The Boat Essay Questions

What is the impact of the length of the various stories in The Boat?

The seven stories of The Boat range in length from around 15 pages ("Hiroshima") to almost 70 pages ("Halflead Bay"). In Le's longer stories, like "Halflead Bay" and "The Boat," he is able to put more time into building characters' backstories and relationships, creating vivid and complex settings, and dealing with complicated issues like coming-of-age and family relationships. Le's shorter stories, in comparison, generally focus on a single character, such as Mayako in "Hiroshima." Mayako's story is just long enough for the reader to gain awareness and curiosity about an experience they have likely never considered.

How does Le use flashbacks in his stories, and what is the effect of these flashbacks on the reader?

Le uses flashbacks to create deep characterization. An example of this is when Jamie thinks back to accidentally killing a seagull as a child. This flashback, in which Jamie cannot bring himself to kill the seagull even though his parents repeatedly tell him to, shows that Jamie is uncomfortable with violence but feels like he must commit violence to be seen as an adult. This provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the emotions Jamie is feeling leading up to his fight with Dory and justifies him seeking Dory out even when his principal and parents try to prevent him from getting hurt.

What do the stories "Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice" and "The Boat" show about Le's views on the Vietnam War?

Both "Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice" and "The Boat" show the negative consequences of the Vietnam War on innocent civilians. "The Boat" shows the impact at the time the Vietnam War was still going on, while "Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice" shows the long-term effects of the trauma caused by the war. From these stories, it seems that Le feels the Vietnam War caused unnecessary suffering, which makes sense since he grew up with two parents who were traumatized by their experiences in the war. Le also shows that wars can have effects that last beyond the people who directly experienced them; for example, as a child who immigrated at one year of age due to the Vietnam War, Le struggles with his identity and how it should impact his writing subjects.

How do gender and feminism play out differently in the lives of Sarah and Parvin in "Tehran Calling"?

Sarah and Parvin show how gender norms and the idea of feminism look very different in different cultures. For U.S.-born Sarah, gender has likely impacted her decisions and opportunities in some ways, but she has still been able to attend college, get a job in a career field that is traditionally dominated by men, and have romantic relationships with whom she wants. In contrast, Parvin, who is Iranian, has endured much hardship due to oppressive sexism. She left Iran for high school and college because Iran was not safe and would not allow her to pursue an education in the way she wanted. When she returned to Iran, she wanted to positively impact the lives of women of her country by spreading feminism, but it is implied that she is kidnapped and perhaps killed for these attempts.

Compare and contrast the protagonists of any two stories in The Boat.

Two protagonists in The Boat who parallel one another are Mayako from "Hiroshima" and Mai from "The Boat." The characters have similar major conflicts in their lives: being separated from their families due to war. They both miss their parents, siblings, and homes, and they struggle to understand why they were the only ones who had to leave. The main contrast between these characters is their age: Mayako is in third grade, likely around 8 years old, and Mai is 16. This impacts their ability to comprehend the situation. While Mai is confused, she seems to understand that she is becoming a refugee due to the impact of the Vietnam War. In comparison, Mayako seems unclear about what is happening around her, which is shown by her calling the radio "sick" when the signal is being blocked by the Allies in World War II. Another contrast between Mai and Mayako are the outcomes of their character arcs. It is implied that Mayako dies, becoming a victim of the U.S. bombing Hiroshima, while it is implied that Mai is one of the few survivors on the boat. Mayako's character arc demonstrates the senseless deaths caused by war while Mai's story gives the reader hope that people can survive difficult times.