The Paintings and the Novel Symbol in The Sorrow of War

The paintings Kien’s father creates and then destroys at the end of his life symbolize a fierce devotion to art for art’s own sake. Kien’s father doesn’t paint for any other reason than to express himself through art, which is why he refuses to conform to the Communist Party’s demand that all art should be a certain way—namely, accessible to the working class. Because he continues to paint the way he wants, he is cast out of the art community. And yet, this doesn’t stop him from painting, indicating that he doesn’t use art as a way of attracting attention and praise. Similarly, his decision to burn his work before killing himself solidifies the idea that the point of the paintings was to help him express himself through art, suggesting that artistic creation in and of itself is an inherently worthwhile endeavor, regardless of whether or not the work reaches other people. This idea eventually resonates with Kien, who turns to writing as a way of processing his war-related trauma. Instead of writing his novel in the hopes of getting it published, he writes it for the sake of writing it, since doing so helps him work through everything that happened to him. At the same time, though, Kien does have another purpose for composing his novel about the Vietnam War: to make sure the stories of what happened don’t fade away in the aftermath of the war. Although The Sorrow of War celebrates the mere act of creation, then, it also suggests that art can communicate important messages.

The Paintings and the Novel Symbol Timeline in The Sorrow of War

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Paintings and the Novel appears in The Sorrow of War. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...personal to him, as if the war itself was his own private experience. As the novel emerges, he realizes that it will be his final act as a soldier—it’s something he... (full context)

Kien originally intended to write a novel set after the war, starting out with a story about the Remains-Gathering Team. But his... (full context)

...for the first time since the war. That same spring, he began to write his novel. (full context)

While working on the novel, Kien tried to recapture the many stories he’d heard throughout the years. For each soldier... (full context)

The only person who has read Kien’s novel manuscript is a woman referred to only as “the mute girl.” She doesn’t speak, and... (full context)

As Kien approached the end of his novel, he spoke to “the mute girl” about how he didn’t know what to do with... (full context)

...that he had left his apartment for her. Alone, she gathered the pages of his novel and stacked them on the desk, where they remained for years. (full context)

...the Communist Party frowned upon what it saw as overly intellectual art. Since his father’s paintings weren’t easily understood by working-class people, he fell out of favor with the art community,... (full context)

Kien’s father burned all of his own paintings before his death. Kien resented him for a long time, not understanding why he would... (full context)

...view of the world and would often come up to the attic to view his paintings. They often sat next to each other in complete silence as he worked. Once, Kien’s... (full context)

...trench-digging to go swimming that Phuong told Kien she had watched his father burn the paintings. Kien had already volunteered for the army and would soon be leaving the city, so... (full context)

...Kien’s father. Phuong claimed that she glimpsed into the future when Kien’s father burned the paintings. She then went on to lovingly criticize Kien’s commitment to the army and to the... (full context)

Kien went back to his room and stared at his novel pages. After a moment, Phuong came in and said she wanted to tell him something.... (full context)

...see the writer walking on the streets. He explains that the writer finished writing his novel and left his apartment for good the very next day. “The mute girl” who lived... (full context)

...battlefront. On an even broader level, though, the narrator recognized his own story in the novel simply because the pages outlined experiences that were relatable to a soldier who had faced... (full context)

The Sorrow of War

Bảo Ninh

The Paintings and the Novel Symbol Analysis

The Paintings and the Novel Symbol Timeline in The Sorrow of War