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Task: Analyze the artistic portrayal through dialogue to depict character traits in the excerpt of Thuy Kieu expressing gratitude and resentment
Assignment:
Thuy Kieu - a girl destined for hardships, enduring countless trials, finally finds a stable shore - Tu Hai. Tu Hai, the one who rescued Kieu from her painful life, took her out of the palace, and helped her achieve a deserving status. Not only that, Tu Hai is also a true friend, understanding each other's hearts, and he also helped her return to settle scores with Thuc Sinh and Hoan Thu. In this excerpt of 'Thuy Kieu expressing gratitude and resentment,' Nguyen Du used a unique art of dialogue to successfully depict the character traits of Thuy Kieu and Hoan Thu.
After many ups and downs, Kieu finally gains an official status, becoming the wife of Tu Hai, holding power and authority in her hands. It is in this position that she can seek retribution with her past acquaintances. The excerpt is Kieu's expression of gratitude towards Thuc Sinh and resentment towards Hoan Thu. Here, Nguyen Du intricately embedded in each character's dialogue to portray their psychology and personalities.
The first character we notice in this excerpt whom Nguyen Du has invested a lot of effort in constructing dialogue is Thuy Kieu. Every word she utters to Thuc Sinh carries the weight of gratitude to repay the one who once helped her in her distress. She says:
'She says: A heavy debt of a thousand mountains
Do you, Lam Tri, still remember?
Sam Thuong, not a single vow broken
Who else but you dares to forget the kindness of an old friend?
A hundred rolls of silk, a thousand pounds of silver
To reciprocate your kindness, it's called gratitude
Your wife, a demon of mysterious nature
Like thieves meeting an old woman by chance
The spider licks the plate not long after
Deep schemes repay deep favors justly'
True to her nature, Thuy Kieu chooses to repay gratitude before seeking revenge. She wants to repay all debts to her old acquaintances before seeking retribution for past grievances. Therefore, she calls Thuc Sinh first. However, he remains the same cowardly person as before, trembling with fear as he walks the path filled with dread. Seeing this, Thuy Kieu speaks up:
'She says: A heavy debt of a thousand mountains
Do you, Lam Tri, still remember?
Sam Thuong, not a single vow broken
Who else but you dares to forget the kindness of an old friend?
A hundred rolls of silk, a thousand pounds of silver
To reciprocate your kindness, it's called gratitude'
She reminisces about the places from the past, evoking memories in his heart, delicately questioning him. She acknowledges the countless debts she owes to Thuc Sinh, a debt as heavy as a thousand mountains. He rescued her from the palace, provided her with food and shelter, though unable to sustain her long-term or offer her a rightful status, he still helped her overcome some hardships. Therefore, she mentions 'Sam Thuong' and 'Lam Tri' to jog his memory of their old selves, allowing her to repay him for the kindness of the past. Despite the passage of time, she has never forgotten the kindness he bestowed upon her. Every word Kieu speaks here is intimate, gentle, all questions and reminders. She doesn't assert authority or threaten him in any way. Nguyen Du has depicted through language an image of Kieu as she always was: graceful, delicate, yet deeply appreciative and affectionate.
However, after repaying her debt to him, she also doesn't forget to issue a warning:
'Your wife, a devilish creature
This rogue meets the old hag
Like ants to honey, not long after
Deeds return in kind, fittingly so'
He's like that, helping her, having favor upon her, but his wife causes Kieu much humiliation, suffering, and resentment. Therefore, now, Kieu warns him that this time she won't tolerate his wife's 'devilish creature' behavior anymore. She will surely repay what his wife has caused her. Mentioning Hoan Thu, the wounds deep in her soul start to bleed. Hoan Thu not only tortured her physically but also emotionally. Here, Nguyen Du still guides the reader through the dialogues of the character, Thuy Kieu. If in the past, Kieu only dared to bow her head to the suffering caused by Hoan Thu, now, through the art of dialogue description, Nguyen Du shows us the changes in Kieu's psyche and character. Now, Kieu has become a strong Thuy Kieu, a powerful woman, no longer weak or vulnerable. Therefore, she straightforwardly tells Thuc Sinh:
After expressing her gratitude to Thuc Sinh, Thuy Kieu issued a warning about her revenge, her grievances against Hoan Thu - the one who caused her pain in the past. Nguyen Du, with his talent, through the dialogue between Thuy Kieu - Thuc Sinh, he has constructed Kieu's character. She is still a smart, beautiful, generous girl, but she is no longer weak or enduring as before. Therefore, when facing Hoan Thu, without waiting for her to speak, she spoke first:
'Miss, now it's your turn to come here
Women are always resourceful
Life, in the past, had many faces, this life, many bold hearts
Easy is the nature of beauty
The more harsh it is, the more injustice there is'
The opening words consist of a series of sarcastic remarks from Kieu aimed at Hoan Thu. Thuy Kieu sarcastically remarks that surely Hoan Thu never thought there would come a day when they would switch roles, the master becoming the servant and the servant becoming the master as it is today. She also warns her that Hoan Thu's flirtatious nature will only bring her more bitterness and suffering. Through these words, we see that Kieu's character is clearly revealed behind each sentence. She is no longer a delicate young lady, she has become strong, a woman with a truly shrewd personality, commanding respect from everyone. Every time she speaks up, even Hoan Thu must bow her head in guilt. Nguyen Du here uses sharp dialogue to highlight Kieu's character as well as the sophistication in her speech.
Summing up the excerpt, once again we witness Kieu's psychology, her character depicted through dialogue. She has decided to forgive Hoan Thu. The final words, it is still clear that Kieu, due to her kindness, gentle nature, and the softness of a woman, understands a bit of the female heart.
Also in this excerpt, through dialogue, Nguyen Du not only constructs Kieu's character as kind and shrewd but also portrays the character of a clever, cunning Hoan Thu.
Under Kieu's guidance, Hoan Thu is summoned by Kieu to repay the grievances she caused Kieu when Kieu was a servant in the Hoan family. However, despite being startled by the severity of it all, Hoan Thu calmly responds to Kieu:
'That: I, a woman, am a bit jealous. Jealousy is a common trait among women. Considering it, I let go of the pen with sentiment, but without closing the door, love won't fade away. Privately, those loving eyes, shared husband, for whom to pamper? My mistake caused troubles, now relying on the vastness of affection, what else can be done'.
When Thuy Kieu accused Hoan Thu and simultaneously warned her to repay what she had caused Kieu, her true character was revealed. Truly, being the daughter of a high-ranking official, Hoan Thu's words were extremely sympathetic and reasonable. They touched Kieu's soft heart, making her ponder. Hoan Thu said that she felt jealousy, but that's common for women, how many wives don't feel jealous? At the same time, she mentioned the favors she had done for Kieu when Kieu was at the Hoan family's home, saying that she let Kieu live in the attic and when Kieu ran away, she didn't pursue her further. Those words were both sympathetic and reasonable, making Thuy Kieu think deeply. Thus, Nguyen Du brilliantly depicted the character of Hoan Thu: a person who is both clever and intelligent, calm even in dangerous situations. It must be said, Nguyen Du's art of describing dialogue to portray character has reached its peak.
Moreover, Hoan Thu compared Kieu to a vast ocean, placing Kieu in a difficult situation. If Kieu didn't forgive her, it wouldn't make her look small, would it? This shows that Hoan Thu is a truly clever person! And Nguyen Du - he is also excellent, with just a few short verses, he created the character of a person who is both wise, cunning, and intelligent, extremely calm - Hoan Thu.
With rich imagery and his exquisite writing style, Nguyen Du, through a few short dialogues between characters, has constructed the personalities of each character in the excerpt where Kieu expresses gratitude and grievances. Firstly, there is the dialogue between Kieu and Thuc Sinh, where Kieu appears with a gentle, caring, compassionate character, yet also understanding and wise, valuing love and loyalty. As for the dialogue between Kieu and Hoan Thu, Thuy Kieu appears as a shrewd, authoritative figure. With Hoan Thu, in just eight short verses, Nguyen Du has created a person with a wise, sharp, cunning yet intelligent and extremely calm disposition in the face of danger. It can be said that Nguyen Du has been extremely successful in the art of describing dialogue to portray character in this excerpt of Kieu expressing gratitude and grievances.
Closing these lines of poetry, we still linger in our minds the character of Kieu with dialogues both caring and shrewd. We are even more impressed by Hoan Thu - a cunning and wise individual. It must be said, Nguyen Du is truly a master who commands admiration for painting the portrait of character solely with concise, gentle verses. He deserves to be recognized as the most talented poet in Vietnam.
