Hanh Character Analysis

Hanh was a young woman who lived in Kien’s building when he was growing up. She was very pretty and eventually took an interest in Kien. One day, she asked him to help her dig a small bomb shelter beneath her bed. As he helped her, they stood close to each other in the ditch they’d dug, and though Kien was nervous, he found himself kissing her neck and pushing against her. Hanh hesitated, and then Kien felt out of control and tore himself away, running from the room. Hanh told him to return after he collected himself, saying that she wanted to tell him something—but he couldn’t bring himself to open her door when he came back. He pressed himself against her door and sensed she was doing the same on the other side, but he couldn’t bring himself to open it. They never spoke of the incident again, nor did they spend time together anymore, and by the time Kien joined the army, Hanh had already joined the Youth Brigade. Throughout the war, Kien often wondered what Hanh had wanted to tell him, feeling a sense of remorse for what he lost by not opening up to her.