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Prompt: Analyze the Emotional Journey of the Character Chí Phèo from the Morning After Meeting Thị Nở Until the End of His Life to Uncover the Tragedy of This Character
Sample essay analyzing the emotional progression of Chí Phèo after meeting Thị Nở until the end of his life, highlighting the uniqueness and brilliance of the narrative.
Writing Piece
I. INTRODUCTION
- Chí Phèo stands out as one of the most remarkable short stories in Nam Cao's literary career and a critique of the socio-realistic literature of Vietnam from 1930 to 1945. The author successfully portrays the psyche of various characters, particularly the emotional journey of Chí Phèo (from the morning after meeting Thị Nở until the end of his life).
- The psychological development of Chí Phèo in this section is intricate yet logically follows the laws of human psychology. It's a process of self-awareness, oscillating between hope and despair, ultimately leading to a quest for revenge.
II. ANALYSIS
- The unfolding can be summarized as follows: from awakening ordinary human emotions (vague sadness with profound ripples of feelings, emotions inherent to humans) to the fear of loneliness, the yearning to return to a society that is flat and friendly with everyone. This longing becomes more intense as Chí Phèo generously offers onion porridge, receiving the simple yet genuinely caring attention from Thị Nở, realizing that the taste of porridge is also the taste of happiness and love. However, Chí Phèo is harshly rejected by Thị Nở, and only then does he truly grasp the tragic fate and painful tragedy of his life. The more painful, the more resentful. He takes a knife to seek revenge.
- Chí Phèo killing Bá Kiến and then committing suicide is a psychological release, a desperate retaliation of someone who dared to defy authority (being denied the right to be human). Initially, Chí Phèo may have acted on instinct or the call and guidance of the subconscious. However, when facing Bá Kiến, Chí Phèo acted in a very conscious state: recognizing who pushed him into misery (even the last person in Vũ Đại village who could have been friendly with Chí Phèo, Thị Nở, rejected him, making the situation even more tragic). It's a state of extreme despair. Chí Phèo acted both dark and instinctive, yet remarkably clear-headed and conscious.
- In a sense, Thị Nở's rejection brought Chí Phèo back to reality and made him realize that his foremost enemy is still Bá Kiến. In Nam Cao's story, Chí Phèo visits Bá Kiến's house three times, and each time he carries a weapon (a broken bottle or a knife). This means the conflict between Chí Phèo and Bá Kiến is an irreconcilable one, destined to erupt into a tragedy sooner or later.
