Nam Le’s short story anthology titled, The Boat, explores the lives of a range of characters who endure both difficult and positive circumstances. A number of characters are negatively impacted by illness, disease and dysfunctional relationships on a daily basis. Similarly, le presents characters who face difficulties from their past and many of these events and circumstances are beyond their control. Yet, he also offers characters and circumstances that promote hope happiness and prosperity for the future. Nam Le’s anthology presents a range of characters who embody resilience and tenacity.
Throughout The Boat, characters are negatively impacted by current circumstances that are mostly beyond their control. In Halflead Bay, Jamie’s mum is sick…show more content… In Love and Honour and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice, Thanh lived through the Vietnam War and watched his family massacred. This can impact him greatly as he didn’t really have much of a family when growing up due to the Vietnam War. This would mean that he would treat Nam horribly as he didn’t really know much other than violence as that is what he grew up with. In Meeting Elise, Henry's wife is negatively impacted on the pass and she was divorced with a new sick baby (Elise), a cheating husband, living in a foreign country and no support systems. This was hard on her so she left with Elise, her daughter to live back in her home country, Russia. In the current setting of the story, Elise’s mother has been her only parent so she was restricted to her rules including not meeting or talking to her Father until she is 18 when she can make her own life decisions. The memories of his wife leaving still remain in Henry's mind. This is one of the things in his life that Henry regrets. Because of this, he has the drive to see his daughter but he never does. Throughout The Boat, characters are negatively impacted by past