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Prompt: Analysis: The Tale of the Nam Xương Girl is a classical prose with elements of mystique, yet it holds significant accusation and embodies a humanitarian ethos
The Tale of the Nam Xương Girl is a classical prose with elements of mystique...
Sample Text 1:
One of the literary gems considered as 'ancient marvelous pen' for its richness in content and uniqueness in artistic expression in medieval Vietnamese literature is The Tale of Nam Xương's Daughter (excerpt from Miscellaneous Tales) by the writer Nguyễn Dữ. When reading this work, some argue that: Despite its fantastical and surreal elements, the work still holds value in its indictment and deep humanitarian spirit.
Nguyễn Dữ's Miscellaneous Tales is a compilation of all the bizarre stories of the contemporary world with content reflecting the social situation at that time with the intricacies and ambiguities of the authoritarian regime, which made people's lives miserable and stagnant. By utilizing existing folktales and his unique, innovative creativity, Nguyễn Dữ composed stories that are not only captivating in content but also intriguing due to their fantastical and surreal elements. The short story The Tale of Nam Xương's Daughter is one of the stories in the Miscellaneous Tales collection, thus it is a classic piece of ancient literature containing distinctive fantastical and surreal elements.
Fantastical and surreal elements are non-existent, fictional elements entirely imagined by the author to make the story more interesting, appealing, and add a fresh color to the expression of the ideological content of the work. In the latter part of The Tale of Nam Xương's Daughter, when depicting the life of Vũ Nương in the underwater palace after reincarnation under the Hoàng River and her return to the mortal world, the author Nguyễn Dữ completely invented surreal details to create a completely new aesthetic value for the narrative.
The details of Phan Lang - a fellow villager of Vũ Nương dreaming of releasing turtles, being rescued from drowning, being treated to a feast by Linh Phi, encountering Vũ Nương at the underwater palace, hearing her tale of injustice; her being escorted back to the mortal world by Linh Phi's envoy and appearing when Trương Sinh held the amnesty ceremony; especially the scene of Vũ Nương's return to the mortal realm: 'Vũ Nương sat on a flower-decorated sedan chair in the middle of the river, followed by fifty banners, canopies, sparkling with the river, appearing and disappearing alternately' are all fantastical elements, imaginative depictions reminiscent of a very distinctive fairy tale. If the story ended with Vũ Nương simply plunging into the river and Trương Sinh regretting too late, then the tale would lose its allure.
The addition of fairy tale elements not only showcases the author's talent and rich imagination but also carries profound humanistic and humanitarian values. Vũ Nương's words when bidding farewell to her husband: 'I thank Linh Phi's virtue, vowed to live and die without abandoning. Thank you for your affection, I can't return to the mortal world anymore' and the scene after she departed 'her shadow gradually faded away' demonstrate Nguyễn Dữ's deep appreciation for the beauty and virtue of this woman. Vũ Nương lived with admirable qualities and even in death, her return was remarkably beautiful, indicating her pure, pristine heart. However, the author also portrays deep sorrow, profound sympathy for the character when the fantastical elements bring new, fairy tale colors to Vũ Nương's return, appearing only in a fleeting moment while reality remains reality, now that the realms of the living and the dead are separated, the happiness that she cherished and longed for has dissipated like mist.
In Vũ Nương's words, her decision not to return is ostensibly out of gratitude to Linh Phi's kindness, but in essence, the most important reason is that society there is not worthy of her return. A society steeped in feudalistic customs has subjected women of complete beauty and talent like Vũ Nương to unhappiness and resentment. She dreams of a happy life in the mortal world but is denied, so she must send her shadow to the underwater palace. Her grievances only evaporate in imagination, whereas the real grievances of women in society with unresolved customs, even if the husband holds an amnesty ceremony, even if he regrets, it's too late. Vũ Nương's farewell words are also an indictment of the author's sharp criticism against the unjust, unreasonable patriarchal regime of that era.
📝 Role-playing Trương Sinh Retelling The Tale of Nam Xương's Daughter - Literature Class 9
📝Retelling the encounter and conversation with Vũ Nương - Literature Class 9
Sample Text 2:
Nguyễn Dữ stands as one of the distinguished writers of our country in the 16th century. Besides poetry, he also left behind a prose collection titled 'Miscellaneous Tales,' written in classical Chinese, consisting of 20 stories recording fantastical anecdotes passed down through folklore, with the author's commentary at the end of each tale. Mentioning Miscellaneous Tales inevitably brings to mind The Tale of Nam Xương's Daughter, one of the notable short stories excerpted from it. The Tale of Nam Xương's Daughter isn't just an ancient prose with fantastical elements; it also serves as an indictment of the feudal regime, reflecting the social realities of the past and encapsulating a humanitarian spirit.
The Tale of Nam Xương's Daughter originated from a Vietnamese folk tale called 'The Husband's Wife.' Here, the author added fantastical elements at the end of the story, yet these elements hold value in their indictment and contain a humanitarian spirit. The values of indictment and humanity are expressed throughout the work but are most vividly portrayed through the story of the character Vũ Nương.
Vũ Nương epitomizes the virtues of appearance, talent, speech, and conduct, fully meeting the standards of beauty for women in the feudal era. However, her life is fraught with losses and unhappiness. The first loss that contributes to Vũ Nương's unhappiness is her inferior status within the family. This inferiority stems from the disparity in social status between Vũ Nương, who comes from a humble background, and Trương Sinh, who is from a wealthy family. Vũ Nương becoming a daughter-in-law in the Trương family is because Trương Sinh 'requested his mother to bring a hundred taels of gold for marriage.' This may seem like a transaction, a person 'gentle and graceful, with good manners' exchanged for a hundred taels of gold. It's this rich-poor dichotomy that makes Vũ Nương feel insecure, knowing her place, and this is also the reason for Trương Sinh's harsh, domineering treatment towards her.
Vũ Nương also becomes a victim of unjust wars and turmoil in the 16th century. She marries Trương Sinh, but their short-lived happiness is disrupted when he is called to war, leaving behind his elderly mother and unborn child. For over three years, she shoulders all family responsibilities, from caring for the elderly mother, attending funerals, to nurturing their unborn child. Additionally, she must endure the longing for her husband throughout the passing years. It's the war that drives a wedge in their family, leading to misunderstandings, jealousy from Trương Sinh, and indirectly resulting in Vũ Nương's death. Though there's no explicit condemnation of feudal wars, Vũ Nương doesn't blame her fate, yet it's the chaos of war at that time that plunges her into tragedies. Without war, Vũ Nương would have enjoyed a happy family life with her husband and child. If not for the war causing their separation, Trương Sinh wouldn't have misunderstood Vũ Nương's blind jealousy, leading to her demise. Considering the 16th-century context, amidst the senseless wars between feudal factions, the poignant scenes of mothers losing children, wives losing husbands, families torn apart, Vũ Nương's struggles reflect the profound meaning and indictment within the narrative. And ultimately, to end her suffering, there's no other recourse but for Vũ Nương to end her life, sacrificing herself to prove her virtue.
She is an incredibly loyal and virtuous wife, yet she is unjustly accused and treated unfairly by her husband. She endures Trương Sinh's verbal abuse, even though she pleads tearfully or seeks solace from neighbors. In a society where women cannot protect themselves, where no one can protect them, despite the villagers' attempts to defend her, her fate remains unchanged. In a society that values men over women, where men make decisions for women, the pain of these women's fates is palpable, especially during marriage arrangements, causing profound sorrow for these women.
However, Nguyễn Dữ not only condemns feudal society and condemns unjust wars but also elevates humanitarian values in the narrative. The author sees and appreciates the beauty of Vũ Nương as an individual and as a representation of Vietnamese women. It's her loyalty, filial piety, natural beauty, and sacrifice. However, Nguyễn Dữ also recognizes the injustices and adversities that Vũ Nương faces. It's the feudal war that shatters her family's happiness, the patriarchal regime that directly pushes her to her demise. The author also speaks out against the feudal society that tramples on women's rights, human rights.
The Tale of Nam Xương's Daughter draws from Vietnamese folklore, thus incorporating fantastical elements. These include details of Phan Lang dreaming and rescuing trapped turtles. Phan Lang stumbling into Linh Phi's cave, being feasted and meeting, conversing with Vũ Nương, then returning to the mortal world. And the detail of Vũ Nương briefly appearing after Trương Sinh holds the amnesty ceremony for her at the Hoàng Giang riverbank. These fantastical details enhance the story's appeal, showcasing the author's rich imagination. Moreover, these details affirm the author's profound empathy for the fates of women in feudal society.
