Charlene's daughter
Charlene's daughter actively seeks out Tricia despite the horrible things that happened as a result of Tricia's involvement with Charlene. Typically, people in those situations want nothing to do with bad people; however, Charlene's daughter doesn't care.
Charlene and Tricia's kind-heartedness
Charlene and Tricia set out to help the suffering Vietnamese people, even though their presence is the reason they are suffering in the first place.
Charlene
Readers know what happened to Charlene in Vietnam; however, in an instance of dramatic irony, none of the characters in the novel knew.
Women
Throughout the novel, it becomes the women (most of whom had been relegated to duty as housewives) who ironically become more important than the men in fighting and winning the war.
