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Similes
Part 1
Explanation and Analysis—Naming:
In the following passage from Part 1, Little Dog considers a certain level of situational irony surrounding his nickname, which is linked to a Vietnamese tradition:
As you know, in the village where Lan grew up, a child, often the smallest or weakest of the flock, as I was, is named after the most despicable things: demon, ghost child, pig snout, monkey-born, buffalo head, bastard—little dog being the more tender one. Because evil spirits, roaming the land for healthy, beautiful children, would hear the name of something hideous and ghastly being called in for supper and pass over the house, sparing the child. To love something, then, is to name it after something so worthless it might be left untouched—and alive. A name, thin as air, can also be a shield. A Little Dog shield.
In the above example of situational irony, Little Dog recalls the Vietnamese tradition of showing love to smaller, weaker children by giving them "despicable" names. These names deter evil spirits from stealing vulnerable children. Consequently, Lan intends the name "Little Dog" to serve as a mask for her grandson, protecting him from harm by obscuring his beauty. This tradition is one of the many ways in which Little Dog's family members express their love for one another. Such manifestations of love may appear strange to Americans without Vietnamese heritage; but to Little Dog and his family, nicknaming is a clear demonstration of devotion.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Nail Polish:
In the following excerpt from Part 1, Vuong constructs an ironic commentary on Ma's relationship with her White clientele, noting the dichotomy between them:
“This is how you enjoy your life,” you’d say, sucking your fingers, their pink nail polish chipped from a week of giving pedicures. The time with your fists, shouting in the parking lot, the late sun etching your hair red. My arms shielding my head as your knuckles thudded around me.
Little Dog describes Rose's nail polish as "chipped from a week of giving pedicures." Given the fact that Rose works to perfect other women's nail polish, it is ironic that her own nail polish is imperfect. This small detail emblematizes a broader commentary on class, race, and diaspora within On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. Rose provides a luxury service to her White American patrons. She herself is unable to afford the same service, or simply lacks the time to maintain her own appearance to that standard.
The above example of situational irony also highlights the contradictions in Rose's character. The hands she uses to beautify others are capable of inflicting untold violence—an aggression lying dormant within her, the outward manifestation of her trauma. Little Dog recalls the imperfection of Rose's own nails despite her profession; he simultaneously recalls the abuse Rose's hands are capable of.
Part 2
Explanation and Analysis—Unread Letter:
During Part 2 of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Little Dog gives an account of his first sexual encounter with another boy. In an example of situational irony, he addresses Rose directly but draws the strength to be vulnerable from her absence:
The first time we fucked, we didn’t fuck at all. I only have the nerve to tell you what comes after because the chance this letter finds you is slim—the very impossibility of your reading this is all that makes my telling it possible.
Little Dog is writing On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous as a letter to his mother; despite this, he does not expect her to read the letter. The contradiction of this letter, meant to remain unopened, ironically gives Little Dog the strength to communicate greater vulnerability.
There exists an inherent irony in a letter that will never be read—but perhaps, despite the fact that Little Dog addresses his letter to Rose, he never once intended her to read it. Simply the act of writing this letter may be catharsis in and of itself; Little Dog may not expect to ever communicate so directly with Rose. He writes to her, but for himself. He writes to relieve the tension of a story untold.
Related Themes:
