Analyzing the artistic nuances of Nguyen Ai Quoc's pen in the short story 'Vi Hành'

Prompt: Analyze the artistic nuances of Nguyen Ai Quoc's pen in the short story 'Vi Hành'

Model essay: Analyzing the artistic intricacies of Nguyen Ai Quoc's pen in the short story 'Vi Hành'

I. Outline Analyzing the artistic intricacies of Nguyen Ai Quoc's pen in the short story 'Vi Hành'

1. Introduction
- Brief introduction to the author Nguyen Ai Quoc: A great poet, writer, and revolutionary figure in the national liberation movement...
- Concise overview of the work 'Vi Hành': One of the finest short stories written by him in French
- Stating the argument: The artistic intricacies of Nguyen Ai Quoc's pen in the short story 'Vi Hành'.

2. Body
* Title placement in the work: 'Vi hành' in French means 'Incognito', implying secrecy, anonymity...
=> The title set in the story context adds more appeal: Targeting French readership; set against King Khai Dinh's visit to France to expose the cunningness of the contemporary colonial regime.
* Narrative construction:
- Typically: 'Vi hành' refers to the king disguising as a commoner to understand people's lives, reform the ruling system,...
- But here, the king goes 'vi hành' to France, aiming to witness the material conditions and living standards of his people under French rule...(Continued)

>>Outline Analyzing the artistic nuances of Nguyen Ai Quoc's pen in the short story 'Vi Hành' in full detail here.

II. Sample Essay Analyzing the artistic nuances of Nguyen Ai Quoc's pen in the short story 'Vi Hành'

Nguyen Ai Quoc is a great writer, poet, and revolutionary figure in the national liberation movement. His memoirs are considered a historical record not only accurate and comprehensive but also with a satirical touch, mocking the era. 'Vi Hành' is one of the best short stories, written in French. In it, the author's artistic pen has exposed the true nature of King Khai Dinh's complacency and the cunning tactics of the colonial invaders.

After World War I in 1918, France aggressively exploited its colonies to compensate for its post-war economy, while globally propagating ideas of 'enlightenment' and 'protection' towards the invaded nations. The title 'Vi Hành' in French means 'Incognito', signifying secrecy, anonymity. The name carries many sarcastic meanings to mock the complacent position of the Annamese king, adding more allure to the story's context. Targeting a French readership, the work employs modern European-sounding language with multi-layered, yet easily understandable, subtly humorous expressions. Set against King Khai Dinh's visit to France, the story exposes the deceitful tactics of the contemporary colonial ruling system.

The story recounts King Khai Dinh's visit to France. 'Vi hành' is the king's act of disguising as a commoner to understand the real-life situation of the people to reform the ruling system. Here, the Annamese king goes 'vi hành' all the way to France to witness the material conditions and living standards of his people under the rule of the French, a situation both ludicrous and unimaginable in Nguyen Ai Quoc's narrative construction, illustrating the absurdity and mockery of society.

The beginning of the work is a footnote: 'Excerpt from Letters to my Cousin, translated by the author from Annamese', a unique artistic touch used cleverly, arousing curiosity from the readers. The readers ponder over the content of this letter, whether it is a casual letter, or a special one, perhaps even a love letter, not exactly aligned with the title of the work: Secret. In reality, it's a remarkable deception targeting the author's psyche as the content and storyline are completely unrelated to the title or preface, showcasing an intelligent and charming pen.

Nguyen Ai Quoc's unique artistry is evident in the technique of borrowing characters' words to express his own thoughts. Being an Annamese, Nguyen Ai Quoc wasn't allowed to criticize, degrade, or criticize his king, so he borrowed the words of a French couple on the train to create a pretext for criticism. Creating a mistaken identity situation where the French couple mistakes the author for King Khai Dinh, their conversation gradually unfolds a comical situation. The author recounts this mistaken identity under a calm demeanor, with the French couple assuming the Southern guest doesn't understand French, freely commenting. They believe the Southern king is on the same train with them, observing the people's lives, finding it amusing, worth commenting on. This borrowing of a third-party perspective serves to create objectivity, comprehensiveness, and humor, considering the act of a king visiting their country merely as a passing amusement, a circus act they often watch.

The portrait of King Khai Dinh emerges vividly from the dialogue of the two characters. Westerners couldn't distinguish the different faces of Asians, so they freely criticized from appearance to behavior. The depiction is extremely extravagant, absurd with a dress that's not a dress, pants that aren't pants, excessive jewelry, wearing a 'lampshade' on the head wrapped in a cloth, a face 'like a lemon peel', 'flat nose, squinty eyes'. 'He made me laugh even more when he put on his silk outfit, with his beaded necklace'. 'Today we didn't lose any money but got to see the king right next to us? I heard the owner of the Puppet Theater is planning to sign a contract to rent him'. For the French, the Annamese king is merely a joke, a 'puppet' no different from the circus they often watch. The portrayal of the ridiculousness of appearance aims to speak of the absurdity from within. Khai Dinh personally decorates himself with rural, ugly items, showing excessive behavior, wanting to experience the life of the common people, even though as a king he has all the luxurious palaces, beautiful women, and delicious food, yet he still indulges in Western-style revelry. In reality, Khai Dinh is just a puppet in the hands of the colonizers, in the eyes of the French, just a toy for amusement as their entertainment in the capital Paris becomes increasingly limited, only deserving to be placed alongside acrobatics, climbing, with the money to buy tickets.