The
feature of The Pearl, and Chao Chak Smok, a man who weaves boxes
with the palm leaves of Khmer novel, the authors deny the main characters of
both novels, Kino and Chao Chak Smok, to change their role in life or to against
fate. Steinbeck and Khmer novels’ hopeless view of their failures and poverty
because two of the characters had opportunities to change their fate or role
but failed.
Kino found one of the most valuable and
precious pearls in the world and being convinced of its worth was not going to
be cheated by only changing his condition of life. Instead he wanted to break
the fixed life and role that he and his family had and always would live. Kino
refuses the maximum offer of fifteen hundred pesos that would easily ease his and his family’s
pain and suffering for the coming months. Kino is then determined to move
to the capital to find a fair price. Kino continues determined through
the mountains after an attempt at the pearl, his canoe is
destroyed and his brush house is fired. Continuing to put his family’s life on,
it eventually takes the death of his beloved son Coyotito to make him realize; he
needs to stop being so greedy, no matter how hard he tries and to shut his
mouth and know his role since then.
About Chao Chak Smok, he has a dream
about having money while he was sitting on the top of the palm tree and weaving
Smok, he had many dreams at the same time and thinks that if he makes a lot of Smok,
he will sell them to the store and buy a hen. Unfortunately, he fell down. A
man, elephant-driver, tries to help him, for Chao Chak Smok promises to serve
him if he can save his life. He and the elephant - driver caused other four men
died because of their promising to be the servers if these men can save them.
Chao Chak Smok and elephant-driver
dropped down together on the net. Unluckily, four bald men are dragged to hit
each other's heads and crushed their skulls, and then they died. The end, Chao
Chaksmok and the elephant-driver either get nothing or feel remorse for killing
these men.
Things
that are similar about the two novels and how both of their dreams and each
find or meet something that can help their dreams come true, the pearl and Smok.
Furthermore, the realizations of their dreams coming to an end are caused by
the death of someone who is a part of the dream, Coyotito and four men. In both
novels they have everything planned out to their benefit but both plans go completely
wrong changing the rest of their lives. Both novels had dreamers and dreams,
their intentions were not different. Kino and Chao Chak Smok’s ideas
were unrealistic, and whereas Kino and Chaksmok dreamed of instantly going from
the bottom to the top. Kino would no longer have to work and his family
would be treated like royalty and they would immediately have anything and
everything. As he says “We will be married in the church, Juana with a new
shawl and skirt, himself in new white clothes, new hat of fine felt with shoes,
has a rifle, my son will go to school”. Anyway, Cao Chaksmok also says “When I
make a lot of boxes, I will sell them to the store, I shall buy a hen, then I will buy a pig.., I will buy slaves to take care of my
children. When my slaves cannot take care of my children, I will hit them."
At the end, these dreams could not have come true for
these two men and only caused people to die, Coyotito and four men.
Furthermore, the message of these novels there is nothing you can do to change
your life, it just happens. These novels represent certain people’s feelings,
and human nature will stand out in the end, if you give them something, they
want more even affect the other.
The End
After a week training, on 25 July 2014 our group left Phnom Penh to
Stung Treng and Ratanakiry province where we are going to work for three
months. A day after we arrived, in the morning the team had a meeting in order
to set up team contract and team committees (MPR, CAD,Debrief, M&E, Social,
Media and communication). At the night time, the team prepared some stuffs to
welcome our host families who we are going to live with. Welcoming pictures
drawn by UK counterparts as they are at the first time in Cambodia, yet they
could do it well, like how to bow when we meet old people. In the morning,
before we met our host family, we traveled by tuk tuk to see where our NGO is which
we base and to see some places in the town of Stung Treng. Around 10 am we
arrived at the guest house where we temporarily stayed to meet our host
families. We waited them around 2 hours, th
en at 11.30 am our host families
arrived, however, we had not known who are our host family. Host families arrived we said the welcoming
words to surprise them; they were happy. The first thing, the team was given a
game in order to play before knowing our host family. After playing game, my UK counterpart also
another national were provided a piece of paper which was written fingers on it
and so did our host family. We did not know who our host family, we called them
host dad/mom, unless we found those who had the same sign. Spending a few minutes
to find our host dad/mom then we found our host brother, he does not have wife
so we call him host brother, he is handsome, friendly, and he also has his own
small business whose name is Guitar Milk; it seemed that we were very lucky to
live in this host family. We talked, shared some knowledge and introduced to
each other; my host brother can also speak English well, so we did not have any
difficulty in conversation with him and my UK counterpart. After talking we had
lunch together at that guest house with the other host families before going to
our host home. Lunch time was gone, we all were sent to our host family
separately. Arriving at the host home, we felt very excited to be at this host
home.
