Summary

The day before he is set to leave Paradise, The Sympathizer takes a walk around the grounds and reflects on how happy he has been. He also ponders his aunt’s gift to him while he was convalescent, a copy of The Evil Empire’s Oriental Origins by Richard Hedd, endorsed by Henry Kissinger. The Sympathizer has not read the book, but is carrying it with him on his walk in order to show gratitude to his aunt. He reads a passage from the book insisting that the west must ensure Afghanistan becomes the Soviet Union’s Vietnam. When his aunt arrives, The Sympathizer is deep in thought. He is bothered by the fact that his crimes, aside from bearing witness to the rape of the communist agent, have gone unpunished.

The Sympathizer’s aunt picks him up in an expensive...