How does motherhood play a role in the decisions of the three main characters in the novel, The Mountains Sing?

Motherhood is an important factor in developing a sense of purpose and happiness in the three main female characters. As the matriarch of the family, Diệu Lan feels a strong connection to motherhood as a mother and grandma. When retelling her stories, Diệu Lan associates having children with happiness; the early years of her marriage and motherhood are the “happiest years” of Diệu Lan’s life, where “happiness burrowed deep” under her skin and “no one could take it away” from her (32). After the Great Hunger, her family business “started to blossom,” as well as her love for her husband, which results in the births of Thuận and Hanh, with Diệu Lan wanting “many more” children (93). Diệu Lan sees having children as a blessing and relates her personal stability, love, and happiness with having children. Thus, Diệu Lan is devastated and burdened by the guilt of having to separate her children on her way to Hà Nội; she believes that by doing so, she had “become the worst mother” (197).

Similarly, Ngọc finds inspiration and happiness in motherhood as she notes when watching Hương, she sees “determination and love for life” (213). The guilt of hiding her abortion and encouraging Hương’s father to join the war prevent Ngọc from telling Hương that she loves her. This damages their relationship; Hương feels that Ngọc left her motherhood “dry” for Hương (98).

Ngọc and Hương’s relationship is intertwined with Ngọc and Diệu Lan’s. Hương’s sense that Ngọc abandoned her echoes Ngọc’s anger at Diệu Lan for separating her children during their walk to Hà Nội. Ngọc’s anger, however, follows her throughout adulthood until she screams at Dieu Lan, saying that “every mother has a choice” (100). It is only until after Ngọc and Hương reconcile that Ngọc and Diệu Lan can make peace with one another too. Diệu Lan’s work as a mother builds the foundation for Ngọc and Hương’s relationship: the bang tree that “provided shade” for Hương and Ngọc to wash their hair together under comes from Diệu Lan’s work as a trader, and the oil lamp that gave light for Ngọc to help Hương with her homework was gifted to Ngọc by Dieu Lan. The generational ties between these three characters is inextricable from their personal relationships with one another.