Novel Without a Name

Quan interacts with very few women during the course of the novel. With which women does he have significant encounters and what effect do those encounters have on him?

Though technically a book about war, Huong very rarely mentions battles in Novel Without a Name, and when she does, they are described only briefly. Why does Huong use this structure? What literary purpose do the battles serve when she does mention them?

Huong’s focus and literary style change during the section when Quan rides the train to Thanh Hoa. How does that section differ from other parts of the novel? Why does Huong make this change?

Choose three to five examples of the color red and/or white in the novel and explain the color’s significance in those moments.

During his conversation with the South Vietnamese prisoner, (Pages 240-47), Quan seems to defend Marxism after having doubts himself all along. Why does Quan take this stance?

What role does nature play in Novel Without a Name? How does Huong use nature as a metaphor?

Explain how the incident with Luy, Phien, and the orangutan sets up the major theme of the novel. Why is this incident so important? How does the rest of the novel connect back to this scene?

Compare and contrast Quan, Bien, and Luong. How has the war affected them differently?