – buddhahood – can be achieved by fol lowing the Noble Eightfold Path (right views, right intentions, right speech, righ t actions, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and ri ght concentration) Buddha once said that happiness is quite simple: “ The secret is to want what you have and not want what you do not have.” At the cen ter of dharma teachings is the belief that suffering and dissatisfaction come from the way you r mind responds and reacts to life’s situations. In other words, it is not what happens to someone, it is how he or she reacts to it. So, what goes on inside you, is much more important in determining whether you are happy or miserable than any of the outer circumstances of yo ur life. Buddhism says that you have a choice in the way that you experience your life. It is all a matter of perception. Additionally, many Buddhist traditions teach their practitioners to ac tively foster love and compassion for others. Examples of how Ung Develops Buddhist Traits/Behavi or in Her Characters Chou – It is not that Chou is just naturally quiet, pas sive; in reality, she is a good Buddhist practitioner. Whenever Loung picks a fight, Chou fo rgives her. Loung says, “I know the fight was my fault, and yet Chou is not angry with me. Fo r her, the fight is over . . . I know she will always love and forgive me” (91-92). Chou practices the Buddhist tenet of actively fostering love and compassion. We see this again and again in her behavior. Loung – Even as a young child, Loung understands karma. After stealing some uncooked
5 rice, she knows there will be a consequence. “. . . bad people will come back in the next life as snakes, slugs or worms. At six years old, I know I am bad and deserve whatever low life-form I will be reincarnated as in the next life” (90). Lou ng also struggles with the atrocities she sees on a daily basis, yet she can still see beauty. After th e death of her father, Loung thinks, “. . . the wor ld is still somehow beautiful even when I feel no joy at being within it. It is still dark and the shimmering sunset of red, gold, and purple over the horizon makes the sky look magical” (102). Loung, though fallible, follows the Buddhist path. Pa – When the Khmer Rouge tells him that some of his children are going to be sent off to other work camps, you would expect a protective father to scream “No!” However, Pa responds to the news by saying, “It is good for the family to be separated” (75). Pa had once been a monk and knows that clinging to something yo u cannot control will only cause suffering. Instead, he chooses to see the good in separation. Glossary of Terms Ancestor worship – The practice of showing respect to one’s ancesto rs in the form of prayers or offerings and the belief that one’s ance stors can help you in this life. Angkor Thom – It is a quadrangle of defensive walls totaling 1 2 kilometers that once protected the Khmer capital of the same name (Angko r Thom means "Great City"). Built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, the walls are d ivided by two axes running north-south and east-west. Angkor Wat – It is a temple complex built in the 12 th century located 314 kilometers from Phnom Penh, often called one of the seven wonders o f the world. Buddha – The word literally means the “awakened” or “enli ghtened” one. Dragon/Monkey – The Chinese zodiac consists of a 12-year lunar c ycle with 12 animal symbols, having unique characteristics that corresp ond to the year you are born. The symbols are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep , monkey, rooster, dog, and pig respectively. Gods – Cambodians have a pantheon of gods, many Taoist deities, and many more directly associated with Buddha. These incarnations , avatars, or manifestations of Buddha seem confusing. However, if you think of the Catholic re ligion with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost as “manifestations” of the one God, then it is easier to understand. Hungry Ghost – It is one of the six levels of existence in Budd hism, dooms to frustration, thwarted desires, and unsatisfied crav ings even in the next life because of past transgressions, the Scrooges of the world.
6 Karma – The belief that one’s actions determine prosperit y or suffering in this life and the next life. Sangha – The word means Buddhist community Possible Assignments Relating Buddhism to the Novel · Brief individual or group oral presentations on the significance and history of ancestor worship. · Paper assignments: Discuss the idea of “karma” as it relates to one or more characters in the novel. Analyzing Pa, discuss how he follows the Eight-fold path in the novel. Compare the characteristics of the Chinese zodiac “ dragon,” the most auspicious of all zodiac signs, to Loung’s characteristics. Literary analysis: Using the idea of bildungsroman (the journey of inn ocence to knowledge), discuss how Loung changes over time. Using Loung as an example, demonstrate how she is r eally an anti-hero (anti- Buddhist) in many ways.
7 Websites of Interest http://countrystudies.us/cambodia/48.htm (Library of Congress) http://www.kambodscha-botschaft.de/buddhism.html (Royal Embassy of Cambodia) http://britannica.com/ebc/art-82639 (Encyclopedia Britannica & video) http://www.angkorwat.org (Angkor Wat) http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/angkor/angkorth omindex.htm (Angkor Thom) Collin Library Resources General catalog: Beth Osnes: Acting: An International Encyclopedia (2001) Rudolph Wurlitzer: Hard Travel to Sacred Places (1994) net.Library: Stephen C. Berkwitz: Buddhism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspective s ( 2006) Karma Lekshe Tsomo: Buddhist Women Across Cultures ( 1999) Nancy J. Smith Hefner: Khmer American (1999) Aihwa Ong: Buddha Is Hiding: Refugees * Citizenship * The New America (2003) Articles: Scott Simon: Interview “Loung Ung, author of First They Killed My Father,” discusses her book and atrocities that took place under the K hmer Rouge regime.” Academic Search Premier “Loung Ung” Literature Resource Center Jon Swain: Interview “I always knew I’d find my si ster again.” InfoTrac Other Resources Clare Griffiths: Insight Guides: Laos & Cambodia (2006) Ian Harris: Cambodian Buddhism: History and Practice (2005) Jonathan Landaw and Stephan Bodian: Buddhism for Dummies (2003)
8 Cambodian Culture Betty Bettacchi Architecture The architectural jewel of Cambodia is located in A ngkor, the capital of the Khmer Kingdom from the ninth century. Built in the first half of the twelfth century, it is the largest religious building in the world, and th e most famous temple (wat) in Cambodia. Angor Wat is the Khmer's attempt to represent the u niverse in architectural form. The temple is surrounded by a moat over 200 yards w ide. Its five towers are meant to resemble Mt. Meru, the home of the gods. Today, a combination of neglect, structural weaknes s and the invasion of strangling trees, threaten the survival of the temple. (Izu) Field Trip Believe it or not, you can see a replica of the tem ple right here in Dallas. A member of Cambodia's royal family has spent more then a ye ar recreating the temple, using 500 to 1,000 year old stones and statues imported f rom Cambodia. The temple is located at 5701 Crystal Lake Blvd. in southwest Dal las.
9 Possible assignments: Discuss architectural materials used in building th e temple Discuss Theravada Buddhist religion Compare Angor Wat to another famous religious examp les of architecture RELIGION Most Cambodians today practice Theravada Buddhism. The ultimate goal of Theravada Buddhism is nirvana or extinction of all desire and suffering to reach the final stage of reincarnation. By feeding monks, gi ving donations to temples and regular worship at the local wat, Buddhists hope to acquire sufficient merit to reduce the number of rebirths. Every Buddhist male is expected to become a monk fo r a short period in his life-- usually between the time he finishes school and sta rts a career or marries. The monks shave their heads, wear yellow robes, bar e the right shoulder and go barefoot. They take vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience. They depend on the kindness of others for their food and clothing. Although the monks are highly regarded as religious leaders, they are also instrumental for helping those in need. Through th e Buddhist Leadership Initiative, UNICEF works closely with the government and intern ational partners to train monks to support the special needs of people affect ed by HIV. Working in harmony with the Buddhist principles of self-discipline, wi sdom and compassion, UNICEF and its partners are helping monks to be more than just advocates for orphans, children or families affected with HIV/AIDS. They are now at the forefront of HIV awareness in Cambodia.
10 Possible Assignments: Research what other community activities the Buddhi sts in Cambodia are engaged in. Research Theravada Buddhists in Texas. LITERATURE "The Khmer word, aksarsastra, generally defined as "literature," comes from the base, aksar , meaning letter or script. In addition to what we would think of as literature, the study of texts, the word also has the connotati on of the study of writing, of "letters." Thus studies of aksarsastra generally begin with the study of Khmer stone inscriptions. The earliest of these were written b etween the 16th and l9th century." However, the stylized language, along with the use of complex rhyme schemes and archaic language makes these works difficult to rea d. Many of the texts were memorized by professional storytellers who would tr avel around giving performances. During a renaissance of classical Khmer literature in the mid 20th century, scholars began to collect and study and then publish some of the best known Khmer works. Although the advent of printing enabled production of a large amount of classical literature, buying books, even attending school, wa s available to only a very limited portion of the population. Radio was a major facto r in disseminating the stories across the country. Reuang Preng , folktales, have been told for centuries. Some of the stories may have been written as early as the fifteenth century on p alm leaf and then recopied, but were not generally written until the early 20th century. These stories were usually committed to memory by storytellers. A collaborati on of French and Buddhists collected the stories and published them between 19 67 and 1971. These folktales show how clever animals-particularly monkeys and ha res-can outwit slower, more powerful animals like elephants and crocodiles. Th e tales, Tmenh Chey is the most famous, show adventurers surviving hardship and hum iliation by using their wits. (Chandler) Most of Cambodia's literature is tied in with Buddh ism or myth and legend The first novels written in prose appeared in the l ate l930's, with many of the works published as series in newspapers. Between 1950 an d 1975 approximately 1,000 novels were published. There are several memoirs from the Cambodian Diaspo ra, tales of death and near death. To get a taste for other types of Cambodian literature, material written before
11 and after the Khmer regime, there is In the Shadow of Angkor, Contemporary Writing from Cambodia edited by Sharon May and Frank Steward. It conta ins short stories, essays, poems, interviews, folktales and even rap lyrics Possible Assignments: Discuss the similarities/differences between Khmer folktales and those of other countries. Compare/contrast Khmer folktales concerning clever animals with tales of clever animals in US literature. Dance Cambodian dance follows a thousand year old traditi on, drawn originally from Indian models, and has always been associated with the roy al palace. Dances depict scenes from Cambodian folklore and from Indian myths like the Ramayana. In classical Cambodian dance, women, dressed in bri ghtly colored costumes with elaborate headdresses, perform slow, graceful movem ents accompanied by a percussion ensemble known as the pinpeat. These pi npeat include drums, gongs, and bamboo xylophones.
12 The Royal Ballet in Phnom Penh specialized in class ical, highly stylized dances. In the countryside other dramatic genres and folk danc es were performed at festivals and weddings by wandering troupes. The national cl assical ballet was reconstituted in the early 1980's by a few surviving dancers. The R oyal University of Fine Arts has been integral to the resurrection of Cambodian cla ssical music and dance following their virtual extermination in the l970's. (Britan nica) [for hand gestures: http://www.folkloreproject.org/programs/education/d ance/hands.cfm] Possible Assignments: Compare/contrast Cambodian Royal Ballet with Americ an ballet. Compare/contrast Cambodian dance of the l980's and that of today.
13 MUSIC Cambodian music has a long tradition. The bas-refl iefs on some of the monuments in the Angkor region depict musicians and apsara holding instruments similar to Khmer instruments of today. Traditionally, music a ccompanied a performance which had religious significance. Pin peat is a musical ensemble which is played at religious and entertainment functions. To listen to a elements of a virtual pin peat ensemble, log onto www.research.umbc.edu/efhm/cambodia/pinpeat.htm. After the war Khmers in America developed a pop ind ustry which was later exported back to Cambodia, where it is extremely popular. In 2001, Prach Ly, a Cambodian-American who left Ca mbodia when he was four years old, made a CD of Cambodian rap, titled The K hmer Rouge. He did it, he states in an article, because, "I had aunts and unc les who were killed. My parents almost died, too, and they remind me of that every day" (AsiaWeek) Possible Assignments: Research pin peat instruments and compare to US ins truments. How did Khmer music begin? What are the earliest references to Khmer music? What is the difference between early music and cont emporary music?
14 ART The civilization of the ancient Khmer in Cambodia i s renowned for its extraordinary art and architecture of the sixth to the sixteenth centuries. The three chief periods of Khmer civilization are defined as pre-Angkor (befor e the 9th century), Angkor (9th- 15 century) and post-Angkor (after the Thai invasio n in 1431. The Khmer empire created one of the world's most glorious traditions of sculpture and architecture. The hundreds of Hindu and Buddhist temples constructed at Angkor and throughout Cambodia reflect the strong influence of the cultur e and religions of India. (NGA) Today, Cambodian artists who have lived abroad ofte n absorb both Asian and Western influences. Artists, such as Monirith Chhe a and Emmanuel Nhean express the pain of the killing fields in their contemporar y work, while other artists, like Narath Tan and Svay Pithoubandith continue in the t raditional Khmer style.
15 Possible Assignments: Research biographies of Cambodian artists working i n the US and in Cambodia. Discuss the various styles of Khmer art.
16 BIBLIOGRAPHY Chandler, David P. The Land and People of Cambodia. New York. Harper Collins. 1991 Chon, Gina. "Hard Rap on the Rouge." AsiaWeek. April 20, 2001. Vol 27 No 15 Encyclopedia Britannica online. http://www.britan nica.com. July 17, 2007 Izu, Keno. Passage to Angkor. Santa Fe. Channel Photographics. 2003 Jackson, :Karl D. Ed. 1975-1978: Rendezvous with Death. Princeton, N.J. Princeton University Press. 1989 Legerwood, Judy. "Cambodian Literature." www.seasite.niu.edu/crossroads/ledgerwood/Camb odianLiterature.htm National Gallery of Art. Washington, DC. http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/cambodia Shapiro, Tony. "Cambodian.Folktales." www.einaudi,cornell.edu/SoutheastAsia/outreach/reso urces/CambodiaWebUnit/fol ktales.html Steward, Frank and Sharon May, Eds. In the Shadow of Angkor: Contemporary Writing from Cambodia. Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press. 2004 UNICEF. http://unicef.org/infobycountry/cambodia_3 9935.html
17 Filmography Carolyn Perry Nice Hat! 5 Enigmas in the Life of Cambodia, dir. David Brisbin, 2006 Holy Lola, dir. Bertrand Tavernier, 2004 Le Papier ne peut pas envelopper la braise, dir Rit hy Panh, 2007 Les Artistes du Théâtre Brûlé, dir. Rithy Panh, 200 5 S-21, la machine de mort Khmère rouge, dir Rithy Pa nh, 2003... aka S21: The Khmer Rouge Death Machine (International: English title) ... aka S21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine (USA: festival title) Les Gens d'Angkor, dir. Rithy Panh, 2003 ... aka Th e People of Angkor (International: English title) Que la barque se brise, que la jonque s'entrouvre, dir. Rithy Panh, 2001 La Terre des âmes errantes, dir. Rithy Panh, 2000.. . aka The Land of the Wandering Souls (International: English title) Un soir après la guerre, dir. Rithy Panh, 1998... a ka One Evening After the War (USA) Bophana, une tragédie cambodgienne, dir. Rithy Panh , 1996 Neak sre, dir. Rithy Panh, 1994... aka Gens de la r izière, Les ... aka Reisfeld, Das (Germany) ... aka Rice People Cambodia, entre guerre et paix , dir. Rithy Panh, 1 99
18 History Meredith Martin Discussion Questions: 1. Define the terms politicide, autogenocide and genoc ide. Are these terms interchangeable? Of the three, which most closely d escribes the events in Cambodia from 1975-1978? Are such terms synonymous with ‘ethnic cleansing’? Explain your opinion. 2. What internal and external influences and factors l ed to the war in Cambodia? Explain Prince Sihanouk’s policy of neutrality? 3. How did this book increase your appreciation of civ il rights and personal freedoms? Has this book changed your respect for th e rule of law and due process? Explain how? 4. How has this book increased you understanding of th e importance of effective governing? Explain why or why not? 5. What ideological rhetoric or process of indoctrinat ion was used by the Khmer Rouge to try and give Cambodians a new sense of nat ional identity? How did they blend Maoist Communism and Cambodian culture? Why did this regime detest Western influence and fear/loath the outside interlopers? Why was there such a fear of infiltration by the CIA, KGB o r Vietnamese operatives? 6. Are there any similarities to be drawn between Andr ew Jackson’s Cherokee Removal, Adolf Hitler’s Final Solution and Pol Pot’ s Khmer Rouge regime? Explain. 7. Do you think Americans were oblivious or naive conc erning the problems in Southeast Asia from 1975-1978? Research this questi on. 8. How did the war differ for families living in urban areas versus rural areas? Educated versus uneducated? Explain the different e xperiences during the war because of gender?
19 9. Explain the term ‘assimilation’. Is this term often used in association with genocide and ethnic cleansing? Think of different p eriods in U.S./World History when the same practice was applied. Was res istance futile for the Ung family? 10. Did you sympathize with Ung’s eventual desire to as similate into American culture? Why? Was this desire a betrayal of her fam ily and her culture? Explain.(Question from publisher, Harper Collins) 11. Explain the statement, “war turns men (generic man) into ghastly agents of terror.” Does this statement apply to the both the Khmer Rouge and the author? Explain your opinion. 12. Ultimately, Cambodia was liberated with the help an d assistance of what nation? Explain using specific detail. Does this f act change your views on U.S. intervention or interference? Explain why? 13. What role, if any, do citizens of humanity and thei r governments have in trying to end violent regimes who commit acts of racial cl eansing and genocide? 14. Over the course of history, are civilians ever ‘fai r game’ during a time of war? Explain. 15. Did the Khmer Rouge employ the same interrogation tactics as other rouge regimes or legitimate global powers? Did their meth od of division and terror mirror any of activities undertaken during the inte rrogations at Abu Goraib and Guantanamo Bay? Is this methodology ever accept able? Explain your opinion?
20 Suggestions for Additional Reading and Reflection David Chandler. Voices from S-21: Terror and History in Pol Pot's Secret Prison. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. ____________. Brother Number One: A Political Biography of Pol Po t, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1993. Pran Dith, compiler and Kim DePauler, ed. Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs of Survivors , New Haven: Yale Southeast Asia Studies Monograph Series, 1997. Chanrithy Him. When Broken Glass Floats: Growing up under the Khme r Rouge. New York: Norton, W. W. & Company, 2001. Ben Kiernan, ed. Blood and Soil: A World History of Genocide and Ext ermination from Sparta to Darfur . ______________. The Pol Pot Regime: Race, Power and Genocide in Cam bodia under the
21 Khmer Rouge, New Haven: Yale, 1996. Henri Locard. Pol Pot's Little Red Book: The Sayings of Angkar. Foreword by David Chandler. Chang Mai: Silkworm Books, 2005. Michael Mann. The Dark Side of Democracy: Explaining Ethnic Clea nsing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Nicolaus Mills and Kira Brunner, eds. The New Killing Fields: Massacre and the Politics of Intervention. New York: Basic Books, 2001 Websites Cambodia: A Photo Gallery http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/photos.htm Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project www.dithpran.org Killing Fields Museum http://www.killingfieldsmuseum.com/news/news1.html NGOs Forum on Cambodia http://www.ngoforum.org.kh/index.htm UN Charter http://www.uichr.org/ UN Bulletin of Human Rights, Human Rights in Action http://www.ohchr.org/english/countries/field/docs/t errain.pdf UN Declaration of Human Rights http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/ UN TRANSITIONAL AUTHORITY IN CAMBODIA ( UNTAC) http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/co_mission/untac. htm University of Iowa Center for Human Rights http://www.uichr.org/ University of Maine Witnesses to Horror: Killing Fields Survivors Oral History Project http://www.usm.maine.edu/mcr/currents/nov02/witness _to_horror.html
22 Literary Autobiography Delores Zumwalt “Language creates illusions that tell the truth. . .All autobiographies create the illusion of the past coming to life . . .When formulated in words, autobiographical creation is literary art” (Mandel 63). Fundamentally, autobiography is defined by literary critics as an organized narrative of the author’s life prepared for an audience with an emphasis on introspection. As the narrator becomes his / her own subject, this ge nre takes multiple forms ranging from intimate diaries, journals, and letters (usual ly not intended for public scrutiny) to formal autobiography, memoirs, and reminiscences in tended for publication. The highly subjective nature of the genre leaves it open to broad critical analyses. Most cite its genesis with Augustine’s Confessions (430 AD), while others consider some classical works by Hesiod, Plato, Ovid and Cic ero as autobiographical. A few autobiographical works appeared in the Renaissance; a notable example is Margery Kempe’s Book of Margery Kempe (1432-1436). The earliest instances of the use of the English te rm, “autobiography” occurred first in a review published in the British Monthly Review (1797) and in an article authored by Robert Southey in the Quarterly Review (1809). The use of the term coincides with a flourishing of the genre in the late eighteenth cen tury, probably due to the Romantic emphasis on the individual and the individual’s rol e in society. Rousseau’s Confessions (1764-70), Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography (1793), and Gibbon’s Memoirs (1796) exemplify this movement. The term “autobiography” first appeared in a title with the 1832 edition of The Autobiography of Thomas Shepard , a Puritan cleric who penned his life story two hundred years earlier under the titl e, My Birth and Life . In like manner, Franklin’s life story appeared first under the titl e, The Private Life of the Late Benjamin Franklin . Consequently, Charles Berryman asserts, “The inv ention of ‘autobiography’ as a critical term marks the birth of a genre—not i n practice, of course, which goes back at least as far as Augustine, but in theory wh ich has been called forth by the act of definition” (72). Twentieth century autobiographical works expanded t he distinctions and limitations of the genre as authors began borrowing modes of fi ction to write their stories of life experience. The melding of fiction and personal ex perience—often written in the guise of fiction—is the hallmark of such works, as in Maxine Hong Kingstons’ Woman Warrior (1975). Writers of metafiction, like Kurt Vonnegu t, further blurred the boundaries of fiction and autobiography with wo rks like Slaughterhouse-Five (1969). The critic William Spengemann views such works as m irroring “changing ideas about
23 the nature of self” (xii). He chronicles the evolu tion of the genre of autobiography in three broad stages he calls: history, philosophy, a nd poetry—the latter reflects the evolving nature of autobiography in the twentieth c entury as it assumes the symbolic characteristics of the novel. Autobiographical works are often categorized as fol lows: Thematic: The Americanization of Edward Bok , 1920 & Mein Kampf , 1925- 1927 Religious: Augustine’s Confessions, 430 AD & John Cardinal Newman’s Apologia , 1864 Intellectual: John Stuart Mill’s Autobiography, 1873 & The Education of Henry Adams , 1907 Fictionalized: James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man , 1916 & George Santayana’s The Last Puritan, 1935 References: A Handbook to Literature , Holman & Harmon; A Glossary of Literary Terms , Abrams; and Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature “Writing autobiography is one of the strategies hum an beings have developed to make life matter. The way in which the illusion of the past is presented is, finally, the meaning of the author’s life” (Mandel 64). Suggested Class Activities and Assignments Literature classes: · Group oral presentations on assigned autobiographical works that represent key categories of the genre, such as: the spiritual autobiography (Augustine’s Confessions or John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners ); secular autobiography (The Education of Henry Adams , or The Autobiography of Malcolm X ); autobiography of artistic identity (Wordsworth’s Prelude or James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man ); autobiographical novel (Kingston’s Woman Warrior or Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five ); autobiographical letters / journals not intended for publication ( Pepys Diaries or Dorothy Wordsworth’s Journals). · Group oral presentations that focus on the examination of several examples of one particular type of multicultural autobiograp hy, such as the slave narrative or immigrant memoirs.
24 · Paper Assignment : use one particular convention of literary autobio graphy (such as introspection or identity assessment) as t he basis for a critical analysis of First They Killed my Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. · Paper Assignment : compare First They Killed my Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers and one other autobiography—ground the comparison in two or three literary elements presented in class. · Paper Assignment : social / cultural context is central to the setti ng of most autobiographies; select one particular element of t he social / cultural context of an autobiography (such as religion, war, or a pa rticular political, social or environmental movement) and evaluate its impact on the narrator and his / her purpose in writing the life story. Social / cu ltural context can also serve as the basis for a comparison of another memoir to Ung ’s. “Augustine and Cowper, Rousseau and Montaigne—all o f these writers disclose their sense of their own reality in their self-portraits. Because their (and our) reality is largely rooted in the shared assumptions of our cul ture, the written autobiography becomes a formal mode of maintaining the reality of reality” (Mandel 72). Composition Classes: · Paper Assignment—Analysis: profile Ung’s target audience; identify specific rhetorical devices she uses to appeal to that audie nce and evaluate her use of them. · Paper Assignment —Analysis: consider the concept of voice as it relates to purpose; as an adult, Ung writes her memoir in the voice of a child. . .why? Avoid the obvious (she was a child at the time of t he experience), and consider the effect of the child’s voice on her audience—how does this help her to achieve and communicate purpose? What specifically is her purpose in writing her memoir? A useful assignment to help students u nderstand the necessary confluence of various rhetorical strategies in effe ctive composition. · Paper Assignment—Argument: research the landmine issue that is central to Ung’s activism; develop either a position or a poli cy (plan / solution) argument that relates to one specific element of the issue (such as the impact on a particular geographical region or demographic group ); take care to narrow your argument to a topic that is manageable—avoid the fa llacies of oversimplification and generalization
25 · Paper Assignment—Argument: how effective is personal memoir in shaping social / political policy? Are other modes, such a s public dialectic (debates, forums, etc.), broadcast journalism, or special int erest promotions better suited to the task? Take a position and support it with s pecific, research-based data Literary Autobiography: Selected Critical Bibliograph y Ashley, Kathleen, Leigh Gilmore, and Gerald Peters, eds. Autobiography and Postmodernism . Amherst: U of Massachusetts P, 1994. Bergland, Betty Ann. “Representing Ethnicity in Autobiography: N arratives of Opposition.” The Yearbook of English Studies 24 (1994): 67-93. Berryman, Charles. “Critical Mirrors: Theories of Autobiogra phy.” Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature 32 (March 1999): 71-84. Couser, G. Thomas. “Genome and Genre: DNA and Life Writing. ” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 24 (Winter 2001): 185-96. Dalziell, Rosamund, ed. Selves Crossing Cultures: Autobiography and Globali sation. Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2002. Egan, Susanna. Mirror Talk: Genres of Crisis in Contemporary Autob iography. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1999. Eakin, Paul John. American Autobiography, Retrospect and Prospect . Madison: U of Wisconsin P, 1991. - - -.. “Breaking Rules: The Consequences of Self-Narrati on.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 24 (Winter 2001): 113-27. - - -.. How Our Lives Become Stories: Making Selves . Ithaca: Cornell U. P., 1999. - - -. “What Are We Reading When We Read Autobiography?” Narrative 12 (May 2004): 121-32. Fleishman, Avrom. Figures of Autobiography: The Language of Self-Writ ing. Berkeley: U of California P, 1983. Holden, Philip. “Other Modernities: National Autobiography and Gl obalization." Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly , 28 (Winter 2005): 89-103.
26 Kennedy, Helen. “Technobiography: Researching Lives, Online and O ff.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 26 (Winter 2003): 120-39. Leibowitz, Herbert. Fabricating Lives: Explorations in American Autobio graphy. New York: Knopf, 1989. Mandel, Barrett, J. “Full of Life Now.” Autobiography: Essays Theoretical and Critical . Ed. James Olney. Princeton, Princeton UP, 1980. 49-72. Olney, James, ed. Autobiography: Essays Theoretical and Critical . Princeton: Princeton UP, 1980. - - -. Metaphors of Self: The Meaning of Autobiography . Princeton: Princeton UP, 1972. - - -, ed. Studies in Autobiography . New York: Oxford UP, 1988. Sayre, Robert F. “The Proper Study—Autobiographies in America n Studies.” American Quarterly 29 (1977): 241-262. Spengemann, William. The Forms of Autobiography: Episodes in the History of a Literary Genre . New Haven: Yale UP, 1980. Spicer, Jakki. “The Author Is Dead, Long Live the Author: A utobiography and the Fantasy of the Individual." Criticism: A Quarterly for Literature and the Arts 47 (Summer 2005): 387-403. Wachter, Phyllis E. “Annual Bibliography of Works about Life W riting, 2003-2004.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 27 (Fall 2004): 751-844. Wachter, Phyllis E. William Todd Schultz. “Annual Bibliogr aphy of Works about Life Writing, 2000-2001.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 24 (Fall 2001): 827-916. - - -.. “Annual Bibliography of Works about Life Writing, 200 1-2002.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 25 (Fall 2002): 593-671. - - -. “Annual Bibliography of Works about Life Writing, 2002 -2003.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 26 (Fall 2003): 625-711. - - -.. “Annual Bibliography of Works about Life Writing, 200 4-2005.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 28 (Fall 2005): 558-676. Wallach, Jennifer Jensen. “Building A Bridge of Words: The Literary Autobiography as Historical Source Material.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 29 (Summer 2006): 446-61. Zalis, Elayne. “At Home in Cyberspace: Staging Autobiographic al Scenes.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 26 (Winter 2003): 84-119.
27 Zinsser, William, ed. Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir . Boston: Mariner Books, 1998. Zuern, John, ed. Introduction. “Screening Moments, Scrolling Liv es: Diary Writing on the Web.” Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 26 (Winter 2003): v-xxv. “Readers turn to autobiography to satisfy a need for verifying a fellow human being’s experience of reality. They achieve satisfaction when they f eel strongly that the book is true to the experience of the author and when they are aware, to a le sser degree, that the book is an achievement of literary construction, making use of pretense as a way of highlighting its opposite, reality” (Mandel 58).
28 Political Science Debra St. John Discussion Questions: What is ethnic cleansing and genocide? Why does et hnic cleansing and genocide happen? How might genocide be prevented? The concept of ethnic cleansing is not new. Do you believe that it is becoming more common, or do you believe that the media has enable s to simply become more aware? Why? Who are the Khmer Rouge? What fundamental problems existed in the Khmer Rouge's plan that caused the destruction of so many lives? Were there any values that the Khmer Rouge claimed to hold that you share? Who was Pol Pot? How did he gain his political pow er? Khmer Rouge, previously a weak guerrilla force run by disenfranchised leftist politicians, grew in the wake of the bombings, as e ach attack on Cambodian land legitimized their virulent hatred of Sihanouk. Wha t country was responsible for the bombings? And what were the justifications for the action? How much did the American presence (or lack thereof ) influence key events in this book? What was the political/foreign policy role of the U nited States regarding Cambodia? Who liberated the Cambodian people from the Khmer R ouge? What are the challenges of justice related to convi cting war criminals? What does Ung's chapter "The Execution" tell us abo ut the importance of justice? Was the execution just - why or why not, i n your opinion? What does Cousin Cheung's encounter with the soldie rs who suspect her of being Khmer Rouge reveal about the political situation in Cambodia after the end of the war? With armed struggle a reality of life for people al l over the world both past and present, how does one draw the line as to which mea ns are ethical and unethical for
29 coping with it, such as the author's current campai gn against the use of landmines? Are there other tools of war that you believe shoul d be broadly banned? How has the legacy of the Khmer Rouge shaped the co untry; it’s people and the political and economic institutions that govern Cam bodia today? List four examples of ethnic cleansing that has occ urred in the 19 th-21 st Centuries. What influence or the lack thereof has the U.S. Gov ernment had regarding ethnic cleaning in Bosnia? Darfur?
30 Sociology Tracey Elliot Discussion Questions: 1. Identify cultural elements throughout the book such as norms (folkways and mores), values, beliefs, and symbols. 2. Define social institutions. What social institution s were altered or destroyed by the Khmer Rouge? For what purpose? 3. What do we learn about deviance as a social constru ct from the book? What types of behavior where defined as deviant by the A ngkar? Why? What forms of social control did the Angkar use? 4. Give examples from the book of forced assimilation, expulsion, cultural genocide, prejudice, stereotyping, and discriminati on. 5. Describe the “ideal” society the Khmer Rouge claime d it wanted to create. Are there any values that the Khmer Rouge claimed to ho ld that you share? 6. In the new “classless” society, a system of stratif ication still existed. Explain and describe the structure of this stratification s ystem. Include discussions of status value, base people, new people, how labor wa s divided, and how goods and resources were distributed. 7. Why did the Khmer Rouge consider people from the co untryside to be model citizens? How did they see urban people? 8. What changes were made to the use of verbal and non verbal symbols in order to remove rank and status divisions? Give examples of language and dress norms. 9. Do you believe it is possible to have a classless s ociety? Why or why not? 10. What was the significance of race/ethnicity through out Ung’s story?
31 11. How are gender roles depicted in the book before an d during the war? How did the experiences of the male and female Ung fami ly members differ? 12. How does Ung’s perception of herself change through out the story? How does her cultural/ethnic identity develop? 13. Explain how Ung attempted to assimilate into Americ an culture. How would you explain Ung’s desire to assimilate into America n culture and her disconnect from her family in Cambodia? 14. Using the sociological imagination, reflect on the similarities and differences in your childhood and that of Ung. How would your life , personality, choices, and beliefs be different if you were raised in a si milar social situation as Ung? 15. Discuss how the Khmer Rouge trained children as sol diers. What methods were used to socialize the children as soldiers? Re search other examples of the use child soldiers in other parts of the world. 16. Research if the United States had any role in the K hmer Rouge's rise to power. What kinds of action did the U.S. government take b efore and during the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields campaign? 17. Research the Ottawa Treaty (also referred to as the Mine Ban Treaty or the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpili ng, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destr uction.) Explain the purpose of the treaty. What countries have signed t he treaty? What is the U.S. position on the treaty? 18. Research the legal definition of "genocide." Did th e Khmer Rouge commit genocide in Cambodia? What is “auto-genocide?” Have other Twentieth Century countries committed genocide? Which ones, w hen, and against whom? 19. Research recent news accounts to learn of the curre nt situation regarding trials and punishment for those who took part in the Killi ng Fields. Should they be brought to trial? Why or why not? 20. Research the International Criminal Court (ICC). W hat is the United States position on ICC? Do you agree with this position? Why or why not?
32 Additional Sources for Discussion: Yale University: Cambodian Genocide Program http://www.yale.edu/cgp/ Original documents on U.S. involvement in Cambodia Racial Discrimination in the Cambodian Genocide, by Liai Duong (GSP Working Paper No. 34, 2006) http://www.yale.edu/cgp/RacialDiscriminationInDK.do c Paper examining whether the Khmer Rouge implemented racially discriminatory policies towards Cambodia’s minority groups. Focus is on the Vietnamese, Chams, and Chinese. PBS Frontline World http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/cambodia/ Includes historical analysis and stories from Cambo dian-Americans. Scott Erb blog (Associate Professor of Political Sc ience, University of Maine at Farmington) http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/~erb/govern.htm Addresses questions of how societies should be gove rned. A good starting point to discuss the work of Marx as an ideal and applied reality. “Neither Marx nor Rousseau would have countenanced big government communism, it denied the concern each had for indiv idual liberation. Their insights were powerful and they remain relevant; th e lesson brought by the way people tried to actualize Marx proves that the stat e and governmental power is not a way to solve the problems they identify. …Just as communism was evil, it is evil for people to ignore the suffering and poverty of t he third world. It is evil for people to rationalize the use of sweat shops out of some abstract goal of long term economic gain, dismissing the sanctity of the humans involved.” Genocide Watch http://www.genocidewatch.org/ Blue Scarves and Yellow Stars: Classification and S ymbolization in the Cambodian Genocide by Dr. Gregory H. Stanton (Assistant Professor of L aw and of Anthropology Washington and Lee University Lexington, Virginia a nd Founder and Director, The Cambodian Genocide Project) http://www.genocidewatch.org/bluescarves.htm
33 Speech Kim Parker This year’s Book-in-Common selection – Loung Ung’s First They Killed My Father – can easily be tied in to a number of topics commonl y discussed in Speech classes. The following sections will demonstrate some of the ways that the book can fit into our discussions of each unit, and will include samp le questions and projects that might be used. These are only suggestions – please feel free to add – and share – your own ideas! Perception and Self-Concept: Loung is a child of five as the story begins. How does her perception of the Khmer Rouge takeover likely differ from that of the adults around her? How much might her story colored by the adult she has n ow become? When Loung is eight, she is sent to a camp to be tr ained as a child soldier (pp. 129-164). Discuss the messages given to the child ren about the Khmer soldiers and the Vietnamese. How are the children’ s perceptions shaped? How does this affect their self-concept and ultimat ely their behavior? Does Loung see herself as a Khmer soldier? What fa ctors do you think help her maintain her self-concept? (i.e. strong family identity, feedback from particular others, ref. p. 183). Discuss the many stereotypes presented in the book. What is the Khmer perception of educated people? People who live in cities? People who live in the country? What prejudices exist about people of other nationalities (Chinese, Vietnamese, American)? How are these ima ges used to manipulate people’s perceptions? Verbal communication: The Cambodians are given a new vocabulary of terms for addressing each other (p.60-61). What is the purpose of these new terms? Loung and the other Cambodians are taught to call t he Vietnamese the “Youns.” Later, Loung discovers that this is actua lly a derogatory term (p.
34 222) and is told to call the people among whom she now lives by the “correct” term. Discuss how language can shape and define ou r images of other people. Our texts emphasize the importance of names and of calling people what they want to be called. How does Loung’s experience rei nforce this idea? Nonverbal communication: After the Khmer takeover, new rules are instituted about clothing (p. 58-60). What is the purpose behind this? Why are the peopl e encouraged to dress alike? Is their style of dress really identical or do they find ways to emphasize their differences? If so, what types of differences are emphasized? Village leaders destroy the Ung’s clothes, includin g Loung’s red dress. What does this dress symbolize to Loung? Discuss how clo thing can reflect our culture and identity. Interpersonal communication: Conflict occurs in all interpersonal relationships. What types of interpersonal conflict occur in the Ung family? How much of the c onflict is typical and how much can be attributed to the extreme circumstances they find themselves in? Self-disclosure always carries with it some element of risk. Discuss why disclosure is especially risky for Loung and her fa mily. What effect does the limited ability to self-disclose have on Loung’s ab ility to form relationships with others outside her family? (ref. p. 41-47, al so Loung’s statement “We have all learned to be silent with our emotions.” P . 122) Intercultural communication: Loung and her family belong to one type of social c ommunity/co-culture prior to the Khmer Rouge takeover. What happens to that co-culture after the takeover? How does the loss of that part of their i dentity affect them? Loung must learn to live in cultures and co-culture s very different from what she has been used to. How does she adapt to 1) lif e in the country with her uncles 2) life in the work camps 3) life as a refug ee (in Vietnam and in the United States)? What resources does she have that help her adapt? What makes adapting difficult for her?
35 Gender Issues: Gender roles are fairly rigidly defined in Cambodia n society prior to the Khmer takeover. Describe those roles and discuss h ow they subsequently changed after the takeover. How did they remain the same? How do the gender roles as they are defined affect Loung’s relationship with her parents? With her siblings? Group dynamics: A number of small group projects could be based on the book. For example, groups could design a poster to advertise the book, or present a panel discussion on different elements of the book (see l ist of speech topics below for further ideas). Media Literacy: What did you know about the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia prior to reading this book? What helped you become aware of it? (i.e. movies, television news coverage, books)? In the United St ates, do we always have extensive media coverage of what us happening in ot her countries (i.e. wars, genocide, natural disasters)? Why or why not? (eth nocentrism) Impromptu Speech: Have the students “sell” the book. Possibly using the Motivated Sequence, students can explain to their peers why they should purchase and read the book and/or how the book will benefit them. Informative Speech: Have students research various aspects of the book – see potential topics below – and present their findings to the class for an informative speech assignment. (It might be best to have students cho ose from a list of topics so that there isn’t too much duplication.) Once the s peeches are completed, the class will have a much better understanding of the issues alluded to within the book and a much stronger appreciation for what Loun g and her family endured.
36 Speech Topics Related to the Book (NOT an inclusive list!) Khmer Rouge Landmines Thailand Biography of author Author’s other books Vietnam Cambodian history Cambodia today Pol Pot Child soldiers Communism Lon Nol Angkor Wat Genocide Prince Sihanouk Dysentery Buddhism Chinese mythology Chinese New Year Phnom Penh Monsoons Chinese food Angkar Malnutrition Vietnam War Abused Women’s Advocacy Project Campaign for a Landmine Free World Persuasive Speeches Potential topics related to the book include Landmines Genocide Rape (especially as a tool of war) Child soldiers Any issue related to refugees The need to become informed about international iss ues The dangers of ethnocentrism It might be difficult to have all students do persu asive speeches that relate to the book as the topics are more limited, but they could certainly be given the option of doing so.
37 A ddi tional R esources Collin College Databases: Go to the College home page at www.ccccd.edu. At the Quick Links drop down menu on the right of the page scroll down to Library (LRC). Click on the Find Articles--Journals, Magazines, Newspapers, and more. Project Muse can be found by clicking on the letter P in the alphabetical listing at the top of the page. When in Project Muse – type in “Surviving the Peace” as a title\ search Academic Search Complete: click the letter A in the alphabetical listing at the top of the page. Click the Full Text box and type in "Coming to Terms with the Past: Cambodia" Academic Search Complete: Click the Full Text box and type in "Surviving the Killing Fields" For a review of the movie; "The Killing Fields" go to : http://globalvillage.pepperdine.edu/k.htm Text Talk on the novel First They Killed My Father from The Age Education http://www.education.theage.com.au/pagedetail.asp?intpageid=1188&strsection=stude nts&intsectionid=3