The Sorrow of War: Character Development and Pages 16 -25
Click Here for the Worksheet As you read pages 16 - 25. Answer these questions: 1. Kien shows 'no fear, no anger' when he kills the other soldier. What does this suggest about his character? 2. What does Kien’s emotional state imply about the effects of battle? Compare Can's comments on pages 17-18. 3.“He just wanted to be safe, to die quietly, sharing the fate of an insect or an ant in the war” (p. 18-19). What does this quotation reveal about Kien? 4.What is the purpose of including the story of Can's unsuccessful desertion and his mother's subsequent letter? 6. The conversation with Can, starting on page 19, arguably marks the point where Bao Ninh starts to create a more defined character for Kien. What impression do we get of him? Perhaps most noticeable is his reaction to Can's unspoken plea for sympathy on page 21 (after he 'burst into tears').