Content Warning: This section of the guide contains references to war, death, and suicide.

How did the teachings of Hayslip’s mother and father contribute to her ability to survive the war?

How did the labels of communism and capitalism figure into the motivations of the Vietnamese people? Did the tension between Buddhism and Catholicism impact alignments? How does Hayslip conceptualize different groups’ motivations for the war, and what does she make of these differing motivations?

How did the Viet Cong win the sympathies of the peasants? To what extent did they betray the peasants? Was the experience of Hayslip and her family a typical one?