70 pages • 2 hours read
Andrew X. PhamCatfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1999A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Pham’s Cycling Trip
The entire cycling trip Pham takes is representative of his search for both home and cultural identity. The journey itself is a metaphor for Pham’s inner search for a true home. Journeys such as Pham’s, since at least Homer’s Odyssey, have represented a protagonist seeking something in life as well as finding change from the journey itself. When deciding to go on the trip, Pham writes, “So, what the hell, I have to do something unethnic. I have to go” (26). When in Saigon, a friend tells him to abandon his plans, arguing that Vietnamese are mentally and physically unsuited for such a ride: “We are weak. Only Westerners can do it” (77). Pham’s trip also symbolizes his divided self in terms of identity.
Coca-Cola and Marlboro Cigarettes
As American goods, these both symbolize a higher status for their users in Vietnam. Pham titles Chapter 41 “Coca-Cola,” and in it he details how this phenomenon plays out. He explains that he drinks it for both the energy its caffeine and sugar provide, and the carbonation that cleans the dust off his throat. At 60 cents a can, Coke is pretty cheap to him, but in Vietnam it is expensive relative to the average salary. When he orders it in the presence of three drunken soldiers, they immediately take it as a sign that Pham thinks he is better than them. As a result, he narrowly escapes getting into a fight with them.
Likewise, Marlboro cigarettes are seen as more prestigious than the local brands. Pham brings some on his trip specifically to win people over in certain situations. For example, on one stretch of road in the countryside, three young men on a motorbike harass him. He escapes a fight by using humor and cigarettes to win them over. Distributing Marlboros to the guys is a kind of peace offering, which they accept, and after smoking and chatting, they part on good terms. In fact, any American product has the same meaning and effect as Coke and Marlboros. When Pham has his bike (an American brand) repaired, for example, the old man who fixes it loves it so much that Pham tells him to take it for a spin.
Alcohol
Alcohol is ever present in the book, and drinking occurs throughout Pham’s journey. In Vietnamese culture, drinking among men is a sign of friendship, a way of bonding. When Grandaunt’s sons take Pham to drink shots that include a cobra’s beating heart, for instance, it’s a cultural bonding ritual. Although Pham finds it repulsive, he joins in because he knows it means they have accepted him as a brother. Similarly, on the train to Hanoi, the workers invite him to drink with them after initially greeting him indifferently. Though feeling sick, Pham participates anyway to get on their good side, knowing that the gesture means an offer of friendship.
