Le Ly finally visits her father, who is feeble from being severely beaten. Her father is depressed, alone, and willing to take his own life. On her visits, Le Ly learns important lessons from her father. "Don't wonder about right and wrong. Those are weapons as deadly as bombs and bullets. Right is the goodness you carry in your heart-- love for your ancestors and your baby and your family and for everything that lives" (201). Le Ly learns that she must win the battle of raising her son the right way and to not let any wrong come between her and the love for her family.
Le Ly becomes a round character when her father commits suicide. Experiencing the war in her village, love, hope, hopelessness, life in the city, prejudice, motherhood, and a job in the black market, transformed Le Ly's opinions, beliefes, and outlook on life. Moreover, her fathers death helped her learn the most important thing: how to live.
"Through him, I learned that although great love alone cannot remove all obstacles, it certainly puts no newones in the path toward peace: between soldiers, civilians, and between a woman and herself. I saw that a determination to live, no matter what, was more powerful than a willingness to die" (214-215).
"If you keep compassion in your heart, I discovered, you never long for death yourself. Death and suffering, not people, become your enemy; and anything that lives is your ally. It was as if, by realizing this, an enormous burden had been lifted from my young shoulders. From my fathers death, I had finally learned how to live" (215).
Suicide is a risk to people of all ages. In 2007, suicide was the third leading cause of death for people ages fifteen to twenty-four. Teens are more likely to use firearms, while children are more likely to use suffocation. Suicide is an extremely serious issue. Go to <http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suicide-in-the-us-statistics-and-prevention/index.shtml> to learn about statistics, prevention, and for more information.
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