Why do you think the author chose to use letters to Willy to explore CO Proudfoot’s story? What do you think happened to Willy in the end?

Letters from CO Proudfoot to his subordinate Willy are included throughout the novel. Why do you think the author chose to use this format to explore Proudfoot’s story? What do you think happened to Willy in the end?

Willy was gone so the letters were a tangible way to get the story out. Willy was killed by Proudfoot--there was too much underlying and unrest in Proudfoot's feeling toward Willy. Out with the unacceptable by this manly man.

I couldn't decide if Proudfoot killed Willy or just left him to die in the jungle. Regardless, he violated the "no man left behind" mantra of the armed forces.

I think the letters were an excellent way of illustrating how this character got to where he was, without needing to have flashbacks that only involved one character. It was also symbolic; the soldiers Proudfoot attempted to heal were also supposed to write letters to those who'd died during war as a way to bring their emotions about what they'd experienced to the fore, so they could begin dealing with them. Proudfoot's letters were the first of these.

The letters certainly took the place of flashbacks. In this case the soldiers were encouraged to write letters about their issues and then bury them in the cemetery. Writing is often healing, but in this case I feel it did the opposite for Proudfoot and for the soldiers in the cult, it kept their wounds alive.

I was a little confused at first by the letters. I thought maybe Willy was still alive. In the end, I think CO actually killed him, then cut out Durga's "heart". I think CO's romantic feelings toward Willy scared him enough to kill him. Then guilt for that murder drove him mad.

I wondered about the CO's motivation in having those letters written. I think Judith may be right about the CO, but then why weren't the letters destroyed?