Finding Peace and Letting Go

Chapters 13&14

Term: didactic

In the last two chapters of When Heaven and Earth Changed Places, Le Ly is still troubled by her family's separation after the years that she lived in America. Le Ly would like for her family to resolve their differences. On April 10, 1986, Le Ly and Tinh were preparing a farewell dinner for Le Ly. At this farewell dinner, Le Ly's family gathers to wish her luck on her journey back to America. As everyone in Le Ly's family is talking casually, one of Tinh's children comes up to Le Ly and says that Auntie Ba has come to eat supper with them. At first, Le Ly is in disbelief because Ba and Mama Du do not get along well at all. Le Ly ran over to where Mama Du was sitting and had thanked her for what she had done. Mama Du had told Le Ly, "It seemed like the right thing to do, Bay Ly. I got to thinnking about it last night. I asked myself, 'What good does it do to teach Bay Ly about charity and forgiveness if you've forgotten those things yourself?' What an old hen I've become, feuding with my number-two daughter while my own life dribbles away--water from a leaky cold jug! And what was I teaching Ba in the process, eh? How to hold a grudge? 'No,' I decided, 'that simply won't do.' So here we are..." Mama Du had taught Le Ly a valuable lesson. She told Le Ly that all she had done was feud with her daughter, and she lost years with her that could have been spent forming a beautiful relationship. Mama Du's response to Le Ly was didactic in the sense that it taught Le Ly a lesson. It taught her how to live with love instead of hate, courage instead of fear, and hope instead of despondency. All of these lessons were applied in Le Ly's life, and because of these lessons, Le Ly was a remarkable woman.