Family Relationships in “the Moths” and “Saving Sourdi” Essay Example

she has angles and soft while she has bones.

Nea admires her sister, Sourdi, in a way that allows her to imagine she is also beautiful (113). She also sees Sourdi as a father figure, causing conflicts that loosely connect to Freud's Electra Complex since the men in Sourdi's life appear to overpower her love for Nea. Additionally, Nea struggles with her family's beliefs about love and marriage, particularly with regards to arranged marriage. Nea begs Sourdi to consider a different path, insisting that she doesn't have to conform to the expectations placed upon her (122).

The narrator in “The Moths” discovers a safe haven in her grandmother, providing sanctuary from the turmoil at home. Her grandmother's presence makes her feel protected, not alone, and reminiscent of the way one should feel in God's presence (168-69). Through her guidance, the grandmother teaches the narrator that it is possible to find a balance between femininity and strength, as well as between freewill and tenderness. This guidance ultimately enables the narrator to embrace her own instincts and follow her heart.

Nea and her older sister, Sourdi, share a strong bond and have plans to escape together in the future. They dream of going to Cambodia to honor their father's memory and fear the possibility of being separated. Nea expresses her trust in Sourdi, foreseeing her as her legal guardian. Sourdi openly voices her anxiety about the police potentially taking Nea away and placing her in foster care.

All of us” (112). Nea also experienced feelings of alienation when she was away from her grandmother. However, she only felt a sense of belonging when she was with Sourdi. She would go

to great lengths to keep her sister awake so that she wouldn't be alone. Unfortunately, death is unavoidable in life. The narrator in “The Moths” experiences a loss of her source of strength when her grandmother passes away. The moment of her grandmother's death is described as an "illumination," where the meeting of the sun and earth creates a burst of fiery orange-red fury. This serves as a reminder that endings are necessary for new beginnings. Even though her grandmother's life ended, her granddaughter still inherited her moral character, wisdom, and values.

Nea and Sourdi's relationship did not end in physical death, but instead in the death of their connection. Sourdi's acceptance of the arranged marriage arranged by their mother marked the beginning of their relationship's deterioration. The reality is that Sourdi prioritizes her real life over her shared dream with Nea of escaping. She suppresses her love for Nea in order to anchor herself in the life that was predestined for her. To illustrate her experience, Nea tells a story about a powerful serpent called the Naga, capable of devouring people whole. However, losing her sister leaves Nea feeling powerless and without any extraordinary abilities.

While the narrator from “The Moths” gains wisdom and experience from her loved one, Nea is left feeling disenchanted, depressed, and destroyed. These stories, along with real-life experiences, suggest that the idealized family relationships society favors are more myth than reality. Despite the warm and fuzzy notion of perfect families, the truth is that life is filled with challenges and not every story has a happy ending. (Page 4)

Works Cited

1. Meyer, Michael, Ed. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. 4th ed.
2. Boston: Bedford/St.
   

Martin’s Press 2005. Chai, May-lee. “Saving Sourdi.