Analysis of a Creative Non-Fiction Essay: Who Will Light Incense When Mothers Gone? by Andrew Lam

In analyzing a non-fiction essay one has to critically contemplate the message that the author is conveying. In these stories the writers uses different approaches to pass on their themes. I have chosen to work on a non-fiction essay, Who Will Light Incense When Mothers Gone? by Andrew Lam. The story generally highlights the opposition relationship between himself and his mother. I will discuss the literary themes that Lam uses to convey his piece. This paper will analyze why Lams story is a non-fiction essay by showing how reality plays every part of the story. The paper will also show how identity in America differs from that of Vietnam.

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Andrew and his family origin is Vietnam but they move to America to seek a better future. The essay clearly shows the fact that when people move from their countries to settle in developed countries lose their tradition morals. This is evident where Lam starts to be more away from the old traditional values. The immigrants struggle to be identified in America and this makes Lam to compare his old Vietnam identity with his new identity in America. The second theme that Lam uses in his work is rebellion. In the Lams non-fiction essay utilize the literary theme of the identity quest and rebellious.

The important thing to note about non-fiction text applies the two themes together. The Non-fiction essay by Lam shows the literary themes workings hand in hand. The author admits to being a rebellious person when he begins living in America. This is vivid when he states that: In America, however, I became rebellious, distant. Laws also express the theme of rebellion the moment the author says: And once mother asked me to speak Vietnamese inside the house. No I answered in English, curtly. What good is it to speak it, mom? Its not as if Im going to use it after I move out. In other words he will change into a new person who will not carry along with their traditions. Lam confesses that he will drop part of his traditions when his mother die and that he will no more light up an incense he used to in Vietnam so as to respect, talk and remember the ancestors (Lam, 1078). By not lighting incense for ancestors, Lam is dropping a practice he has relied for his whole life. It is evident that he is leaving a part of himself and he has no idea how he will cope without it. These statements indicated that the author is not only leaving his cultural identity but his true identity is also compromised.

Other than the two literary themes portrayed in the non-fiction story by Andrew Lam the theme of tradition is also used in this story. The theme of tradition comes out when Lams mom asks who will light the incense when she dies. Back in Vietnam, Lams homeland, he recalls lighting up incense but he no longer does this since fleeing to America. In America, Lam have no idea who to dedicate his prayers to and for what reason. He says, Having fled so far from Vietnam, I no longer know to whom I should address my prayers or what promises I could possibly make to the long departed. (Lam, 1115). Lams mother carries the lighting of incense to the ancestors every morning.

In America education and career describe ones identity and status. When selecting jobs in America, an individual identity as an adult signifies what type of a career one have and also his/her status in the career. In elaborating this scenario Lam show the difference in his career and that of his mother he say: We live in two different worlds, after all, she and I. Mine is a world of travel and writing and public speaking; hers is a world of consulting the Vietnamese horoscope and eating vegetarian food when the moon is full, of attending Buddhist temple on the day of her parents death anniversaries, a pious devotion. (Lima, 1500) In America people are treated and viewed differently because of their careers which serve as a base to define the identities.

Americans also judge the identity according to color. If you are not from America for example the immigrants who are treated lowly and people look down upon them. Based on this essay identity in Vietnam is defined differently. The Vietnamese identities are historically identified on culture and ethnicity. Unlike in America who associate their identity on careers and education, Vietnamese identities are only defined by languages, food, ethnicity and also peoples culture (Harper, Graeme & Jeri Kroll, 65).

In conclusion the non-fiction essay by Andrew Lam requires critical thinking in order to realize the information he is delivering. He uses the literary themes such as conformity and quest for identity to deliver his message. His work clearly show how American use careers to define the immigrants identity as opposed who define culture and ethnicity. Basing my arguments on his essay I can say that the piece delivered Lams message clearly.

Works Cited

Harper, Graeme, and Jeri Kroll, eds. Creative writing studies: Practice, research and pedagogy. Multilingual Matters, 2008.Lam, Andrew. Writing Non-fition Esssay: Who Will Light Incense When Mothers Gone?, 2013.