"french lessons"

all the conversations that hong and jesse have are important because in each one they learn something new or confirm something.

1)"i am sorry to ask this question, mom ami, but i must. i know that we will never meet again, and i believe you to be an honest man. so i must ask. in the north of my country, the children are told in school that all people of color in the united states live in a separate country. they are told that white Americans are rich and they throw thousands of gallons of milk into the ocean to spite the poor of the world. they are taught that teachers are not allowed to teach their students. ces choses- elles vraies? are these things true?"

"it is true that dairy farmers in America have been know to pour milk into the gutters when an overabundance has driven prices down. it is also true that there are many hungry people in America who could drink that milk. schoolteachers are sometimes forced to go on strike when the classrooms grow too large or their paycheck has become too small. it is guess what your children have been taught is true, but it is not the truth."

the north Vietnamese soldier nodded his understanding. the truth no longer surprises him. (Vea, 81)

2) " it is said that they have a very spacial way of torturing prisoners. they use a tournevis. it is just a rumor; no one can say for sure becuase no one ever comes back from an interrogation"

jesse culled through his french vocabulary for the meaning of the word tournevis but found nothing. at the same time, he wasn't sure that he wanted to know.

these two conversations are important because they let the reader know about everything that is going on behind the war and  they make both sides of the war equally bad. jesse learns from hong how prisoners are torture and he is also reminded how his country is not as good as everyone makes it look. (Vea, 84)

1. why does the death of hong affect jesse so much?

2. what did jesse mean when he said "the thoughts weighing upon his soul were far too much to bear alone. whether or not he would ever confined in them..." ?

" we rise above Bernard Skelley by working the case," said Jesse in a barley controlled voice. "we don't have to like him in order to work the case. there's no way i could ever like some one like that and i sure as hell wont pretend otherwise. i cant believe it, doc! ten years ago you told me that i was going to explode if i didn't let my emotions out, and now you're saying that I'm too goddamn emotional. i wish you shrinks would make up your minds"(Vea,63)
"your pendulum," said the doctor with a sign, "has got to swing to the middle, Jesse. ten years ago you barely spoke to anyone. you never smiled. you were almost as hateful as Bernard. this is not Vietnam, Jesse. life is not a war."

this passage is important because we get details of how Jesse use to be and who helped him. and now we know that he went to war and something happen that disturb his mind. by knowing that Jesse participated in the Vietnam war, we can tell that he is important character and will pay an important role though out the book.

questions:
1) if jesse hates Bernard so much then why is he helping him? why is he trying so hard to get help out of jail?
2) is bernard guilty? if he is then why is jesse trying to get him out of jail?