Never Fall Down By Arn Chorn-Pond

Never Fall Down
Summary
Arn Chorn-Pond, the protagonist of the novel, Never Fall Down, is a typical 11-year-old boy growing up in Battambang, a rice-harvesting village in western Cambodia. The residents of Battambang are vivacious, and the entire village is prospering. However, when the Khmer Rouge, a radical Communist regime, seize power in April of 1975, Arn’s unpretentious life changes dramatically. Suddenly, his once playful, carefree lifestyle is filled with tribulations and tragedies. In the beginning, the villagers are devoted to the prince, Pol Pot, and are therefore loyal to his soldiers. As the novel progresses, the citizens begin to realize that the Khmer Rouge is a terrorist group, whose sole interest is the creation of Red Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge, like other communist groups, desires an
(p.1)
Rickshaw- a light two-wheeled hooded vehicle drawn by one or more people, used chiefly in Asian countries; there is a seat for passengers behind the driver.
Everyone in Arn Chorn-Pond’s life disappears either through starvation, malaria, or torture. Despite the Khmer Rouge’s efforts to mute the sound of skulls cracking, there is no point during the day, where death cannot be heard throughout the camp. Every day in the fields, Arn “[sees kids] fall down [and] never get up. Over and over [he tells himself] one thing: never fall down” (42). Paradoxically, Patricia McCormick, the author, chooses this phrase to be the tittle of her novel. Arn is determined to survive for himself in addition to his family. His loyalty and love towards his family are so strong that no hardships and adversities can deter him from his will to live. Ultimately, his resolve motivates him to never fall