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Chapter 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Emperor of Gladness, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Found Family
Time
War and Generational Trauma
Distortions of Reality
The American Dream
Summary
Analysis
Once, Hai, his mom, Sony, Aunt Kim, and Bà ngoại visited Virginia. On their way to drop off Sony and Aunt Kim in Florida (where they were moving), the family stopped to visit a historical site that Sony was desperate to see. The building was an innocuous farmhouse, but they were greeted by a blond docent at the door. She charged them for their visit, and Hai had to translate the price to his mother; she was shocked at how expensive it was. The docent gave them stickers to put on their shirts, but Bà ngoại put hers on her forehead—and convinced Hai and Sony to do the same to ward off spirits.
In this flashback, Vuong begins to suggest why exactly Hai’s mother and Aunt Kim had a falling-out: her and Sony’s move to Florida. Seeing as the family was very close, such an extreme move is likely to cause tension. It also shows how Hai had to act as a translator for his mother. This is a tiresome responsibility, especially for someone so young, so this shows how mature he has to be to look after his mother. Finally, Bà ngoại is once again shown to be a very spiritual person and, though her behavior is odd by American standards, she has no fear of making herself look strange; instead, she remains firm in her beliefs and acts as she sees fit.
Themes
They join another docent who welcomes them to the Stonewall Jackson Historical House. They first watch a film about Jackson and are then taken on a tour of his home. The docent explains that, while he did own slaves, the estate refers to them as “servants” since that was the language Jackson used. Sony is enamored, but Hai is bored and hoping to go to their hotel soon. The tour continues to Jackson’s bedroom, and though Sony tries to ask the docent a question, she moves on without hearing him.
Here, it’s revealed that Hai’s family is visiting the home of Stonewall Jackson, who was a Confederate general in the Civil War. The docent’s manner of speaking about Jackson’s “servants” suggests the museum’s censorship of his ownership of slaves, implying they minimize his wrongdoings to present him as an ethical and honorable figure.
Themes
Bà ngoại pulls Hai aside as the group moves on, and Sony decides to see what she needs. She tells them she has to use the bathroom, but before the boys can find one, she takes an antique pot from a shelf, sets it on the floor, and urinates in it. She puts the lid back on just as the docent circles back into the bedroom. None the wiser, the docent replaces the pot on the shelf, gently chastising the boys for touching the artifacts. Bà ngoại simply winks, and the group moves on.
The reason for Bà ngoại’s accident is never explicitly stated. While it could be a symptom of her schizophrenia, at no other point has she acted so brazen or inappropriate. Her wink after the fact even suggests that she’s cognizant enough to know what she’s doing; her actions could therefore be an attempt to spite Jackson and a reaction to his part in slavery, characterizing her as having strong morals.
Themes
Afterward, they enter a gift shop which sells Civil War themed clothing and other souvenirs. They leave and sit outside, where Aunt Kim harshly asks if their visit was worth it. Sony says it was, since Jackson was a military genius just like his father. Aunt Kim says his father was nothing but a bum, and the group goes to McDonald’s, where Bà ngoại wishes Sony a happy birthday. Back in the present, Hai lies next to Sony on Grazina’s floor. Though he knows it’s Thanksgiving in East Gladness and not that day with his family all those years ago, he whispers, “Happy birthday” to Sony.
The existence of a Civil War themed gift shop exemplifies society’s ability to commodify tragedy; the war was an unbelievably violent period of history, yet it is now being used to sell souvenirs. After their visit to the gift shop, Aunt Kim’s poor reactions to Sony mentioning his father further strengthen the suggestion that Sony’s affection for his father is misplaced. Finally, Hai deciding to tell Sony “happy birthday” in the present shows how time can be malleable; he was so lost in his memories that, even though he knew he was not in that very moment from their childhood, he felt the need to wish Sony a happy birthday anyway.
Themes
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