Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam

The entire cycling trip Pham takes is representative of his search for both home and cultural identity. The journey itself is a metaphor for Pham’s inner search for a true home. Journeys such as Pham’s, since at least Homer’s Odyssey, have represented a protagonist seeking something in life as well as finding change from the journey itself. When deciding to go on the trip, Pham writes, “So, what the hell, I have to do something unethnic. I have to go” (26). When in Saigon, a friend tells him to abandon his plans, arguing that Vietnamese are mentally and physically unsuited for such a ride: “We are weak. Only Westerners can do it” (77). Pham’s trip also symbolizes his divided self in terms of identity. 

As American goods, these both symbolize a higher status for their users in Vietnam. Pham titles Chapter 41 “Coca-Cola,” and in it he details how this phenomenon plays out. He explains that he drinks it for both the energy its caffeine and sugar provide, and the carbonation that cleans the dust off his throat. At 60 cents a can, Coke is pretty cheap to him, but in Vietnam it is expensive relative to the average salary.