Previous
Thomas
the main character of “Fatherland.” Phuong’s father, Mr. Ly, had one set of three children prior to the Vietnam War with the first Mrs. Ly, and then had had a second set of three children after the war with Phuong’s mother, naming his second set after his first. Phuong’s older sister, whose name is also Phuong but who goes by Vivien, haunts her throughout her life. Vivien and her family live in America, and to Phuong it appears that they are infinitely more blessed than she is. Mr. Ly constantly praises them, even though they have spent the vast majority of their lives away from him. Thus, when Vivien visits, Phuong is both jealous of her but also wants to be just like her. She yearns to move to America and to make something more of herself, especially because she is tired of being part of a society that prioritizes tourists over its own citizens. In the end, Phuong asks Vivien if she can come to America with her, but when Vivien says that she cannot sponsor Phuong, Phuong resolves to come to America anyway.
Phuong Quotes in The Refugees
The The Refugees quotes below are all either spoken by Phuong or refer to Phuong. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Fatherland
Quotes
He often compared Phuong with her absent sister, which had cultivated in Phuong a sense of yearning for Vivien but also some undeniable jealousy.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
We’re all the same to them, Phuong understood with a mix of anger and shame—small, charming, and forgettable.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
In the Ice Lantern’s glow, her sister’s face looked more like her father’s than her own, the symmetry rendering clear what Phuong could now say. Their father loved Vivien more than her.
The photograph ignited easily when Phuong lit it with a match.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Refugees LitChart as a printable PDF.
Phuong Quotes in The Refugees
The The Refugees quotes below are all either spoken by Phuong or refer to Phuong. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Fatherland
Quotes
He often compared Phuong with her absent sister, which had cultivated in Phuong a sense of yearning for Vivien but also some undeniable jealousy.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
We’re all the same to them, Phuong understood with a mix of anger and shame—small, charming, and forgettable.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
In the Ice Lantern’s glow, her sister’s face looked more like her father’s than her own, the symmetry rendering clear what Phuong could now say. Their father loved Vivien more than her.
The photograph ignited easily when Phuong lit it with a match.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
