Question

At the start of this section of the novel, why is the amount of food that Hà and her family are allowed to eat limited? They have very little money because they had to pay a great deal in order to escape from Vietnam. The family is on board a boat with limited supplies, and it is not certain when they will be rescued. They are about to leave Vietnam and must bring as much food as possible with them when they go. The family has been arrested by the North Vietnamese army, and they are being held in prison.

Answer 1

Answer:

The family is on board a boat with limited supplies, and it is not certain when they will be rescued.

Explanation:

Based on the dialogue in the story we can reach the conclusion that Ha and her family are actually aboard a boat with limited supplies.

For example,  remember when we read,

"We are told  to pack  our crisscrossed packs  and line up in a single file.  Twenty at a time  board a motorboat  heading toward the dot."

This additional detail leads to the conclusion that the family is on board a boat with limited supplies.