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Prompt: Analyzing the character of Vu Nuong and expressing my thoughts
Sample essay: Analyzing the character of Vu Nuong and expressing my thoughts
Sample: Analyzing the character of Vu Nuong and expressing my thoughts
The tale of the maiden Nam Xuong depicted in the work Travels of a Dreamer, a prose masterpiece scribed in ancient Chinese characters by Nguyen Du in the 16th century, a literary gem hailed as the 'pen of antiquity'.
The story recounts a legendary tale imbued with myriad elements of folklore tragedy passed down through generations about familial tragedy in Nam Xuong, with the Hoang Giang river at the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century, a tumultuous era filled with upheaval.
The character Vu Nuong is a pitiable maiden, embodying noble qualities representative of the virtue of women in ancient feudal society.
Her name is Vu Thi Thiet, hailing from Nam Xuong, in present-day Li Nhan district, Ha Nam province. Born into a humble family background, Vu Nuong possesses both beauty and virtue, described as 'graceful, gentle, with an additional charm of elegance'. She is a reputable maiden, hence Truong Sinh, from a wealthy family, 'admiring her grace and demeanor', sought her hand in marriage with a proposal of one hundred taels of gold. In marital life, Vu Nuong is an intelligent and considerate woman, aware of her husband's suspicious nature, she 'maintains decorum' to prevent discord in their marriage.
Living amidst turbulent times, Truong Sinh is called to serve on distant battlefronts. On the day of her husband's departure, Vu Nuong filled a cup of wine, wishing him 'peace and tranquility', harboring no desires for him to return adorned with honors or clad in luxurious garments... Her wish is simple, for she values family happiness above all fleeting worldly pursuits. During the years of separation, Vu Nuong's longing for her husband is profound, as she recounts: '... every time I see butterflies fluttering in the garden, clouds covering the mountains, the overwhelming sorrow cannot be contained'.
The longing and sorrow of Vu Nuong echo the sentiments of all military spouses throughout history:
Yearning for her valiant figure ascending to the heavens
The sky stretches boundlessly, unfathomable
The yearning for him never-ending...
(Military Wife's Lament)
Expressing this sentiment, Nguyen Du sympathizes with Vu Nuong's anguish while praising her steadfast loyalty and enduring love for her husband.
Vu Nuong is a woman of resilience and abundant compassion. Just one week after her husband went off to war, she gave birth to a son named Dan. Despite her elderly and ailing mother-in-law, she 'exhausted all sweet persuasions' to care for her, while also nurturing and raising her young child. When her mother-in-law passed away, she showed 'immeasurable pity', ensuring the funeral arrangements were meticulous and respectful 'as if for her own parents'. Through this, we see three admirable qualities in Vu Nuong: a dutiful daughter-in-law, a steadfast and devoted wife, and a kind-hearted and nurturing mother. She epitomizes the ideal woman in ancient feudal society.
Years later, when 'the war ended', Truong Sinh returned from distant battlefields. However, Vu Nuong did not experience the happiness of a reunited family. Just because of a child's innocent words, Truong Sinh accused her of infidelity, 'scolding' and 'driving her away'. Being uneducated and quick-tempered, Truong Sinh disregarded his wife's 'expressions' and the 'explanations' of their relatives and neighbors. Vu Nuong was pushed into tragedy by her husband, wrongly accused of being an unfaithful wife. She jumped into the Hoang Giang river to prove herself as a woman of integrity, forever shining as 'a virtuous and chaste woman', immortalized in the phrase 'seeking to be a jade in the water, a grass on the land' (Tale of Kieu). Vu Nuong's tragedy stemmed from familial discord, exacerbated by the chaos of war. Shortly after Vu Nuong's suicide, one dark night, her child suddenly said, 'Father Dan is back!'. At that moment, Truong Sinh 'realized the injustice towards his wife, but it was too late!' Readers have long sighed in sympathy with Nguyen Du for the plight of the maiden from Nam Xuong and countless other unfortunate women throughout history. Vu Nuong's suicide, she didn't need her husband and child to 'pour libation for her grievances' (Tale of Kieu).
The concluding part of the tale is filled with surreal elements. Phan Lang dreams of a girl in a green dress begging for mercy. Phan Lang is given a jade tortoise but instead of killing it for meat, he releases it into the river. Phan Lang drowns, his body washed into a turtle cave on a distant island. Linh Phi, the wife of the South Sea king, revives him with a magic potion. Linh Phi hosts a feast at the Triệu Dương pavilion to honor Phan Lang, her savior from the past. The scene where Phan Lang meets Vu Nuong at Linh Phi's feast, Vu Nuong cries upon hearing Phan Lang mention their home, their ancestors' graves, the moment Vu Nuong sends Phan Lang a golden earring and instructs her husband to set up an altar at the Hoang Giang riverbank; the image of Vu Nuong sitting under a floral canopy, with fifty colorful lanterns swaying along the river, appearing and disappearing... these surreal details intensify the pain of the 'ill-fated woman' and serve as a scathing indictment of the inhumanity of feudal customs. Vu Nuong's words echoing across the river, 'I am grateful for your love, but I can't return to the mortal world anymore', add to the poignant humanity of the tale. Vu Nuong's tragedy has been vindicated and alleviated, but the paths of yin and yang have diverged, she can never return to the mortal realm, never again be a wife, a mother. Little Dan will forever be a motherless child.
In summary, Vu Nuong is a virtuous yet unfortunate woman. Nguyen Du recounts her life's agony with profound sympathy. Though filled with surreal elements, the story of the maiden from Nam Xuong carries great moral value. Vu Nuong embodies the tragedy of women in both family and society. Readers are further moved when recalling the verse of King Le Thanh Tong in his poem 'Another Visitation to Vu Thi':
... Witnessing the dual rays of sun and moon,
Exonerating injustices is not a trivial matter...
After conducting the analysis of the character Vu Nuong and expressing my thoughts, you can delve into analyzing Vu Nuong's character in the Tale of the Maiden from Nam Xuong or refer to analyzing the moral values in the work Tale of the Maiden from Nam Xuong to reinforce your knowledge.
