Notes on "First They Killed My Father"

First They Killed My Father provides an intimate view through the life of Loung Ung and her family as they are taken away from their homes and deal with the trials of genocide. Throughout the novel, Ung’s undergoes a transformation of being an innocent child to a young adult with a tough outer shell. Towards the end of the book, Ung is seen as someone possessing aggressive nature, apathetic to the suffering of others and desensitized to the images of war. Her journey is chronicled in this novel with such clarity that one feels as though they are suffering alongside Loung as she tries to survive.

It was easy to grasp the imagery in the book by its perspective of Loung as a child. Her voice is able to speak to viewers in a way that is likeable and understandable to readers who may not be familiar with the Cambodian genocide.

Common themes:

Stereotypes of race- depending on the physical characters of people, they are depicted as either being rich, poor or educated, among other things.

Propaganda of war- in every camp that Ung went to, there was some sort of propaganda being taught to the children. A person named Pol Pott is constantly referenced in the book as the person responsible for war, yet it is unclear if he actually exists or like many things is another creation of war.

Poor living conditions- food was always scarce, clean drinking water was nonexistent and many died from either starvation or dysentery. Loung’s sister, Keav died from dysentery.

Symbolism:

Red- Loung’s favorite dress was the color red. The color red is often associated with aggressive behavior or violence, which Loung later displays at the work camp.

The red dress- Loung mentions this dress numerous times throughout the book. Her attachment to the dress represents lost of childhood, lack of femininity in the war and love for her mother.