At the end of the novel, the narrator comments:
"What we would give to have the ruined lives of animals tell a human story - when our lives are in themselves the story of animals" p.242
Comment on the possible meaning(s) of this sentence and/or associate it with an animal that recurs in the narrative and its possible symbolism.
In my opinion, this quote (p. 181, in my digital version) encapsulates the novel's main theme of finding the beauty in survival. Humanity's impact on nature is undeniable, namely through the gruesome acts of violence towards animals depicted in this novel. Humans, on the other hand, are also influenced by the natural world and unintentionally replicate the behaviours of certain animals.
ReplyDeleteOne of the many animal references in the novel is the imagery of herds of buffalo running off cliffs for no apparent purpose. Some of the characters question the cause of this odd behaviour. Little Dog first suggests that it may be due to ignorance and be linked to family values (p. 138). When asked about it, Trevor views it as either sheer idiocy or the compelling force of Mother Nature's law (p. 177). Whatever the reason, it is evident that this symbolism may be interpreted in a wide range of ways.
Historically, this behaviour may have originated in human hunting techniques. The buffalo jump, as it is known, was utilised by Native American hunters to drive exceptionally large herds of buffalo from massive cliffs, mostly by disguising themselves as buffaloes and feigning a lethal plunge off a cliff. For some reason, the buffaloes would naively follow suit.
The buffaloes' behaviour could also be seen as a jab at conservative views. It may imply that conforming to cultural standards solely because they were passed down from past generations may not be the ideal way of life. People should regularly apply their critical thinking skills to adapt their beliefs to the contemporary social context. In contrast to buffaloes, monarch butterflies learn from the memories and experiences of prior generations. Because monarch butterflies migrate, it is critical that they can adjust to environmental changes.
Considering the events in the novel, the buffaloes may also represent the downward spiral of drug use. Several of the story's characters die as a result of an overdose. One of the primary reasons for this abusive consumption of addicting substances was the Opioid crisis, which began in the mid-1990s when OxyContin was licenced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This prompted a wave of fatalities connected to the use of legal prescription opioids, and the addictive nature of opioids functioned as a gateway drug for heavier substances like heroin. Many individuals, like the buffaloes, are unknowingly enticed into it (believing opioids are merely pain relievers) and are unable to stop, even after witnessing those in front of them dying.
The author invites the reader's opinion and emphasises that “You don’t have to be like the buffaloes. You can stop.” (p. 140), i.e., people should learn from humanity’s past mistakes and forge their own path in order to survive.
He's probably talking about the animosity of the events, about the violence in trevor's life and probably primarily in his own life. It is part of his life and he's effectively surrounded by violence and people being spontaneously violent to him like from his mother, till his colleagues from school.That's not supposed to happen, in a normal situation. He draws a paralel between the buffalos and the way of dying from overdose and the opioid crisis in American society. Principally he talks about the herds of buffaloes falling of a cliff all together. Little dog says the buffalos " are just following their family ". They saw this on tv and he's refering the opioid crisis. American people see even their family fall in drug addiction, not just others americans, and later dying of that disease. And they go on entering on that world and eventually ending the same way, dead of an overdose, for example.
ReplyDeleteAo longo de toda a obra vemos dezenas de referências a animais, tanto pelo seu desenvolvimento/crescimento como pelos seus comportamentos enquanto grupo. De certa forma, estes casos tendem a apresentar comparações ou metáforas em relação à familia do Little Dog. Por isso considero que, quando Vuong escreve "our lives are in themselves the story of animals", poderá estar a abordar as condiçoes de vida e dificuldades que a familia enfrentou durante decadas (praticamente limitada à condição de animal em muitos casos) bem como a referir-se às semelhanças entre os vários animais apresentados no livro. Em grande parte dos casos (macaques, bucks, deer), o tema principal da metáfora é a violencia com que os animais sao tratados, por vezes chegando à brutalidade, ou mesmo a morte. As borboletas e os bufalos, por exemplo, podem abordar o tema da migraçao e da beleza, bem como da vida em grupo. A metáfora das borboletas (monarchs) acaba mesmo por ser a mais recorrente, sendo utilizada em diversos momentos e contextos, mas podendo sempre ser comparada à migração vietnamita para os EUA.
ReplyDeleteRelativamente à expressão "What we would give to have the ruined lives of animals tell a human story", considero-a extremamente intrigante. De certa forma, acho que os animais vão, ao longo da narrativa, precisamente "contando", ou auxiliando Little Dog a contar a sua infancia, adolescencia e entrada na vida adulta. Isto é, o narrador recorre aos hábitos e vidas dos animais para melhor elaborar e exemplificar vários momentos da sua propria historia.
Ocean Vuong fala de humanos sem nunca os ver como seres perfeitos. No fundo, diz que todos são animais e, em alguns momentos, beasts.
The last line of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous emphasises the connection between people and animals and implies that these divisions are not as sharp as we would imagine. The narrator makes the statement that "our lives are in themselves the story of animals" to highlight how closely tied human experiences are to the natural world and how the pain and struggles of non-human creatures may be used as a metaphor for our own.
ReplyDeleteThe butterfly serves as a potent symbol of change, fragility, and beauty throughout the book, and the narrator frequently refers to it. The butterfly, which emerges from its cocoon and takes to the air, also stands for the transience of life and the potential for rebirth and regeneration.