Banyan Moon

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-8

Chapters 9-16

Chapters 17-23

Chapters 24-32

Chapters 33-39

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Book Club Questions

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

The Ocean and Water

Banyan Moon starts and ends with the ocean. When Ann is a child, none of the women in her family know how to swim. Hương thinks of the ocean as something both alluring and dangerous; it reminds her of Vinh. When Ann is growing up, swimming is an act of rebellion. Minh ousts Crystal from Ann’s life after the two girls swim in the creek at night. After Minh’s death, Hương chooses to learn how to swim so that she can do something for herself. The ocean—and swimming more broadly—represents the tension between hiding from one’s fears and conquering them. The ocean can be dangerous, as Hương learns when she gets caught in a riptide. Nonetheless, learning to swim helps Hương realize that it is not too late for her to grow as a person and embrace life instead of remaining afraid.

The Banyan Tree and the Moon

The story of Chú Cuội is central to Banyan Moon. When Minh brings her children to America, the story provides a tenuous link to their home country as they navigate Immigration and Cultural Alienation. The ending of the story foreshadows the Banyan House burning down. The house itself is closely linked with Minh. After her death, she haunts the house, but her gaze cannot extend beyond it. Narratively and in some senses literally, Minh is the house. It is full of her secrets, which her daughter and granddaughter can never fully unravel. The Banyan House is safe, but it is also stagnant. It keeps its inhabitants alive, but only if they remain isolated from the broader world. When the banyan tree lifts off at the end of Chú Cuội’s story, it takes the power of healing and immortality with it. Instead of clinging to its safety by hanging on to its roots like Chú Cuội does, Ann and Hương have to learn to let go of the Banyan House when it burns down. If they keep holding on, they will never be able to live full lives.

Xuân’s Knife

After Xuân dies, Minh keeps his knife hidden on her person at all times. It helps her feel as though her husband is still protecting her even though he is gone. Years later, Minh uses the knife to kill Vinh. All of the women in Banyan Moon experience betrayal from men who fail to respect and love them. The worst betrayal is Vinh’s. By deciding to support each other in hiding his murder, Minh and Hương attempt to break the cycle of gendered violence that they have both experienced. Minh always keeps the knife a secret, just like so many other things in her life. The secret knife eventually becomes a murder weapon in a secret crime, adding to the layers of mystery in the Banyan House.