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Prompt: Analyze the character of Mr. Fish in the excerpt where Lục Vân Tiên encounters adversity.
Analyzing the character of Mr. Fish in the excerpt where Lục Vân Tiên encounters adversity.
Essay:
'Carrying the boat of righteousness without capsizing
Crashing through numerous villainous pens without faltering'
With a progressive literary perspective, poet Nguyễn Đình Chiểu brought valuable works to Vietnamese medieval literature with moral lessons. The epic poem 'Lục Vân Tiên' is one of the exemplary works that clearly demonstrates this. Built upon traditional ethical principles encompassing qualities such as 'humanity, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust,' the work has conveyed many profound lessons about the shining philosophy of humanity. Alongside the central character Lục Vân Tiên, Mr. Fish is also a character who leaves a deep impression on readers. Through the excerpt 'Lục Vân Tiên encounters adversity,' Mr. Fish embodies the beauty of humanity through noble actions and an exceptionally virtuous life.
Despite falling into blindness and loneliness in a foreign land, Lục Vân Tiên continues to face misfortune when schemed against by Trịnh Hâm. Due to jealousy, resentment, and a wicked, untrustworthy, and unscrupulous nature, Trịnh Hâm plotted and planned to bring Vân Tiên 'straight down to the abyss.' Mr. Fish appeared and rescued Vân Tiên from this perilous ordeal:
'The fisherman sees, rescues straight to the shore
Begging his child to fan the fire for an hour
The father pats his belly, the mother strokes her brow'
The urgent and decisive actions of Mr. Fish and his family, such as 'rescuing straight to the shore,' 'Begging his child to fan the fire,' 'The father pats his belly,' and 'the mother strokes her brow,' have shown sincere feelings, without any ulterior motives from the rescuers towards those in distress. Not only that, the actions of rescuing Vân Tiên by Mr. Fish's family also demonstrate voluntariness and stem from a loving heart - a tradition of great humanity of our people. The action 'Saving one life is better than building seven towers' has been vividly and simply described through plain, unadorned language with a distinct Southern flavor. Furthermore, understanding the situation of Lục Vân Tiên better, despite being a family living by fishing all year round, Mr. Fish still opens his heart to shelter a person in need:
Mr. Fish said: 'Stay with me
Tomorrow, we'll enjoy the twilight years together for fun'
The decisive act of rescuing, along with the words full of compassion for a blind person like Lục Vân Tiên, once again affirms the noble character of this fisherman. It's also an act of voluntariness, being ready to care for those in distress without expecting anything in return:
Mr. Fish said: 'An old heart doesn't dream
Pouring out goodwill, waiting not for repayment
Cleanse the water, cleanse the soul
What use is mere fame and fortune to a sincere heart'
The statement about Mr. Fish's sense of humanity reminds us of the innocent and carefree smile of Lục Vân Tiên when Kiều Nguyệt Nga wants to express gratitude for saving her life:
Upon hearing this, Vân Tiên laughed and said:
'Please, it's easy to spot someone who repays kindness'
The phrase 'Pouring out goodwill, waiting not for repayment' from Mr. Fish and 'Please, it's easy to spot someone who repays kindness' from Lục Vân Tiên share similarities and converge in the concept of 'valuing virtue over talent': Helping others without seeking rewards is what befits a true gentleman.
Through decisive and compassionate actions, wanting to rescue Lục Vân Tiên, we can somewhat understand the noble life of the virtuous fisherman:
'Tomorrow let's enjoy the bay's delight
Wind-swept days, moonlit nights
Contentedly alone in our pursuits
Strong in casting nets, weary in letting go lines'
Though just a fisherman, Mr. Fish embodies the spirit of a sage with an extremely noble way of life, harmonizing with nature through refined pleasures of 'enjoying the wind' and 'playing with the moon.' The life of an honest laborer flows calmly in the ease of 'Strong in casting nets, weary in letting go lines.' On the tiny boat, a diligent, self-sufficient, and pure life unfolds, closely tied to lofty moral ideals.
