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Essay Prompt: Analyze the character of old Hạc in the short story Old Hạc, thereby extracting the humanistic meaning of the work
Sample essay Analyzing the character of old Hạc in the short story Old Hạc, thereby extracting the humanistic meaning of the work
The old man, fierce and intense: frothing at the mouth, convulsing, he struggled against two strong men who pinned him down... That death evokes memories of the death of the dog Yellow, only to realize with a shudder that the old man's death is no different from that of a dog.
Hungry and poor as he was, the old man did not let his humanity wane. Binh Tu thought the old man begged for a dog to steal. The teacher also suspected him. But no, Old Hac still retained the pure soul brimming with precious love and his own high self-esteem, worthy of admiration, of a peasant.
The old man loved his son deeply. Vietnamese literature has seen 'Father and son duty' by Ho Bieu Chanh, 'The ivory comb' by Nguyen Quang Sang,... praising filial piety. And among them, mention must be made of 'Old Hac' by Nam Cao. For the sake of his son, the old man accepted facing loneliness, old age, so his son could leave freely. After his son left, the old man poured all his love into the dog Yellow. Don't think simply that the old man pampered 'his' Yellow because it's a smart, beautiful dog. The most important thing that made the old man cherish Yellow to the point of sharing every meal with it, feeding it from a bowl like a person, then when it died, the old man writhed in pain, agony,... is because the dog is the only relic left by his son. Looking at the dog, the old man felt as if he could see his own son.
Not only that, the old man loved his son to the extent that he accepted hunger, and even death, rather than selling his son's piece of land. If the old man sold the piece of land, he would have had enough money to get through the hard times. But the old man worried that when his son returned, he would have no land to live on or farm. So the old man accepted death and asked the teacher to keep the land for his son. Oh my! The love of the old man for his son is truly touching beyond words!
Caring deeply for his loved ones, Old Hac was a person full of dignity in the face of life's many temptations and sins. In his situation, one could have resorted to theft, robbery, or even leeching off others (like Binh Tu, for example, or the woman in 'A Full Meal' by Nam Cao)... but not Old Hac. With the help of the teacher (which wasn't much, just some potatoes and cassavas), Old Hac 'refused almost stubbornly,' leaving the teacher sometimes uneasy. Binh Tu thought the old man begged to steal the dog 'the old man is quite a character, not just anyone'. Even the teacher suspected: 'that venerable person now following Binh Tu to get food? life truly becomes sadder with each passing day'. But in the end, everyone was astonished, shocked by the sudden death of the old man. Or another way: the old man could have sold off the plot of land. But the old man thought of it as his son's land. And the old man would rather die than take from his son!
Old Hac's dignity shone brightest when his body was in the most pain. He chose death, a fierce death, so that his soul could be pure, could maintain its complete bond with everyone - including the poor dog Yellow. But another detail is equally moving. Old Hac calculated so that even after death, he wouldn't bother anyone: he sent the teacher some silver coins, intending that when he lay down, the teacher would take care of the restless spirits, so as not to disturb the neighbors! Oh venerable Old Hac!
In constructing the character of Old Hac, Nam Cao employed the art of skillful characterization. This is demonstrated in the passage describing Old Hac's appearance, gestures when telling the teacher about tricking to sell Yellow, in the description of Old Hac's intense, agonizing suffering before his death. The language the writer used in the work is vivid, impressive, rich in imagery, and highly evocative.
Through the character of Old Hac, the writer has profoundly expressed the spirit of progressive humanism.
Nam Cao deeply empathized with the poverty, the hunger of Vietnamese farmers during the famine of 1945. The times pushed them to the brink, and the quickest way out was a cruel death.
Above all, the writer knew how to cherish and honor the pure beauty of the farmers' souls even as they faced the abyss. Not only rich in love, the farmers also lived with dignity. In times of famine, dignity is an extremely rare commodity. For food, people can be ruthless, savage, even lose all humanity. But remarkably, Old Hac not only retained fresh love but also held onto his precious dignity.
And it was precisely because of Old Hac's radiant beauty that Nam Cao realized: 'Life isn't necessarily sad'. Not sad because there are noble people like Old Hac. In writing that sentence, the writer expressed trust in the fine qualities of Vietnamese farmers before the Revolution. This is highly commendable because before the Revolution, farmers were looked down upon, even some writers considered them 'like thoughtless pigs'. Therefore, Nam Cao's ideology is truly praiseworthy!
The character of Old Hac by writer Nam Cao is a character with many admirable, worthy traits. Through Old Hac, Vietnamese farmers have the right to be proud of their souls and their integrity. By creating this character, Nam Cao affirmed a viewpoint rich in profound humanism.
After Analyzing the character of Old Hac in the short story Old Hac, thereby extracting the humanitarian significance of the work, you can delve into Analyzing the humanitarian values in the short story Old Hac or refer to Examining Nam Cao's view of farmers through the short story Old Hac? to reinforce your knowledge.
