Analyzing the character Hoang in Nam Cao's story 'The Eyes'

Prompt: Analyze the character Hoang in Nam Cao's story 'The Eyes'

Analyzing the character Hoang in Nam Cao's story 'The Eyes'

I. Outline: Analyzing the character Hoang in Nam Cao's story 'The Eyes' (Standard)

1. Introduction

- Introduction to Nam Cao and the work 'The Eyes.'
- Introduction to the character Hoang.

2. Main Body

a. Title Significance:

- Provides an overview of the predominant themes in the short story, which revolve around each individual's perspective on life.

b. Hoang's Lifestyle and Personality Before the Revolution:

- Hoang's family was originally wealthy and lived a very luxurious and affluent life.
- Hoang indulged in seemingly refined and extravagant hobbies:
+ Reading Chinese novels, always choosing profound and classic works such as 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' 'Outlaws of the Marsh,' or 'Water Margin.'
+ Liked raising dogs, particularly German Shepherds, which were loyal and fierce, much like their owner.

- Not only was he a cunning person, but he was also a 'black market' operator.
- Hoang was very adept at undermining his friends, doing so out of his inherent selfishness, never allowing anyone with literary talent to surpass him or have good relations with those who disliked him.
- Stubborn and conservative by default, he believed he had the right to 'abandon' others, never believing they were leaving or avoiding him.
=> Hoang became despised by the literary community of Hanoi.

c. Hoang's Lifestyle and Personality After the Revolution, When He Had Settled in the Countryside:
- He claimed to be 'revolutionary,' but in reality, it was a chaotic escape, Hoang fleeing to the countryside to evade bombings.
- Proclaimed himself revolutionary and supportive of the revolution, but seemed to still harbor jealousy and resentment:
+ Engaged in despicable acts, even cursing his colleagues, who were previously kind and had never interacted negatively with him, simply because they were praised in the national liberation newspaper.
+ Mocked and insulted them as 'proletarian writers' and depicted them as ragged individuals awaiting their downfall, squandering the nation's resources.
=> Hoang remained unchanged, still envious and contemptible.
- Hoang maintained his luxurious lifestyle, enjoying leisurely activities, even raising another aggressive dog and indulging in reading novels. While this lifestyle seemed healthy, during the national struggle, it appeared out of touch and estranged.
- Invited Độ over just to find someone who seemed gentle and could understand his suffering.
+ Selfish, having been indifferent to friends, now easily called them over just to listen to his grievances, without caring if they wanted to hear or what their perspective was.
+ Insensitive to others' feelings.

- In Hoang's description of rural people, he displayed a harsh and contemptuous attitude, viewing them through a self-righteous lens, considering himself knowledgeable and cultured enough to judge and belittle them as lower-class.
+ He believed rural people were only thrifty, petty, and narrow-minded, attributing to them the sins of 'stupidity, ignorance, selfishness, greed, and vulgarity.'
+ Even towards revolutionary farmers, he couldn't muster respect or the jovial attitude one would expect from someone 'revolutionary,' in his mouth, they were all 'the chairman,' 'the committee members,' 'self-defense fathers,' 'youths,' 'women,'...
+ He believed revolutionary farmers were pretentious, bureaucratic, propaganda-loving, showy, and ignorant.
=> Hoang refused to understand or even try to understand the reasons behind these behaviors, his selfishness, lack of empathy, and even ignorance had led him to have a harsh and biased view of revolutionary farmers.
- Unable to integrate into society, he chose to live a secluded life, indifferent with his obedient wife, and playing with outdated authority figures.

- Hoang remained indifferent and apathetic towards the revolution, accepting the label of a 'reactionary' and refusing to contribute anything to the resistance.
- Towards Uncle Ho, Hoang displayed an excessive reverence, causing him to lose faith in the strength of national unity, the power of the proletarian class, workers, and farmers.
- Hoang lived solely according to his own desires, ignoring whether his friend Độ wanted to continue the conversation, preferred playing cards, or liked reading Chinese novels, and simply led his friend along. He also disregarded Độ's opinions on the revolutionary farmers.

3. Conclusion

Express general sentiments.

II. Sample Essay Analyzing the Character Hoang in Nam Cao's Story 'The Eyes' (Standard)

Despite the chaos prevailing in the countryside, Hoang maintains a leisurely lifestyle. He still keeps a ferocious dog, enjoys reading novels, and resides in an ideal and elegant environment with a clean house and a garden full of flowers and grass. It's a wholesome lifestyle, but perhaps amidst the nationwide solidarity against the enemy, it feels somewhat estranged. Despite claiming to be part of the resistance, all he does is wield his pen against those superior to him, living a life of indulgence, indifferent to the revolution. The beauty of nature or the country's renewal seem unable to alter Hoang's perspective on life. Why does Hoang invite Do to his home? Upon reading until the end, one realizes that Hoang, in his rural setting, struggles to connect with others. He's frustrated and seeks someone gentle who can understand his troubles. Do fits that description. Reflecting on Hoang's selfishness, once cold towards others, now he readily calls someone over just to listen to his woes, without caring if the listener wants to hear or how they feel. It's truly absurd when throughout the gathering, Hoang talks while Do responds coldly. At times, readers wonder why a writer lacks sensitivity to others' emotions, perhaps that's why he hasn't produced any noteworthy works. In an era where people strive to integrate and explore beauty in life, he confines himself to his narrow vision and soul, living true to his beliefs.

'The Eyes' is one of Nam Cao's most outstanding short stories written after the August Revolution. Besides that, to see the talent and the two main themes in Nam Cao's work, you can also refer to: Analysis of the work Chí Phèo by Nam Cao, Analysis of the character Chí Phèo, Let's analyze the character old Hạc in the same work, Analysis of the humanitarian value in the short story Old Hạc