Fathers and Daughters (Chapter 2)

Three contrasting views of the war arise.  Le Ly's innocent yet ignorant view of the war is that it was a "game" and the enemy deserved everything bad that was inflicted upon them.  Her mother viewed war as completely different from real life, while most people believe life was war, a constant fight for survival, and vice versa.  This was the view her father had.  She says, "For my father, it [the new war] was a daily gamble for life."  To me, this quote is a jolt back to reality.  Often times, people forget how good there life really is.  We forget that there are people out there that are fighting to stay alive for just one more day.

The dialogue between Le Ly and her father serve a great importance.  His advice shapes the way she decides to live her life throughout the years.  He teaches her how to be a warrior but says there is only one thing she must do in life, and that is to  survive. (image: a woman warrior who Le Ly's father wished her to be)

As the war continues to rage, the reader learns about the perspective the village people have of the war.  Many of these people have misconceptions about the war because they are receiving their information from the soldiers, and there opinions were not necessarily fair.