only_the_heart_rap Rap Point 3 BGHS

Rap Point 3.

Toan is the primary narrator because –

He observed more than he was affected
He doesn’t have concerns like the adults do, he is open minded
He is more of an onlooker, he is emotionally detached
We, as children of a similar age group, can relate to his feelings and concerns
He urges you to understand about the gangs
He gave a better, clearer insight than an adult would have
An adult’s view of a gang would have been completely different.
No one had a clear understanding of the events, so the younger generation absorbed facts and occurrences in an effort to understand
By having him grow up during the story, you have his younger immature views and his older analysis
In contrast to Linh, Toan remains less traumatized by the situations that arose

Evidence to support the opinion that Toan was an observer-

He was young, so he was more observant. Children are watchful and more details are revealed to them because adults tend to believe that they would not fully understand or care. Children constantly try to make sense of the world around them
Children may pick up some details that don’t seem to have any significance to them at the time, but realize later on when they look back, this is why Toan was such an effective narrator.
He was not as emotional as Linh, possibly because of her previous experiences
His views would therefore be more objective than Linh’s viewpoints.
He absorbed a lot of facts trying to discover what was happening
His observations were not distorted by emotions
Perhaps Toan was chosen because his views had less emotional impact

In past times, Linh suffered more traumas, with the death of her mother and the absence of a father. Linh suffered more through every trying ordeal, as it was always close to her heart. In her past she has lead an emotionally distressed life, (eg. Her mother’s capture by pirates, the near loss of her sister in the fire and the car accident which left her paralysed), whereas Toan has not to the same extent. His near drowning was the only event that directly involved him. Toan was involved in the traumatic events but not as directly as Linh or Phuong or the other characters to whom all the tragic events occurred.

Goodbye all!!!