Molitor 1

Garrett Molitor

Leslie Cushner

World Literature

13 April 2022

Our Words Are Our Humanity

The connections made with each other and the ability to use these connections to adapt

allow for humans to be where they are today. In her semi-autobiographical novel In the Shadow

of the Banyan, Vaddey Ratner also shows how our connections with each other constitute

humanity. During the Cambodian Genocide, Raami, a child born into privilege and status, has

her entire world turned upside down by the Khmer Rouge as they force her and her family to flee

their home. Throughout the story, she experiences the dehumanization and death of those she

loves, and her will to live is only sustained by both her family's love and the support from the

people they met on their journey, even at the risk of their own lives. Through examples of people

inspiring each other, and the inverse, namely how one's disconnection with others makes

enduring hardship more difficult, Ratner shows that relationships provide much-needed support

to allow humans to survive adversity. She does this intending to show that without connections,

one can no longer function properly in society.

Through metaphors of silver linings and the juxtaposition of hope against death, Ratner

emphasizes how human relationships provide love and hope, empowering those around them to

survive hardship. When Raami is upset about her polio, she recalls Papa explaining that there

was always good that came with the bad: "Love was that Something-Even-More-Special. It was

the glittering package, the silk bow, and satin paper wrappings that came with the gift I didn't

want" (202). In using the vivid description of a beautifully wrapped present filled with nothing
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good, Ratner symbolized the increased love and support given to Raami by her parents despite

her polio. The emphasis on the words "gift I didn't want" shows how despite knowing that Raami

would have a more challenging time with the rest of her life, her family continued to bolster her

for however long she needed it. Not only that, but the metaphor of lavish decorations establishes

how her experience with polio brought with it a silver lining, a heightened ability to overcome

hardship. Her connection with her family allowed for her to overcome the negative stigma of

polio, and be a part of society again. Secondly, interconnections bring out the resilience in

people. Ratner shows this when Raami thinks about how she got through the most challenging

times of her life: "Hope bore us across burnt fields, bombed bridges, sparrow-nest hills, and

scarred rubber forests. It carried us, even as death pursued us" (306). The juxtaposition of hope

overcoming death displays humanity's ability to inspire each other, allowing humans to

overcome times of immense grief and difficulty. Building off that, the visual imagery of a brutal

war scene in the specific word "scarred" emphasizes how bad of a situation this was. Through

this, the author conveys how powerful connections are, convincing one that with the support of

others, they can get through a horrid, bloody mess like this. This metaphor of connections

embodying hope is repeated throughout the story, driving forward the idea that hope is what

emboldens humans to endure through hardship. However, one can have their ability to connect

with others stripped away by those who wish to dehumanize them.

Through intense visual imagery and multi-layered symbolism, Vaddey Ratner shows how

a disconnection from others causes severe isolation, making enduring suffering considerably

more difficult. When forced to choose between going with Big Uncle or staying with Mama,

Raami looks back at the situation and describes it as: "when that moment came she'd stood

frozen amidst the surging throngs, unable to draw me to her, neither by gesture nor by word"
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(155). By using vivid visual imagery this passage imprints the chaos of the entire situation into

the reader's mind, especially in the words "stood frozen," as the usage of these words illustrates

both the surroundings and the characters' reactions to it by showing the lack of control over the

entire situation. The author highlights the absence of control again when she uses the specific

words "unable to," as these two words perfectly exemplify the importance of having connections.

Without hers, Mama was left lost in the crowds, an ironic statement of being isolated even when

surrounded by people. Not only are there examples of taking one's connections away in this

novel, but there are also examples of replacing or ignoring them. During a turbulent change in

Khmer Rouge leadership, Mouk forces Raami to adapt to a different way of thinking when he

exclaims:" 'You must dye everything black!...Not just your clothes but all your thoughts and

feelings! You must blot out all un-Revolutionary elements! You must purge them out of your

system!'" (258). This passage uses powerful symbolism in the color black by relating it to

conformity. This symbol can be interpreted in many ways, as black as a scientific term is the

absence of color or light, which could be a metaphor for black being the lack of thoughts or

words considered "un-Revolutionary." By taking away Raami's connections, Mouk also

psychologically tortures her, making an awful experience worse. However, in artwork, black is

created by combining many colors, which can be interpreted in the story's context as Raami

being overloaded with too many conflicting ideals to uphold. In the end, it all blended and

became black, and she is left without any more clear connections to her loved ones, without a

way to get the support she needs to endure. Without the ability to connect with others, she is

forced to conform to the uniformity of those in charge or be left behind by the rest of the world.

Vaddey Ratner paints a picture, through Raami's countless trials and hardships, of one's

connections motivating and their disconnections isolating them through difficult times. It is
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connections that allow the hardest of times to become something more manageable and the

happiest to become even happier. It's not only in this story that connections make bad times

better. I am a swimmer and have been for many years. My swim team is one of my most vital

links, and their support has allowed me to endure my hardest days. If I had a bad score on a test,

my teammates or my coach would have it out of my mind within the hour. If I fought with a

friend, my team always had my back. If I just had an overall bad day, my coach and my

teammates would always be there for me, and I for them. Our connections define who we are,

allowing us to endure and be proud of being part of humanity.

Works Cited

Ratner, Vaddey. In the Shadow of the Banyan. Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2013.

Acknowledgements: I’d like to thank Michael Solomon for helping me get some ideas for my

essay, my parents for helping me have a second perspective when proofreading, Austin Wang for

color coding my essay, and Henry Williams, for helping me with many of my revisions.