Under Fire mirrors a decaying society. Readers' focus is rather reduced to the life of university students in an unjust and unstable political environment. The students of the university depicted in the novel have lost everything. Their privileged status has been eradicated and they now have to beg and negotiate for everything. It is a narrative which documents the complexities and difficult decisions that face the students in striking a manageable balance between self-preservation and not compromising their ideals. Their discontent and dissatisfaction with the system is exploited by the military to stay in power. The story is interspersed with light-hearted banter among the students and a hint of romance. The author has constructed a fast-moving and accessible plot. He demonstrates an acute, social and political awareness which extends to and is reflected by his portrayal of the micro-politics of the structure of the university.
