Abstract:
In Kim Thuy’s award winning novel, RU, the author recalls the individual experiences, strife and victories that created the collective “Boat People” narrative. Through her work in RU, we are able to commemorate the unsung heroes of the Vietnam War and recognize the struggles faced by the Vietnamese Immigrants to North America. Thuy remembers her triumphs and privileges as a Canadian with her roots in Vietnam, while honouring those less fortunate. Thuy’s success, while celebrated throughout her novel, is at once the source for her shame and guilt associated with her privileged life.