Heaven and Earth Chapter 11

Le Ly got her first real job at the hospital in Danang and was very grateful for a regular paycheck; however, she did not appreciate advances from the Vietnamese sergeant for whom she worked.  Then, she was moved to a different part of the hospital and worked alongside Red, her new American friend.  She began to spend a lot of time with him and even began to wear makeup, altering her appearance to become more American.  Red thought she would be better as a bar dancer, so he convinced her to quit her job to satisfy him.

"I felt like too much of something, that was for sure, but I was so happy to finally please my man in front of his friend that I forgot all the worry and labor and money it took to put on this painted face and the hurt looks my mother gave me on those few occasions when I stayed home to care for my growing boy.  It was, after all, hy sinh--the things you must sacrifice for your man."

In the movie Mean Girls ,Cady Heron is new to her high school and feels pressured to become one of the "plastics." She ignores her original friends and joins the group she thinks will help her achieve success in school. She begins wearing trendier clothes and uses more makeup; she even begins to act snobbier and ignores people the "plastics" do not approve of. Similarly, Le Ly thought she needed to be with the Americans, whom she thought could help her be successful.



Motivation is a character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner or that which impels a character to act. In the chapter, Red is Le Ly's Motivation for changing her appearance and quitting her job at the hospital. However, when she arrived at the club, she realized that it was for topless dancers and left immediately, leaving Red alone and very angry.