Genre
Thriller
Setting and Context
Vietnam and the United States
Narrator and Point of View
Told from the point of views of William "Skip" Sands, James and Bill Houston, and Kathy Jones.
Tone and Mood
Violent, Solemn, Mysterious, Tense, Backstabbing, Reminiscent, and Familial
Protagonist and Antagonist
William "Skip" Sands, James and Bill Houston, and Kathy Jones (Co-Protagonists) vs. the Vietcong (Antagonists)
Major Conflict
The protagonists' struggle to fight the Vietcong, as well as other unethical practices, in Vietnam
Climax
When Colonel Sands dies
Foreshadowing
Colonel Sands' death is foreshadowed early on in the book.
Understatement
Nguyen Hao's duplicity is understated in the start of the book.
Allusions
To the history of the United States and Vietnam (and the Vietnam Wars), geography, popular culture, mythology, religion (particularly Buddhism and Christianity), and Johnson's other books.
Imagery
When describing the war, Johnson uses intense imagery to underscore how evil and awful it was.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
The story of many of the characters - like James and Bill Houston - are paralleled in the book.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Suits = officials to the U.S. Government
Personification
Vietnam as a country is personified in the book.
