the setting is the area of dong thap muoi during the days of the vietnam war. ba do, his wife and small child live in a small shack in the middle of the water. they are entrusted by the revolution with the mission of maintaining the lines of communication for the armed forces. the author focused much of the plot's development upon the daily life of the husband and wife, like planting rice, caring for their child, catching snakes, and catching fish, but interwoven with this are american military helicopters raiding the watery field to uncover the guerilla soldiers operating there. when ba do is shot by an american helicopter, his wife shoots the helicopter down in order to avenge him.