Phuong’s father in “Fatherland.” Mr. Ly had one set of three children prior to the Vietnam War with the first Mrs. Ly, and then had had a second set of three children after the war with Phuong’s mother, naming his second set after his first. It is clear throughout the story that Mr. Ly loves his first set of children a lot more than his second set of children—a fact that becomes particularly evident when his oldest daughter, Vivien, visits. Phuong sees his preference for Vivien as emblematic of Vietnam as a whole, which she feels prioritizes tourists over its own citizens.
Mr. Ly Quotes in The Refugees
The The Refugees quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Ly or refer to Mr. Ly. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Grove Press edition of The Refugees published in 2017.
Fatherland
Quotes
He often compared Phuong with her absent sister, which had cultivated in Phuong a sense of yearning for Vivien but also some undeniable jealousy.
We’re all the same to them, Phuong understood with a mix of anger and shame—small, charming, and forgettable.
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
In the Ice Lantern’s glow, her sister’s face looked more like her father’s than her own, the symmetry rendering clear what Phuong could now say. Their father loved Vivien more than her.
The photograph ignited easily when Phuong lit it with a match.
Get the entire The Refugees LitChart as a printable PDF.
Mr. Ly Character Timeline in The Refugees
The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Ly appears in The Refugees. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Fatherland
Phuong’s father ( Mr. Ly ) had named his second set of children after his first, and Phuong, who is...
(full context)
The children had never written them letters, however, until Mr. Ly receives a letter from Vivien. Phuong thinks that she must have taken her name from...
(full context)
...never eaten there because it was too expensive—yet Vivien insists on paying for the family. Mr. Ly and Phuong’s mother object to the expensive tourist prices of the restaurant. Phuong, on the...
(full context)
When Vivien had arrived, she carried an itinerary of sights she wanted to see. Mr. Ly , who worked as a tour guide, told her that he couldn’t have made a...
(full context)
Mr. Ly often compared Phuong with Vivien as she was growing up, which gave her a sense...
(full context)
Mr. Ly comments that they are a lucky generation. When Phuong tries to protest, he says that...
(full context)
Vivien, who has been listening intently, asks Mr. Ly why he named his second set of children after his first. He says he knew...
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Mr. Ly had never asked Phuong to take one of his tours. Though she had never wanted...
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Mr. Ly gives his tour in English, showing off various remains of the Vietnam War: a trapdoor...
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The American tourists take pictures, and Mr. Ly asks for volunteers to go into the tunnels. When no one does, he scowls and...
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On Vivien’s penultimate evening in Saigon, she and Mr. Ly drink four flasks of milky rice wine at a Chinese restaurant. While Mr. Ly and...
(full context)
...together. Vivien says that she wants to tell Phuong a secret: that she doesn’t love Mr. Ly , because she doesn’t remember him. They hear their parents climb the stairs, and become...
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At the amusement park the next morning, Mr. Ly takes photos of his children with the disposable camera that Vivien had brought them. They...
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...The Ferris wheel has made a full rotation, and Vivien steps out, followed by Phuong. Mr. Ly snaps a photograph, but when it is developed, Phuong realizes that Vivien is visible, but...
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...pictures enclosed. The letter recounts her memories and how much she wants to come back. Mr. Ly instructs Phuong to have the photographs laminated so that they’ll have something to remember her...
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...enormous refrigerator with ice sculptures of the world’s landmarks. Phuong had taken a picture of Mr. Ly and Vivien, who looked more like her father than her sister. It is clear to...
(full context)