Pipatsorn Cheewachatchawarn (Mint) 1201

Analytical Essay
Date: 12 Oct 2016
Eyes Opened
Robert Olen Butler, the author of The Trip Back from The Good Scent from a
Strange Mountain, consults the lifestyle his protagonist is living. The protagonist in The
Trip Back is a Vietnamese man called Mr. Khanh. Mr. Khanh is living in the United States
with his wife and his children. One day, he was told that his wife grandfather, Mr. Chinh, is
coming for a visit. The family is delighted. Mr. Khanh drives to the airport to pick Mr. Chinh
up. On the trip back home, Mr. Khanh finds out that he is not comfortable with Vietnamese
culture anymore. The worst part of all is Mr. Chinh has forgotten his wife whom Mr. Chinh
raised by himself. It's raises the question in Mr. Khanhs head that he may end up forgetful
like Mr. Chinh. He fears that he may forget important memories like Mr. Chinh. Once he
realizes that fact, his perception changes. He decides to act differently from whats he
normally do; he carries his wife on his back, and runs around to cheer her up. In The Trip
Back, Mr. Khan witnesses the symbols, which lead him to his realization that he has been
living distractedly.
Mr, Khanh is a businessman. He addressed himself as a mere businessman not a poet.
He has his own laundry and dry cleaning store. Mr. Khanh thoughts are revolved around
business and benefits. When Mr. Khanh is driving through Texas, he notices the stands, the
club, the mattress stores, but nothing else. He thinks, So it was this that interested me as I
drove through Texas, as it always does (p.30). Mr. Khanh is well aware that hes always
think about business, but he does not see any problem in it. He thinks it is suitable and proper
for him as a businessman to take interest in decent business practice rather than the scenery.
He, too, is thinking about business when his wife cries in his arms. Mr. Khanh confesses that
he cannot focus on his wife. He thinks, but what was preoccupying me at the moment was

Pipatsorn Cheewachatchawarn (Mint) 1201

Analytical Essay
Date: 12 Oct 2016
the itching on my heel that I could not scratch and the prices of two different types of paint
for the outer shop of the new dry-cleaning store (p.32). Even though his wife is crying in
front of him, his mind still wanders off to his business and money. He loves his wife. They
were allowed...to marry for love (p.31), but, still, he cant bring himself to focus on her at
the moment. Mr. Khanh knows that his thought always revolved around business, and he does
not see a problem in thinking that way.
Lost and Old River is an omen for Mr. Khanh as he is now. On the way to and back
from the airport, he passes Lost and Old River. At first, he thinks that Lost and Old River is
an omen for Mr. Chinh. When he drives past the river on the way back, he mentions, I was
reminded of him somehow (p.30). Mr. Khanh thinks it foretells him about Mr. Chinh who is
old, and had lost his memory. Not long after, Mr. Khanh finds out that Mr. Chinh forgets
about his granddaughter despite remembering about the his Hotchkiss. Mr. Khanh believed
that Mr.Chinh has lived a distracted life as Mr. Khanh is living now, and that one day, Mr.
Khanh will end up like Mr. Chinh. He realizes, I am afraid that deep down I am built on a
much smaller scale than the surface of my mind aspires to. (p.42). What Mr. Khanh can
remember so vividly is not about his wife nor his children, but his business. He is starting to
forget the time with his family. He has hard time recalling what happened even recently.
Then, Mr. Khanh realizes that the Lost and Old River is the omen for himself. The omen is
pointing out the problem in his current lifestyle that if he continues living like this, he will
end up lost and old like the name of the river.
The car on the crane reflects Mr. Khanh being on the verge of falling into his fear. On
the way back to his home, Mr. Khanh points out to Mr. Chinh a luxury car dangling seventy
foot above the floor from the crane. His first intention was to try to make a conversation with

Pipatsorn Cheewachatchawarn (Mint) 1201

Analytical Essay
Date: 12 Oct 2016
Mr. Chinh, but the car on the crane sticks into his mind. He ponders, When something
finally comes back to me with real force, perhaps it will be a luxury car hanging on a
crane (p.42-43). The car on the crane shows the situation Mr. Khanh is in. The car mirrors
Mr. Khanh. The car is dangling far above the ground. The ground is his fear of being
forgetful. The car on the crane is stuck into Mr. Khanhs mind as it reflects him about to fall
into the forgetfulness he fears.
Live oak pushes Mr. Khanh towards his realization of him living unfocused life. After
arriving home, he gives some space for his wife and Mr. Chinh. He walks to the massive live
oak in the front yard, and looks at it. He leans against it. The moment he looks away he
forgets about it. He can not picture the tree. He says, ...as I looked away, the tree faded
within me. It was gone (p.41). Even with the tree so enormous, even though he has just
seen it, he can not remember the tree nor see it as vividly as it should. Mr. Khanh thinks back
to the time with his wife, and doubts himself. He realizes, But separated from her, I could
not picture clearly. I could construct her face accurately in my mind. But the image did not
burn there, did not rush upon me and fill me up with the feelings I genuinely held for her
(p.42). His love for his wife is real, but he is losing the memories and feelings he has for her.
At the same time, the live oak reminds him that he still have a chance. He is still alive, and
growing just like the live oak. He, too, can grow strong and unshakable like the oak tree. Mr.
Khanh sees that he has been living so distractedly; he is starting to forget important parts of
him without him knowing.
Mr. Khanh is lead towards his realization of unfocused living by these symbols: Lost
and Old River, the car on the crane, and live oak. Mr. Khanh believes that hes a proper
businessman, whose life should revolve around business. Then, Lost and Old River points out

Pipatsorn Cheewachatchawarn (Mint) 1201

Analytical Essay
Date: 12 Oct 2016
the problem hidden in his proper lifestyle, and foretells his future. Mr. Khanh is like the car
on the crane on the verge of hitting the ground. Lastly, the live oak highlights the problem of
forgetfulness Mr. Khanh is having, and leads him towards his epiphany of living distractedly.
This realization, then, leads him to turn into a man who puts family first and moves on to a
new lifestyle where he becomes a more caring person. The Trip Back consults Mr. Khanhs
lifestyle which is similar to modern day hectic and swift lifestyle despite the facts that it was
published decades ago. It raises the question: is the modern day lifestyle appropriate? And
shouldnt we all change like Mr. Khanh?