How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
I sucked in the fresh air as hard as I could. The day was clear, the sky brilliant. There were fields of rice paddies before us and in one of them a Vietnamese farmer stood. He turned toward us, still kneeling in the knee-deep water. Maybe it was his son in the hole. He stood and Peewee lifted his rifle. He ducked down into the water again. (22.119)
Hey, notice how it's described as a clear, brilliant day? No rain, for once? Maybe it's a sign of new hope for Perry and Peewee, that they might make it after all. Or maybe it's meant to contrast with the horror of what they just did—strangle an enemy soldier and leave him in a snake hole. Either way, with this scene you almost get a clear view of the openness and warmth of a Vietnamese farmer's life. But of course, as in the rest of the book, the War gets in the way.