Cracker

How does Kadohata use literary devices such as pacing, imagery, tone, point of view, and dialogue to convey the foreignness of Vietnam as experienced by American soldiers upon arrival?

Chapters are sometimes entirely from one character’s perspective (Rick or Cracker), and at other times, the perspective rapidly switches between the two. How does the changing perspective affect the way the reader interprets the story? Consider how the reader’s interpretation of events might have differed if told solely from Rick or Cracker’s point of view.

What is the most thematically important mission Rick and Cracker undertake in Vietnam and why? What makes this mission particularly important to the development of the characters and/or the novel’s main themes?

During the Vietnam War, the US Army categorized dogs as “equipment” rather than personnel. As a result, hundreds of dogs were killed or abandoned in Vietnam, even when their handlers wanted to keep them. How do Kadohata’s narrative and point of view techniques contribute to her critique of his practice? How might that critique extend to a critique of the war itself?

Compare Rick’s preoccupations at the beginning of the novel to those at the end. How do Rick’s changing priorities illustrate his growing maturity, brought about by the challenges and trauma of war?

Kadohata’s narrative contains numerous climactic moments, often experienced by readers and characters consecutively. What is the function of this structural choice in terms of conveying the intensity and confusion of life in a war zone?

Kadohata acknowledges that the military conflict in Vietnam created domestic conflict back in America, with many protesters angrily condemning the US’s military involvement. What issues does Rick’s reception in America illustrate in terms of the complicated reintegration of veterans into their communities? What shortcomings in either the protestors’ or the soldiers’ perspectives does this conflict point to?

Some evidence suggests that guerilla-style warfare may result in higher rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder than conventional warfare. How do Rick’s experiences in Vietnam, particularly in “hot” stretches of jungle and in the unexpected village attack in Chapter 19, help show how such warfare might be especially difficult to process?