Buzz
Prompt: Analyzing the characters in Nguyen Thanh Long's Silent Sapa
2 sample essays analyzing characters in Nguyen Thanh Long's Silent Sapa
Sample Essay #1: Analysis of Characters in Nguyen Thanh Long's Silent Sapa
Every literary work has its own fate. Some works fade tragically right after their debut. Some stir controversies for a while and then fade into obscurity for readers. Yet, there are poems and stories that possess enduring vitality in the hearts of readers, with an inexplicable allure. Nguyen Thanh Long's short story Silent Sapa is one such remarkable piece, leaving profound emotions in each of us.
The story doesn't feature extraordinary characters, nor thunderous heroic deeds... as often found in many war stories of the anti-American resistance era.
Nguyen Thanh Long employs a gentle, poetic writing style: nature is depicted under a romantic veil, warming the hearts of people to the point of enchantment. These are ordinary, lovable, truly great workers.
Four individuals are mentioned by the author, old and young, male and female, aside from the taxi driver, the other three characters are socialist intellectuals: the elderly painter, the young scientist, and the recent graduate engineer. The story hardly has a plot; yet, the meeting between them lingers in our minds.
1. The kind-hearted taxi driver, jovial as a storytelling character, but unforgettable. The elderly painter, experienced, postponed the 'party' with colleagues for a practical trip 'finally up to the Northwest before retirement.' 'The pen' seems like another heart of his, throughout his life 'he travels' and 'draws,' he 'yearns' for art, hence 'he loves life more,' loves people more. Half an hour he chats with the young man, and his sincere attitude towards the young engineer like 'parent-child' affection, makes us admire and respect him, for he is a true artist, an erudite intellect, a beautiful personality with a rich inner life.
2. The young man is a character favored by the author, described deeply, leaving many beautiful impressions. In appearance, he has a 'petite figure, radiant face.' He lives and works alone on the 2600m high Yen Son mountain, surrounded by year-round cold fog. Labor and efficiency are the measure of human worth. He works in meteorology 'measuring wind, rain, sunshine, cloudiness, seismic activity, participating in daily weather forecasts, serving production, serving combat.' He collects data and reports to the 'real' house very accurately. On rainy snowy nights, freezing cold, he still takes a storm lantern to the garden at one in the morning, hardship that cannot be fully expressed. He contributed to the discovery of a fluffy cloud over the Ham Rong sky so our air force could shoot down many American planes. 'The loneliest person in the world' is like this?
His true value lies in living beautifully. He is very 'hungry' for people, but not for the 'urban hustle and bustle nostalgia.' He always asks himself: 'What am I born for, where have I been, who am I working for?' A sense of responsibility impresses us. He knows to take books to 'chat,' to learn and progress, to enrich knowledge. He speaks of himself innocently, modestly. He doesn't want the elderly painter to paint his portrait. He praises the engineer in Sa Pa's vegetable garden, the scientific officer mapping out clay, and according to him, they are 'people who work and think... for the country.'
He also possesses a kind and noble heart. He sent a gift to the taxi driver's wife who had just recovered from illness. He presented the young engineer with a large and beautiful bouquet when she visited his 'home.' He sent his guests a tray of eggs for lunch. Though they may seem like mere garden produce, behind those gifts lies a noble and compassionate heart. He is an intellectual with graceful manners and warm affection.
3. The young engineer, as depicted by the author, is charming indeed. Her gesture of 'hugging the bouquet to her chest,' her attentive listening to the young man's story, and her contemplative silence, all reflect her emotional depth. She is moved upon seeing the book left on the table by the young man. As she embarks on life's journey, she encounters the young man who serves as a mirror for self-reflection, prompting her to reconsider the faded love and 'the path she is heading towards.' She is as beautiful as the flowers she holds in her hands.
These are characters, souls so pure, humble, kind-hearted, and full of love. Nguyen Thanh Long doesn't exaggerate; he simply hints at 'a page of life, a slice, a detail of life... tiny observations that gently remind the reader' (To Hoai) and deeply resonate. Because that's the color, the essence of life. The young man confided in the painter: 'I find life too beautiful.' Indeed, the short story Silent Sa Pa helps us love life even more, love people even more. And Thanh Hai's poem echoes in our hearts, stirring emotions about a small spring - Quietly offering itself to life...
Additionally, summarizing Silent Sa Pa as well as analyzing the work is an important lesson that students should pay special attention to.
Sample 2: Analyzing characters in the serene Sapa by Nguyen Thanh Long
In Vietnamese literature, there are writers specialized in short stories and sketches - Nguyen Thanh Long is one of them. 'Silent Sapa' is the result of the author's 'real-life immersion' in Lao Cai during the summer of 1970. In the short story 'Silent Sapa,' Nguyen Thanh Long encapsulates the theme of the story: 'Amidst the silence of Sa Pa,... the nation.' Besides the main character, the young man, the supporting characters such as the taxi driver, the engineer, and the painter, along with the indirect characters, have significantly contributed to the success of the story.
The painter is a supporting character but plays a crucial role in the narrative, contributing to the story's success. This character aligns closely with the author's narrative perspective. Particularly, through the painter's eyes, the character of the young man appears clearer and more beautiful, with added depth of thought, simultaneously evoking many aspects, meanings of life, and art: 'Because the painter has discovered something he has always desired to know, oh, a gesture of kindness as an affirmation of a soul, inspiring creativity. A new stroke is enough value for a long journey.' The painter wishes to capture the image of the young man with a pen stroke and says: 'That young man is truly adorable but makes one weary. With the things he does that make people think about him and the things he contemplates...' The painter is a beautiful portrayal of an artistic laborer, and the appearance of this character brings a profound poetic quality to the story.
The engineer is a noble image of youth. Having just graduated, she volunteered to work in the mountainous region of Lai Chau. The unexpected encounter with the young man left her astonished. She gained further understanding of the brave and beautiful solitary life of the young man, about the world of fishermen. The encounter also helped her value more accurately the faded love she rejected and be more reassured about her decision. Along with that astonishment is a sense of gratitude towards the young man. It's not just because of the large bouquet he casually gave her but also because of 'another bouquet, a bouquet from those eagerly and randomly dreaming people he gave her.' The girl, like other characters in the story, contributes to completing the perspective of the young man.
The taxi driver, emerging from the beginning of the story, also embodies admirable qualities. With a love for his job, he maintains openness and responsibility after 30 years of driving, sensitive to the beauty of nature and humanity. Acting as a bridge between the young man and life (buying books for him, stopping the car at the foot of the hill for conversation, introducing new friends to him), the taxi driver leads the narrative, sparking curiosity in the painter and the engineer about the solitary young man, someone 'longing for people.'
In the work, there are characters who do not appear directly but indirectly through the young man's narration, contributing to expressing the theme of the work. These include the vegetable garden engineer, who observes pollination daily and hand-pollinates radishes to make them larger and sweeter. Or the research officer on lightning: for 11 years, never leaving the office, always on standby for lightning, forgetting personal happiness to complete lightning maps for the country. Although not directly appearing in the story but indirectly through the young man's words, they emerge with beautiful qualities in their souls and way of life. They are passionate about their work. For enriching the country, they are willing to sacrifice their youth, happiness, and family affection. Their lives are silent and compassionate.
The characters are oriented towards beauty: 'The cheerful taxi driver, the elderly painter, the young engineer all admire the solitary young man. Conversely, the young man admires the lightning research officer, the young man on Mount Fansipan, the vegetable garden engineer with thoughts of their dedication being grand and commendable. The supporting characters in the story contribute to depicting the main character and highlighting the theme of the work. All characters, including the main and supporting ones, do not have individual names. They are drivers, painters, engineers,... Perhaps this is the author's intention to portray anonymous, silent individuals who dedicate their love and strength to life. Their lives are silent yet noble. They embody a pure, ideal beauty. This is also the beauty of the Vietnamese people in the difficult and glorious years, fighting against foreign invaders and building the country.
