‘The Sympathizer’ by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Storytelling:
The story is a firsthand, therefore experiential and accurate recording of Vietnamese wartime events through the eyes of a young man, a Captain, a sympathizer and a double agent. The story is told from his point of view and dressed up as a confession for his actions in his role as a spy. Towards the end, his voice changes from singular to plural as he embraces that this war was not just about him, but his fellow countrymen and their collective fight for independence and freedom.
Ideas:
The theme of 1960’s Americanism is explored as he emigrates to California with his countrymen after escaping near death. He and his boss, the General, who he advises, escape from the airport on the last flight out of Vietnam, under gunfire from the Viet Kong, with loss of life of others. Secondly, he is positioned as a spy to report, to kill and to fight in skirmishes and he ends up being caught and tortured, living in total confinement for a year.
There is a stark cultural contrast drawn between the modern American with access to soda, country music and sex, against his Vietnamese strict upbringing and simplicity for everything.
The Captain’s personal hatred, because he was born a bastard, haunt him. Relationship issues with his parents tend to shape his thinking, thus reflect his self-loathing. Furthermore, he explores his guilt, due to murderous acts and is shadowed throughout with images of dead people.
Outlining:
The protagonist life’s years in the USA fill most of the chapters, taking advantage of a liberated existence, albeit in the service of his ex-General who now runs a booze shop, however the final pages reflect his life in captivity.
Motivation:
The Captain uses the creativity of Hollywood and as a director’s assistant endeavours to portray his people in a true light, advising on suitable actors, preferably Vietnamese but at least Asian, but fails miserably and his name does not even end up on the credits at the end of the completed movie. In fact, he also ends up severely injured in a set explosion and does not finish his work. It is a tale of his personal growth, and final acceptance, a restatement of his inborn cultural blueprint.
Themes around torture, rape and sex are explored with he himself becoming a victim. Knowing exactly what he is doing, he dangerously has a fling with his boss’s young daughter and loses friendship and trust.
Show vs tell:
The author writes complex thoughts in a monochrome style but interjecting with his own commentary. The names he gives his characters sometimes include an adjective like the ‘Crapulent Major,’ which sticks throughout the story. Other character names are simple mono syllabled like ‘Man,’ thus allowing his confession to remain somehow anonymous.
Style and pacing:
The pacing is painfully slow due to the long paragraphs. With a lack of dialogue tags, the reader has to wade slowly through the words with very little white space. However, the dramatic scenes become more staccato and pacing roars ahead with action and suspense driven by preservation of lives.
Star Review:
3/5