Mistreatment by Men
The mistreatment of women by men is one of the byproducts of the total
abuse of war. Throughout her life, Le Ly is abused by men. As a teenager,
she is tortured and raped by two former friends and Viet Cong members. In
Saigon, she is assaulted by a family friend and some boys on the street.
During her time in Danang, Le Ly has many American boyfriends, all of whom
treat her poorly. Even her loving relationship with Anh becomes bitter when
he abandons her. Le Ly is not alone in such abuse, as there are many other
examples of rape, forced prostitution, and abuse toward women. Single
mothers are left to care for families, and young girls are forced into
prostitution, all versions of the woman warrior fighting in her own way. Yet
Le Ly is able to forgive those who abused and harmed her, believing that the
war forced people to do horrible things.
Buddhist Tradition
At the beginning of the war, Le Ly notes that the Communists told the
villagers that they are fighting in order to preserve their Buddhist
traditions from the Catholic republicans and foreigners. These
traditions—respecting the land and worshipping one’s ancestors—are
cornerstones to the villagers’ way of life. Trong best represents the
connection of the villagers to the Buddhist tradition. However, as the war
progresses, the Viet Cong makes it harder for the villagers to practice
their traditions. The reasons for fighting change and people desert
traditions. Despite this, Le Ly returns again and again to her Buddhist
traditions, mainly through the advice and teachings of her father. The
rituals and rites of Buddhism continue throughout Le Ly’s life and help
support her during the war, as well as show her a way to cope with the
horrors around her.
Family Network
Throughout her life in Vietnam, Le Ly is connected to and supported by
her family. Relatives connected to either the Republican or Communist side
help her out of jail; her sisters find her jobs and give her a place to
live; her parents provide and care for her. In turn, she cares for and
supports her family members when she can. However, the war erodes these
familial networks, making family members unable or unwilling to help each
other, and infusing fear and mistrust in the family unit. When Le Ly returns
to Vietnam, she sees how this mistrust had found a place in her family
between herself and her brother, and between her mother and Ba. Still, Le Ly
promotes building trust where it had been destroyed. On a small scale, she
rebuilds the trust within her own family. On a larger scale, she hopes to
re-establish the trust between Vietnam and the United States so that
everyone can finally heal from the war.
