First They Killed My Father Analysis

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“I wanted to die so I didn’t have to face it. But I knew I had to keep going” (Ty). This is from a survivor of the tragic Cambodian genocide that is explained by Loung Ung in her novel First They Killed My Father. The story goes in depth of her struggles during the genocide being only the age of 5. She puts on a display of strength and perseverance during her journey as a victim of the Khmer Rouge. In the book, First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, Ung explores the idea of composure to develop the theme that composure in tense situations will help all push through no matter the circumstances. In tense situations, topics such as death can make someone want to lose their cool or freak out. But in order to push through the situation they must be strong and push it aside and worry about it…show more content…
Pa tried his hardest to keep his composure when lying to many Khmer Rouge soldiers about his occupation in order to keep him and his family safe from death. He tells the family they must separate in order to provide more safety for the family. “Pa is afraid the soldiers might learn who he really is. The Khmer Rouge soldiers will hurt the whole family if they find out Pa worked in Lon Nol’s government. If we are separated when they discover who Pa is, they cannot get to all of us” (Ung 75). Pa kept his cool through all of the checkpoints, looks he received from soldiers, suspicion of soldiers, everything. Nothing broke him, sadly though he ended up being discovered and was killed. With that said though he kept his cool long enough for him to send his family away to have them safe and it payed off for Loung and some of her siblings. If Pa lost his cool any earlier, he would have surely gotten him and his entire family killed with him but he knew he would be discovered eventually but he kept it down low long enough to get his family out of
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