Protagonists Journey
Where is the protagonist sent during the war?
Hanoi, Vietnam
What simple meal shared between the protagonist and the woman symbolizes care, survival, and temporary comfort?
Rice Gruel
True or False: The protagonist puts his own safety first during the air raid.
False
What war, with the year, do we connect the story to?
Vietnam War 1955
Where was the solider when he gained consciousness?
He was taken in by an unidentified woman.
What does the trolley symbolize?
Familiarity, Seperation, Change
What does rice gruel symbolize in Vietnamese culture?
Seen as a gesture of comfort, healing, and respect, especially when someone is sick.
Why is the trolley’s removal significant?
It represents cultural erasure and modernization.
How does he feel initially when he enters the city?
Disconnected and Unfamiliar
What imagery is used to depict the solider's respect for Hanoi?
Sounds of rain, wind blowing, leaves falling
What role do Vietnamese women traditionally take during wartime, as seen in the story?
Caretaking & nurturing
How do traditional Vietnamese values appear in Bao Ninh’s portrayal of gender roles?
Women are shown as quiet caretakers, men as protectors and duty-bound fighters
What does he regret at the end?
Not being able to return to the women
What does the physical contact between the protagonist and the woman during the bombing symbolize?
In a culture where verbal communication is suppressed, their hug expresses their fear
In Vietnamese tradition, how is death typically treated, and how is that disrupted in the story?
With mourning rituals, which are disregarded when shelters collapse without honor for the dead
Why is the woman never named, and how does this connect to cultural identity?
Her identity never being shared represents the loss of personal and cultural ties erased by war.