Phuong as a Metaphor for the Direction in Kien’s Life in The Sorrow of War Ishira Parikh 12th Grade

In 1991, Bao Ninh published his novel with the title Thân Phận Của Tình Yêu, or The Destiny of Love in accordance with North Vietnamese regulations to publish material that only glorified the war, reflecting Ho Chi Minh's fervent patriotism to unify Vietnam. However, while The Destiny of Love has the implication of ending in a positive manner, Ninh uses a disjointed narrative to reveal the stark contrast of Kien's personality before and after the war, when his childhood love Phuong leaves him. The Vietnamese word “phương” even translates to “way” or “direction.” Through the contrast in Kien’s personality, Ninh portrays a realistic view of the Vietnam War from a North Vietnamese perspective. Hence, although Ninh originally published his novel as The Destiny of Love to concord with North Vietnam’s requirement to glorify the war, he uses Phuong as the metaphor for the direction in Kien’s life as the sadness from the war ultimately paramounts the love in Kien’s life, revealing that the “destiny of love” is the “sorrow of war.”

As Ninh parallels Kien’s emotional state with Phuong’s presence, he reveals that Kien’s pure, naïve love for Phuong gives him purpose to his life during his childhood. For instance, Kien and Phuong were “...