Dust Child

“Why had they died while he’d survived? He’d asked himself that question countless times during the last forty-seven years.”

Dan is haunted by memories of his wartime years. Like many American servicemembers who fought in the war, he returned traumatized by his wartime experiences. Even decades later, he struggles in his day-to-day life because he has never been able to reconcile the horror of his experiences as a soldier. This has affected his work, his relationships, and even his marriage. In this way, this novel addresses the theme of American Soldiers’ Postwar Trauma.

“Still, Vietnamese literature opened his eyes. The book that had affected him the most was The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh, his former enemy.”

This is an important moment of intertextuality within the novel. In the decades that followed the war, most of the literature about the war in Việt Nam was written from an American perspective. However, more recently, there has been a marked shift, and novels that center the experiences of the Vietnamese have become more common. Dust Child reflects this trend. The book that Dan mentions here is one of the earliest examples of texts about the war written from a Vietnamese perspective; at the time of its publication, it was considered controversial for this reason. By naming this book in Dust Child, the author shows that she agrees with the centering of the experiences of Vietnamese people during the war.

“‘You don’t need to know anyone’ Hân smiled. ‘You just need to look…you know…pretty. Both of you are beautiful. I’m sure you’ll do very well.’”

This passage marks the beginning of Trang and Quỳnh’s careers as bar girls. It speaks to the sexual politics of the war and illustrates the way that many women were forced into sex work because of poverty and wartime privation.

“She explained that the war had ended nine years earlier, but the fighting hadn’t stopped: the government had been sending people to re-education camps and New Economic Zones, to turn remnants of the old regime into good citizens.”

This passage explores the history of the postwar period in Việt Nam, which is a topic often overlooked by literary explorations of the Việt Nam War that center the American experience. The war divided Việt Nam, and although there were many Vietnamese people who believed in the communist project, a sizeable share of the Vietnamese population was allied with the faction of the country that did not support the idea of a transition to communism. However, after the communist victory, anyone who fought against the regime or who was seen as an enemy of the state was targeted, and individuals like Phong were often sent to re-education camps in order to be indoctrinated by communist propaganda.

“He had a month’s leave before reporting to new duties at Fort Wolters, Texas. In the weeks after his return, as demonstrations against the war raged around town, Linda stayed by his side, defending him ferociously when anyone put down veterans.”

This passage, which details Dan’s difficulties upon returning home from Việt Nam, grounds the text in the real-life, lived experiences of veterans. American involvement in Việt Nam was controversial in the United States, and it was widely protested by a large swath of the American population, who saw it as an unnecessary and imperialistic intrusion into the affairs of another country, as well as a senseless waste of innocent life. Soldiers like Dan often returned home to find that they were hated by the very people they were supposedly protecting by stopping the spread of communism.

“As Linda mentioned the French architecture, Dan thought about the terrible things the French had done to the Vietnamese. They’d colonized the country for decades, divided its people, caused the first Indochina war, which killed hundreds of thousands of people.”

This passage speaks to the theme of Imperialism and War. French colonial interests in the region were the initial source of the instability that led to years of conflict in Việt Nam. This novel seeks to expose not only the damage caused by American involvement in Việt Nam but also the role that the French played in the conflict.

“American boys will like them: flowers from the field, ready to be picked.”

This quote is spoken by one of the bar girls about the recently arrived sisters, Trang and Quỳnh. It highlights the sexual politics of wartime Việt Nam. Girls like Trang and her sister often turned to sex work because the war further reduced already scarce resources. Sex work economies were exploitative, and in addition to the adverse impact that they had on the lives of women, they also resulted in the birth of an entire generation of unwanted Amerasian children in Việt Nam. Part of the project of this novel is to expose the human cost of the war not only for American soldiers but also for Vietnamese civilians, and the portion of the narrative dedicated to Trang and her sister is one of the ways that it does so.

“‘Ma, where are you? Do you ever think about me?’ Words escaped from deep within him, soft as a whisper, bitter like tears.”

This passage shows the depth of sorrow that Phong experiences as a result of his abandonment. It roots the novel within the very real, lived history of an entire generation of Amerasian children who were born during the war and subjected to a lifetime of discrimination because of their foreign parentage.

“‘When France invaded Việt Nam they brought bread.’ Thiên squeezed some lemon into his bowl of noodle soup. ‘We took the bread and made it better.’”

Mentions of French imperialism and its impact on Việt Nam abound within this novel. Although previous generations of literature about the war in Việt Nam tended to focus on the experiences of American soldiers, this novel and other more contemporary works from Việt Nam fiction center the experiences of Vietnamese people. One way that this text in particular does so is through its interest in French imperialism. Through the motif of French culture, it explores the damage done to Việt Nam by France’s occupation.

“I know men like him who come back here to find our women, only to break their hearts again. Some of you guys are selfish and ignorant. During the war, you used our women for sex, and now some of you use them to be able to feel better, to get rid of your guilt.”

The novel does not hesitate to place blame on the American soldiers for the damage that they caused for Vietnamese women during the war. In this passage, Thiên condemns men like Dan for their refusal to treat Vietnamese women with dignity and respect. Although Dan does suffer from PTSD and is himself scarred by the war, in order to move past his own trauma, he needs to confront the role that he played in causing suffering for others.

“Taking money from men was her secret, her joy and her revenge towards American soldiers who were stealing her youth and her innocence.

Although Trang is exploited and used by American soldiers, she does retain agency and will. She advocates for herself, manages her encounters with men, and even engages in acts of petty theft. There is a sense that she is doing what she must in order to survive and also that the soldiers from whom she steals small amounts of money are committing far worse deeds than Trang.

“He used to believe that he didn’t deserve love because his life was cursed. He used to believe that his parents had done something unspeakable and he was being punished for it.”

This passage speaks to Phong’s characterization and also raises awareness about the mistreatment of Amerasian Vietnamese people. Phong’s life is marked by both abandonment and racial difference, and he and his children experience discrimination because of their darker skin color.

“We all had to escape reality sometimes so we could survive.”

Dan is discussing his PTSD here, but this passage also refers to the way that he mistreats Trang. He and other soldiers saw their Vietnamese girlfriends as diversions to “escape” the horrors of war rather than as human beings who were also suffering during the war. Although Dan is genuinely traumatized by his wartime service, he is also shown to be selfish.

“I knew it. You’ve fallen into his trap. They’re all like that at the start, but once they own you, they’ll drop their masks. Don’t you already know the danger of fire? You’ll get burned!”

This passage highlights the theme of The Costs of War for the Vietnamese. Although Trang is sure that Dan loves her, Quỳnh points out that their relationship is very similar to the other liaisons between American soldiers and Vietnamese women. The soldiers use the women until it is no longer convenient for them to do so, and then they abandon them. 

“They’re selfish, self-centered, and ignorant. They wanted you to dig up your past to satisfy their curiosity. They don’t really care about you or me. They lead privileged lives and consider us dirt.”

Although Dan has expressed some guilt over his mistreatment of Trang, he justifies his actions by claiming that he only did what many other American soldiers did at the time and that Trang was more than capable of fending for herself and their unborn child. Thiên sees through his excuses and judges him not only for his wartime behavior but also for the way that he interacts with Vietnamese people in the present day: Dan is an emotional tourist and is still only using the Vietnamese since he has no real interest in their lives.

“Dan must love her. Why else would he tell her about his family? He never mentioned a wife or girlfriend and she was sure he had none.”

This passage illustrates the disconnect between Dan and Trang. Although there is true affection between the two, Dan mentions at multiple points from his perspective that what he felt for “Kim,” as he knew her, was not love. He realizes that he took comfort in their relationship, but he cannot quite figure out what the exact nature of his feelings was. However, Trang’s perspective shows that she is openly in love with him and trusts him. The deceitful nature of many relationships between American soldiers and Vietnamese women is reflected in the way that Dan, although he cares for her, uses Trang. He does not disclose that he is not single, giving her hope that their relationship has a future when he knows all along that it does not.

“During his subsequent visits, the gulf between them grew larger and deeper. He’d stopped trying to speak or learn Vietnamese.”

As Dan’s experiences in the war become more harrowing, he begins to mistreat Trang. Because he never fully considers her humanity, he does not truly reflect on the way that his behavior impacts her. This shows the imbalance and inequality that characterizes their relationship, and it speaks more broadly to relationship dynamics between American soldiers and Vietnamese women throughout the war years.

“Back at the apartment, she sat staring at her stomach. She realized that her involvement with Dan, like his country’s involvement in Việt Nam, was a mistake.”

This passages simultaneously acknowledges several uncomfortable truths about the war in Việt Nam: American involvement in the conflict, just like romantic/sexual involvements between American soldiers and Vietnamese women, did more harm than good. Rather than attempt to justify American involvement in the conflict or the actions of American men, this novel illustrates the pointless, indefensible actions of both.

“You American vets have benefits, paid by your government. We have nothing. You have a wall in Washington, but we aren’t acknowledged there. We fought alongside you, yet you pretend we didn’t exist.”

Thiên fought in the war alongside the Americans, as a Vietnamese soldier fighting against the northern, communist army. However, he is bitter about the experience. Although American veterans have been recognized by the American government, the contributions of Vietnamese soldiers are largely ignored. In addition to that lack of recognition, many faced persecution and political repression during the decades following the war.

“American airplanes had been spraying some type of chemical. Since then all the crops had just withered and died. My father told me it’s stuff to make leaves fall off of trees, so their soldiers can see the VC more easily. The war doesn’t just kill people. It robs our livelihood and destroys nature.”

This passage describes the history of chemical warfare during the war in Việt Nam. American planes sprayed chemicals like the infamous Agent Orange on wide swaths of the countryside, creating a health crisis that would continue for decades. Even many years after the war ended, Vietnamese people’s health is affected by exposure to these chemicals, which causes cancer and birth defects.

“How stubborn you are. You filthy son of the enemy!”

This quotation comes from a scene in which Phong, now in his forties, has a flashback to childhood bullying that he was subjected to because of his race and foreign parentage. It shows the depth of the trauma that he experienced as a result of having been abandoned during the war. This novel shows that Vietnamese soldiers and citizens bear the scars of war just as American veterans do.

“Leaving the orphanage, he felt angry with himself. He should have returned sooner, done something. Thiên said many veterans came back. They volunteered at orphanages, helped build schools and houses.”

This novel places blame on American and French governments, armies, and even individual soldiers for the years of violence and war in Việt Nam. It also gestures toward the idea that Americans like Dan, who took part in the war and directly hurt Vietnamese people like Trang, can turn their guilt into positive action and use their privilege to help repair the damage that they caused.

“‘Trang’ Dan whispered. ‘Trang.’ He held onto the table. He didn’t know much about the woman with whom he fathered a child. He hadn’t even cared to ask for her real name, or her full name.”

Although Dan admits to himself during this scene that he truly loved the woman he knew as “Kim,” he also realizes that he treated her horribly. He was trained to dehumanize the Vietnamese, and as a result, he did not see “Kim” as an equal. This is why he assumed that he didn’t love her. He used her as a distraction, but he did not consider her full humanity, never even asking for her real name.