5/4/3/2/1 NOTES # 1 Monkey Bridge

5) *Setting: the story is happening at Arlington Hospital some day around 1978.

*It seems that the narrator has immigrated to the United States when he/she was very young. She moved from Saigon, Vietnam.

*The narrator explains that she/he moved fro that country because of military issues.

*The narrator's mom apparently suffered a domestic accident five years before this, and this accident provoked the deformation of her face. Also, the narrator introduces us to Bobbie, the narrator's best friend from High school.

*During most of this very first chapter, the narrator has described his/her mom and the story of the accident and also the description of where they are right now, Arlington Hospital.

4) *What was happening in Vietnam by the 1970's?

*How was the environment during those military problems?

*Why is the narrator describing his/her mom a lot?

*Why is the narrator so scared of Saigon, Vietnam?

3) *Languidly: energetically.

*Sturdy: powerful.

*Subvert: destabilize.

*Hollowness: empty space.

*Coax: persuade.

2) *Exposition: in this chapter, the narrator has introduced us to the setting of the story and also some background that could explain and give more sense of why the situation is happening. Also characters such as Bobbie, mom, and Baba Quan are introduced.

*Imagery: "The smell of blood, warn and wet, rose from the floor and settled into the solemn stillness of the hospital." Page # 1. This quote shows imagery because it gives us a sense of images and makes the reader sense in almost the five senses.
1) In chapter number one, we have been introduced to the story with some background to better understand what is going on in the story. The characters are at Arlington Hospital taking care of mom's accident that now has to be revised at the hospital. Also, mom has some dreams that involve the narrator's grandfather, Baba Quan, who could have maybe been a very important part of this family's life.