Saving Nea
In the short fictional story, “Saving Sourdi,” author May-lee Chai focuses on the bond and relationship between two sisters, Nea and Sourdi. Nea, the younger sibling in “Saving Sourdi,” looks up and admires her older sister, Sourdi. As the two sisters grow in age, Nea isn’t ready to face reality and watch her older sibling start a life without her. Throughout the story, Nea makes desperate attempts to “save” her older sister. In reality, Nea is the character in the story that needs to be “saved”, rather than her sister.
Nea, the protagonist and major character in “Saving Sourdi,” is immature and dramatic. At the age of eleven, Nea stabs a man at the restaurant, after hearing him call Sourdi a “China doll.” While Sourdi manages to remain calm during this event, Nea reacts without thinking of the consequences. Toward the end of the story, Nea calls Duke and tells him that her sister is in danger. “Look, I don’t have time to explain. We have to go tonight. It’s an emergency. A matter of life and death.”(Chai 91). Here, Nea acts without thinking and makes it sound like Sourdi will die if they don’t go to Des Moines. Nea’s decision to call Duke for help leads to Sourdi’s husband getting punched in the face. Also, this episode results in the two sisters growing further apart, which is not Nea’s intention. The mother brings some light onto Nea as a character. She tells Nea: “You not like your sister. Your sister know how to bear things!”(Chai 90). What does the mother mean by “bear things?” She is expressing that Sourdi is able to hold in her emotions better than Nea. Perhaps, Sourdi is able do this more productively than the main character because she is five years older and has more of a mental ability to do so. Throughout the events in “Saving Sourdi,” and by May-Lee Chai’s use of characterization, the reader is able to get a feel for the main character’s personality. Specifically, by choosing Nea as the major character. Nea, who is constantly making poor decisions, is the character who needs help, or to be “saved.”
Chai uses Nea as the narrator in the story for good reason. Nea tells the story in first-person, therefore, the reader is able to connect with her on a more emotional level. By Nea telling the story in first-person, she has a lot of impact on the tone and mood of “Saving Sourdi. For example…she says, “What I didn’t tell Sourdi was that I was still a wicked girl. I was glad that I’d stabbed that man.”(Chai 84). This is a thought that Nea has after Sourdi tries to knock some sense into her. Most children, yet alone human-beings, don’t have violent thoughts like this. Here, the reader is able to understand the intensity of the main character and dark tone of the story. By Chai choosing to tell the story through Nea’s voice, the reader is able to better see that she has some major flaws as a person.
The setting in “Saving Sourdi,” reflects Chai’s own experience and Nea as a character. Working on her family farm at a young age has impact on her use of setting in this story. Nea, like Chai, is busy working but at the family restaurant. Normally, most children do not have the responsibility of working at such a young age. Nea faces stressful situations by working at the restaurant that cause her to make poor decisions. For example, when Nea stabs a male customer because of his remark made toward Sourdi. There is a considerable correlation between Nea helping at the restaurant at such a young age and being put into grown-up scenarios that end up in violence on the main character’s behalf.
Chai’s use of theme in “Saving Sourdi,” has to do with coming of age. We see Nea through the ages of eleven to fifteen. We can compare Nea to other eleven-year-old children and see that she is rather ordinary acting for her age. Maturing comes with aging, with that being said, Nea is quite young in “Saving Sourdi.” Throughout the story, Sourdi is the character that is maturing and giving the right advice. On the other hand, Nea acts on her emotions rather than logic. Even at the end, the main character can still be portrayed as young-minded, like many other fifteen-year-olds. “She had made her choice, and she hadn’t chosen me.” (Chai 96). Nea has this thought after she realizes that Sourdi isn’t going to hop in the car and leave her family. Selfishly, Nea thinks only about herself and doesn’t grasp the fact that Sourdi can have other people in her life. However, this is Nea’s first step toward maturing by realizing that she isn’t going to get her way. Also, another them in “Saving Sourdi,” has to do with a sense of letting go. The main character has a difficult time letting go of her older sister. While Sourdi is married and busy taking care of the newborn, Nea seems so wrapped up in the past and finding ways to get it back. With the author’s use of theme, the reader is able to understand that Nea has a lot of maturing to do rather than the older sister.
May-Lee Chai helps the reader understand Nea’s personality and traits by her use of characterization and point of view. Moreover, the reader is able to connect with Nea on a stronger level than the other characters. By Chai’s use of setting, we are able to understand that there is a correlation between Nea working at the family restaurant and her behavior. The themes in “Saving Sourdi,” play an important part in the realization that Nea needs to mature and let go rather than her older sister.