Throughout The Sympathizer, the narrator clearly empathizes with both the
North and South Vietnamese, as he openly works for the South but spies for the
North. He even states on the first page of the novel, “I am simply able to see
any issue from both sides” which blatantly depicts his sympathetic trait
(Nguyen 1). This trait carries throughout the plot, as the narrator points out
the strengths and weaknesses of both parties involved in the war. Although this
characteristic is continually present, I believe the narrator’s commentary
throughout the book forces readers to sympathize more with the communist North,
as he describes his experiences more while working for the South. Because readers get more insight into the
narrator’s involvement with the South, we are able to understand more in depth
the horrible things the South was involved with throughout the war, and kept
more in the dark with the events of the North. I specifically think of the rape
that occurred between the policeman and the agent at the end of the novel,
which the narrator watched as he was at a movie theatre. The narrator reflects,
“The middle aged one, still laughing, ponderously lowered himself onto the
agent as she screamed and screamed. Watching the policeman grunting and
pounding, and the other two shuffling around the table with their pants around
their ankles, ugly knees exposed…” (Nguyen 351). Due to the gruesome nature of
this scene, it automatically plants a negative opinion of the policeman into
the minds of the readers. Although similar situations probably occurred with
those who worked openly for the North, we have more insight into the interworking
of the South, with multiple descriptions of the way they tortured communists,
including this woman.
I do believe, though, by having a
narrator who sympathizes with both sides enlightens us on the war overall, as I
personally knew very little about the Vietnam War before reading The Sympathizer. Although there is
subtle bias throughout the book in different situations and with interactions
with certain characters and the narrator, he still provides understanding into
the mindset of people who work for the North and the South. Through Man, we
learn a good amount about the communists, but the narrator again spends most of
his time with Bon and the General who dedicate their whole lives working for
the South. By splitting time between Man and Bon and the General, the narrator
becomes forced to sympathize with both parties because he creates friendships
with each group, and therefore cannot think negatively about either side.
I also did not know much about the Vietnam War before my interaction with this novel, and found the idea of a communist spy to be a very intriguing character, especially since our view of the Vietnam War has always been regarding the importance of saving modern democracy. Through reading this novel, I feel as though Nguyen attempts to make the reader become more sympathetic to minorities and understand that war is not always simple. The entire piece revolves around the concept of right versus wrong, and many characters use this black-and-white depiction to justify their motivation towards acting in ways that support their story lines. Ms. Mori has an excellent quote to support this sentiment, saying “Have you ever noticed how a white man can learn a few words of some Asian language and we just eat it up” (Nguyen 120)? This statement creates a distinction between American and Asian culture, something that is utilized throughout much of the novel by the narrator to explain the rationale behind his actions. To the reader and narrator, while the final rape scene is very graphic and intense, the police officers committing the crime seem entirely unfazed by the trauma they are creating for the agent. This is the only area in the novel where the narrator fails to appear sympathetic to both sides, something that speaks to his interpretation of women.
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