First They Killed My Father By Loung Ung

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In 1975, Phnom Penh was a peaceful Cambodian city, where a girl named Loung Ung lived happily with her parents and her 6 other brothers and sisters. At only 6 years old, her life took a drastic change when the Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, stormed into Phnom Penh. The Khmer Rouge forced Loung and her family to flee from the city, along with many others who resided in the city. The people of Phnom Penh believe that they will be returning to the city in three days, and are told that the US are planning to bomb the city. In the memoir, First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, the author explores the roel clothing plays in the characters lives by demonstrating the varying symbolic meaning they can take on memories, power, and love. During Loung's …show more content…
Out of nowhere, the Khmer Rouge base is struck by mortar fire, and chaos ensues throughout the base. This mortar hits the hut the Loung is in, setting in aflame. When Loung and many others escape, Loung lets herself be left behind as he other people continue on without her. She then feels someone grab her shoulder, and it is her brothers, Kim and Chou. They then walk to a Youn refugee camp in Pursat city. After one day, they are told that a family has been found for them. When she leaves to go gather firewood in the forest, she returns home and see her new Ma going through the stuff her and her brother had brought. Her Ma had given Kim her backpack with jewelry sown on it and inside was her favorite shirt, a shiny, blue shirt made from silk. Her new Ma then puts it on, only to take it off as Kim glares at her. "Kim's jaw bulges as he grits his teeth and Chou looks elsewhere; our anger rises, but we say nothing. Finally sensing our glares, she takes the shirt off and throws it in the bag." (Ung 177) Both Kim and Chou were clearly mad at the sight of someone else wearing something that their Ma loved dearly. This shows how much they really loved there mother, and how disgraceful it must seem to see someone else wearing her
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