Uncle Leang Character Analysis in First They Killed My Father

Ma’s second brother, Uncle Leang is nearly six feet tall and very thin. He lives in Krang Truop, the village the Ungs travel to after being forced to leave Phnom Penh, and readily takes the family in despite living in relative poverty. Like Uncle Heang, he has always lived in the countryside and as such is considered “uncorrupted” in the eyes of the Khmer Rouge. When Loung, Meng, Khouy, and Kim eventually return to his village after the defeat of the Khmer Rouge, Uncle Leang is shocked to hear of their barbaric treatment; he informs them that the soldiers in his province were not quite as cruel, and that as a life-long villager he was not subjected to the same horrors his relatives endured.

Uncle Leang Character Timeline in First They Killed My Father

The timeline below shows where the character Uncle Leang appears in First They Killed My Father. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...day they see a lone cyclist on the road, and realize it is Ma’s brother Uncle Leang . He gives Ma a package of food and tells Pa that ever since evacuees... (full context)

Uncle Leang ’s house is simply one big room with a dirt floor. With his own children,... (full context)

...sewed jewelry into the straps of their bags to hide it from the soldiers in Uncle Leang ’s village, and plans to use this to trade—even though bartering is considered treason. Meanwhile... (full context)

...they meet on the road to give word to their uncles, and soon they see Uncle Leang driving toward them on his bicycle. He gives Chou and Kim sweet rice cakes. He... (full context)

Back at Uncle Leang ’s hunt, Aunt Leang gives them new clothes. Khouy and Meng tell their aunt and... (full context)