Analyzing the emotional state of Liên as she stays up night after night waiting to see the passing train through the town streets in the short story Two Children by Thạch Lam

Prompt: Analyze the emotional state of Liên as she stays up night after night waiting to see the passing train through the town streets in the short story Two Children by Thạch Lam

Compilation of outlines +  6 exemplary essays analyzing the emotional state of Liên as she stays up night after night waiting to see the passing train through the town streets in the short story Two Children 
 

I.  Outline for Analyzing the Emotional State of Liên as she stays up night after night waiting to see the passing train through the town streets in the short story Two Children (Standard)
 

1. Introduction

- Overview of the short story 'Two Children' by Thạch Lam
- Overview of  Liên's emotional state as she stays up night after night waiting to see the passing train through the town streets 

2. Main Body

a. Emotional Progression of the character Liên while staying up at night waiting for the train
- Liên's mood before the train arrives
+ Despite feeling sleepy, the two siblings still try to stay awake for the train.
+ Liên attentively observes the flickering lights and the dull life in the town.

- Liên's mood as the train passes through the town
+ Liên hastily wakes up An as if afraid of missing something precious.
+ Liên observes and admires the 'brightly lit carriages shining down onto the street.' Liên is moved, 'silent, dreaming of 'distant, bright, cheerful, and bustling Hanoi'.'

- Liên's mood after the train has passed
+ The two siblings continue to follow 'the small dot of the green light hanging on the last carriage, disappearing far away behind the bamboo grove.'
+ Liên quickly returns to reality with a lingering melancholy.

b. Significance of Liên's emotional state while waiting for the train

- Highlighting the stark reality of impoverished life, trapped in stagnation in the town.

- Demonstrating profound humanitarian values of the work, while also reflecting the author's compassionate and empathetic heart towards the suffering of humanity's plight.
 

3. Conclusion

Overview of the value of the content and artistry of the work.

II. Sample Essay  Analyzing the emotional state of Liên as she stays up night after night waiting to see the passing train through the town streets in the short story Two Children
 

1.  Analysis of Liên's emotional state as she stays up night after night waiting to see the passing train through the town streets in the short story Two Children, sample number 1 (Standard)

In modern Vietnamese literature, while Nguyễn Tuân is known as the writer tirelessly seeking extraordinary beauty with his exquisite, eloquent style, Thạch Lam discovers seemingly trivial yet profoundly human aspects of life. This is clearly demonstrated in the work 'Two Children.' This short story exemplifies Thạch Lam's artistic style. In this melancholic narrative, saturated with romantic sentiment, author Thạch Lam successfully depicts the emotional state of Liên as she stays up night after night waiting to see the passing train through the town streets.

The short story 'Two Children' revolves around the daily lives of the siblings Liên and An. At each segment of the narrative, Thạch Lam's delicate pen delves deep into the characters' emotions to describe seemingly simple yet profoundly meaningful feelings, especially Liên's emotions as she stays up waiting to see the passing train through the town streets. For Liên and An, the image of the train passing through the town is the most beautiful light containing tiny hopes for another world. Amidst the flickering lights in the thick night, despite feeling sleepy, An and Liên still try to stay awake for the trains. Therefore, upon hearing the distant sound of the train whistle echoing, Liên eagerly anticipates and eagerly awaits. As the train approaches closer, Liên urgently wakes her sister with urgency, fearing to miss something precious. Thus, the two siblings await the train passing through the town to convey the dreams and hopes stored in their souls to satisfy their spiritual lives.

The essay Analyzing Liên's emotional state while waiting for the train

When the train arrives with new streams of light, Liên holds her sister's hand to watch the train pass by. Although the train comes and goes quickly in an instant, it is enough for Liên to observe and admire the 'brightly lit carriages shining down onto the street.' Liên is moved, 'silent, dreaming. Distant, bright, cheerful, and bustling Hanoi'. Thus, when watching the trains passing through the town, Liên feels like living in a new, beautiful, and vibrant world. Liên looks at the bright streams of light brought by the train, completely different from the dim kerosene lamps of Mrs. Tí's drink stall and Mr. Siêu's fire. The train also brings the vibrant sounds of the bustling crowd, lively along with the sound of the wheels rolling on the train tracks dispelling the melancholic silence of the poor town.

When 'the train enters the night, leaving behind flying red sparks on the railroad', the two sisters still follow 'the small dot of the green light hanging on the last carriage, disappearing far away behind the bamboo grove' as if wanting to capture the bright moment that the train brings when passing through the town. And then, the two sisters quickly return to reality with a lingering melancholy. Although the train comes and goes in a flash, it is enough to ignite tiny hopes in Liên's soul.

2. Analyzing Liên's emotional state as she waits every night to watch the train pass through the district street in the short story 'Two Children,' model number 2:

Thạch Lam is a master of short stories, beloved by many. It's not the unique plots or intriguing twists that draw people in, but rather his creation of a distinctive form of storytelling: the introspective short story. The appeal of Thạch Lam's short stories lies in the emotional depth of his characters. This is evident in Liên's nightly anticipation of the train passing through the district street in his short story 'Two Children.'

Why do Liên (and her sibling) stay up every night to watch the train pass through the district street? What is Liên's mood like as she waits for the train? Understanding this requires delving into her life in this district street.

It's a desolate, monotonous, and pitiable existence in the district street during the twilight hours. The evening market has faded, exposing all the poverty and desolation. Images of children scavenging through garbage, the distant sound of autumn drums echoing through the district street, each beat heavy with weariness and sorrow... Then night descends upon the district street, enveloping the struggling souls like shadows: Mother and child at the water stand, Mr. Phở Siêu, the family of the blind musician with their tattered mat and iron basin, and a toddler crawling amidst filth, an elderly lady buying liquor laughing hysterically... To the point where even the flickering light from Mr. Phở Siêu's soup pot only emits a faint glow, and the lamp atop Mother Tí's water stand 'only illuminates a small patch of land' - symbolizing the insignificant, futile lives amidst the vast darkness of existence. The image of Mother Tí's small lamp recurs seven times within the few pages of the short story, hauntingly depicting the barren, pitiful life in the impoverished district street, lost in the vast darkness of life.

Amidst such desolation of the district street, Thạch Lam vividly portrays Liên's anxious anticipation for the train. She once lived in a place not as impoverished and bleak. For Liên, that place, Hanoi, always held distant and elusive memories, yet always serene, beautifully radiant with light and joy. Every day was the same, life repeating in a dull, monotonous cycle: waking up to open the shop, sell goods; in the evening, earn money, collect goods - and those goods never changed: a bag of matches, a roll of thread, a few bars of soap... The detail of the old bamboo pole, on the verge of breaking, that Thạch Lam introduces here is meaningful: the lives of the two children are aging prematurely! The world Liên and her sister are living in, approaching day by day, remains the same. Where is the joy to look forward to?

Guidelines for understanding and analyzing Liên's emotional state as she waits for the train

Liên's melancholic mood has led to a desire to escape the life she's living, if only to hope for something different from this stagnant and desolate world. She must seek out another life, even if that life only passes by in a moment. And she found it in the image of the train passing through the district street every night. Despite the overwhelming sleepiness, she still waits for the train. To briefly escape the mundane, monotonous present. The train is a vital spiritual need for her because it represents a different world passing through her life, a world of wealth, bustling, vibrant, and full of light. In the midst of a long, dreary day, these are moments of brightness and happiness for her, even if only lived in dreams and imagination.

Therefore, when the train arrives, Liên's soul is immediately drawn to it - a vivid and beautiful description by Thạch Lam: 'Liên quickly stands up to watch the train pass by, the brightly lit carriages, casting light down onto the street. Liên only catches a glimpse of the luxurious upper-class carriages, glimmering with people, goods, and glitter, and the bright glass doors.' The train has passed, but Liên's soul still clings to it until the tiny dot of the green light hanging on the last carriage, far away, fades behind the bamboo grove. By then, she feels as if she's living in a dream, in the regret of something past, but its echo still resonates vividly in her soul: 'Liên silently dreams, Hanoi distant, Hanoi bright, cheerful, and bustling. The train seems to have brought a different world through. A completely different world, for Liên, so different from the faint light of Mother Tí's lamp and Mr. Phở Siêu's fire. The night still envelops everything, the night of the countryside and beyond, vast and serene fields.' In Liên's emotional state, there is a stark contrast between two lives: the beautiful life of dreams and the life in the district street.

Thạch Lam adeptly depicts Liên's anticipation for the train in the short story Two Children. He aims to convey profound messages to the readers. It's the pitifully bleak life of children under the old regime, and extrapolating, it's the life of insignificant, nameless individuals who never experience light and happiness, lives perpetually buried in darkness, poverty, and boredom in the district streets, and on a broader scale, in a nation sinking into the abyss of poverty. How pitiable are these lives, yet they harbor small, sincere, and touching dreams like Liên's dream of waiting for the train every night. That dream has awakened sluggish souls, igniting within them the flame of longing for a more meaningful life, yearning to escape the dark life that seeks to bury them.

3. Analyzing Liên's emotional state as she waits for the train in the short story Two Children by Thạch Lam, model number 3:

Thanh Lam is one of the outstanding short story writers of modern Vietnamese prose. He is a member of the self-reliant literary group, but he has a distinct style compared to other writers in the group. The literature of the self-reliant literary group often carries a melancholic romanticism, while Thạch Lam's literature is imbued with realistic sadness. It's like a 'Fragrant Orchid,' distilled from life's sorrows. The short story 'Two Children' is included in the collection 'Sunshine in the Garden' (1938), and this work is representative of Thanh Lam's style. It's a type of melancholic short story steeped in romance. This style deeply manifests in the district street setting and Liên's anticipation for the train. Thạch Lam's short stories are melancholic, realistic romantic short stories, lacking in plot, rich in emotion, gentle, and poignant like poetry.

The portrayal of the district street is described chronologically, the scene of the district street at dusk. The scene of the district street at nightfall. The scene of waiting for the train and the scene of the district street when the late-night train passes. Liên is a young girl whose father lost his job, and the family had to move from Hanoi to live in a poor district...Although still young, Liên has shown maturity, helping her mother manage a small grocery store to make a living, and Liên is also very attentive in taking care of her younger sister An. Especially, Liên is a gentle, kind-hearted, empathetic young girl. Liên's emotions are depicted through four scenes in the district street, like four psychological stages: late afternoon, evening, waiting for the train, and the late-night train. The natural scenery in the district street when dusk falls is depicted through Liên's sensitive and delicate perspective. It's 'A peaceful afternoon like a lullaby, echoing the sound of frogs croaking, drifting into the fields along with the gentle breeze. In the shop, mosquitoes have begun to buzz.' In that painting, there's a blend of two images: the serene romantic image and the image evoking poverty, destitution. Perhaps due to the twilight scene, Liên feels melancholic: 'Liên sits quietly beside several black paint cans; her sister's eyes gradually darken, and the sadness of the rural evening seeps into Liên's innocent soul; Liên doesn't understand why, but she feels a deep sadness creeping into her soul before the twilight hour.' It's difficult to distinguish whether the external sadness permeates the internal scene or the internal sadness spreads outward. Here, we only see a profound sadness in the emotional state. Only through sensitive and empathetic perception like Liên's can it be understood. Liên may not endure the hardships like other lives. Yet, she's the most pitiable fate. Because the beautiful past of the two sisters Liên belonged to the past. The present is bleak, dark, and stagnant. Indeed, life in the district street is gradually fading, sinking into poverty, while souls like Liên's witness those scenes without being saddened, but the sadness only lingers in Liên's eyes 'gradually darkening,' seeping into Liên's soul. The district street is like a stage of life, where only one dreary scene is performed, with no change in both people and scenery. It's a life constantly 'rising, wearing away, decaying, leaking,' with no way out. It evokes thoughts because of the image of the 'flat, quiet pond of life.'

Sample literature Analyzing Liên's emotional state in the story Two Children

The writer doesn't directly describe Liên's mood, but through Liên's perspective on scenery and life, that mood is depicted. Living in such circumstances, Liên and her sister can't help but wait for something, albeit vaguely. The sadness seems even more profound. But without hope, how can one live? And the nightly train journey ignites that hope. The scene of the late-night train and Liên's mixed emotions, amidst the long dreary period, the light, the train whistle, are the great joys of the two sisters. Every night, the two eagerly wait for the train. They don't wait to sell goods; it's the spiritual joy of the two sisters. When the train arrives, Liên and An stand up, facing the train, and when it departs, 'Liên still dreams silently,' the train arrives and departs quickly, leaving the two children in sorrowful regret. The train leaves, and the district street returns to darkness and silence, even heavier. The children's joy flickers but is extinguished like a fleeting flame in the night. The anticipation begins from the afternoon shadows, into the night, and the district street at night. The children await each step of time, each step closer of the train: the train approaching, slipping away, departing, leaving only the distant red light fading behind the bamboo grove. Night envelops the district street.

Describing the sad, impoverished, dull, stagnant atmosphere of the district street and the emotions of the two children, especially Liên, directly and indirectly. Through intertwined realities and memories, described in a gentle, delicate, poetically rich tone, the writer reveals pity for the impoverished, miserable lives, trapped, stagnant in society's confines.

From there, the author seems to want to awaken sluggish souls, on the brink of collapse. Wanting to ignite within them the fire of longing for a brighter, more meaningful life. Longing to escape from the dark life that seeks to bury them. The short story 'Two Children' deeply demonstrates the talent and heart of Thạch Lam.
 

4. Analyzing Liên's nightly anticipation of the passing train through the district street in the short story Two Children by Thạch Lam, sample number 4:

Although appearing on the literary scene for only 5 years, Thạch Lam quickly established himself as a unique short story writer. During his lifetime, he once believed, 'Beauty pervades the universe, hidden in every nook and cranny, latent in every ordinary thing. The writer's job is to discover beauty in the unexpected, to find the subtle and hidden beauty of things for readers to observe and enjoy.' Derived from the collection of short stories 'Sunshine in the Garden,' 'Two Children' is a typical short story showcasing Thạch Lam's unique style. When readers delve into 'Two Children,' they all see the train wait as a significant event where Thạch Lam's pen blossoms.

Although a member of the Tự Lực Văn Đoàn group and the younger brother of Nhất Linh and Hoàng Đạo, Thạch Lam's work took a fresh direction. He poured affection and compassion into the poor classes of society at that time. Thạch Lam's pen often delves into the vague, delicate emotional states of human beings. 'Two Children' is a short story without a plot. The entire story unfolds like a slow-motion film about a poor district surrounding Liên and her sister one summer evening. There's no climax, no resolution, yet the short story easily infiltrates the reader's mind due to a profound but beautiful sadness - the beauty of an ordinary life discovered by Thạch Lam. Most notably is the train wait scene in the short story.

Despite feeling sleepy, Liên and An still strive to wait for the late-night train from Hanoi every night. Why? To sell goods as instructed by their mother? Absolutely not. Liên and her sister stay awake not to open the shop to receive customers like other merchants at the train station; on the contrary, they close the shop and wait for the train for a different reason. So what is it? Perhaps it's because the two sisters yearn to see the train - the final activity of the late night. Perhaps, and also because the train seems to bring forth a different world, a world entirely different from the dim light of Sister Tý's lamp and Uncle Siêu's fire. While the district street sinks into darkness, decay, poverty, and weariness, the train seems to bring forth a bright, wealthy, joyful, and bustling world.

Essay: Analyzing Liên's nightly anticipation of the train passing through the district street

As the train brings forth a different world, Liên quietly awaits its arrival with a mix of emotions, both vague and eager. Waiting for the train is akin to awaiting the sacred moment of midnight on New Year's Eve, every Tet holiday, every spring. Despite An's drowsiness, Liên gently wakes her, saying, 'Wake up, An. The train is here!' Her urgent call echoes joyfully, like a cheerful cheer. Then the train's whistle sounds, and as it approaches, the whole district lights up, vibrant, lively, elegant. Liên leads An to stand and watch the passing train, both eager to immerse themselves in the lively world. The more eager they are, the more mesmerized they become as the train passes by. Even though tonight's train seems less crowded than usual and the atmosphere dimmer, Liên remains joyful because the train from Hanoi has arrived. It has brought Liên back to the serene, sweet childhood, awakening in her a belief in a bright future.

Every night, Liên and An stay awake, eagerly awaiting the train. To many, it may seem like a vague, even meaningless activity. However, Thạch Lam, with his compassionate heart, discovered the deep secrets, the romantic desires of the two sisters. Waiting for the train becomes a way of life, a spiritual necessity. It's waiting to return to the peaceful, sweet past of innocent childhood. It's waiting to ignite intense, bold aspirations for a better life. Through depicting the train wait scene, Thạch Lam reveals both deep sympathy for the struggling, stagnant lives of ordinary people, especially children, and a call to action, urging change for the better. The short story 'Two Children' is vivid, rich in realistic value, saturated with noble humanitarian emotions, and imbued with romantic poetry. Reading Thạch Lam's 'Two Children,' one can't help but recall 'The Little Match Girl' by Hans Christian Andersen. They are two writers from different countries, different eras, but harmonize in their loving humanitarian voices for children.

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The scene of waiting for the train also serves as the gentle, lingering conclusion of Thạc Lam's story. It's a scene that will haunt the reader's mind forever. As the work concludes, one still feels endlessly occupied with a warm, deeply-rooted homeland, with hidden, simple yet profound emotions. 'Two Children' truly fulfills the mission of genuine literature by evoking in the reader pure and rich humanitarian sentiments.

Essay: Analyzing Liên's nightly anticipation of the train passing through the district street

Thạc Lam is a writer inclined towards emotions, recording his own feelings towards the harsh fate of the poor, those leading difficult lives, silently enduring, and rich in sacrifice. The characters in the story bear the resemblance of his sensitive soul, as well as the author's perspective. The character Liên in the short story 'Two Children' is one of Thạc Lam's typical characters. Liên's sensitivity, the emotional changes she undergoes, reveal many aspects of a young girl's emotions. Liên's character traits are manifested through small details in the short story, or rather, the changes in the author's emotional thoughts.

Liên's emotional state in the story is portrayed through various stages, but perhaps a young girl's soul is more sensitive when the evening twilight and dusk set in. For a pensive young girl, the lines, sounds, and colors of the setting sun make her feelings indescribably buoyant. That afternoon originates from familiar sounds, the echoing drumbeats of twilight, calling the evening, the image of pink clouds at the end of the sky created by the sun's reflection. Under the gaze of a young girl, the sunset is truly different. Against that backdrop, the tall bamboo trees stand out like an engraved image, clearly delineated against the sky. In a humble stall with only a few simple goods, the sound of frogs chirping in the field, even the sound of salt being ground, are all felt by Liên. It shows that the space now is very quiet, besides Liên, the atmosphere sinks into the twilight, one can see the transition when mentioning the sounds, the familiar signs of an evening. Faced with the changes of the land and sky, coupled with the smell of rising earth or the smell of earth that this town has just acquired, Liên feels a melancholy, perhaps due to her thoughts about life here, poor, this dilapidated district. The rural sketches, with familiar images but the sounds and the peaceful evening, under the gaze of a young girl, it becomes the reason for an inexplicable melancholy.

Analyzing the emotions of the two sisters Liên and An as they stay up waiting for the train

Liên's emotional state - a 9-year-old girl - is also depicted through her perspective of nature and humanity in the marketplace. Amidst the marketplace scene is the image of vendors still lingering despite the market having ended long ago, while children scavenge for leftovers, just some bamboo sticks, but they appear engrossed in their work. The sight of debris along with what appears in a girl's mind makes her sad. The sadness is not only because she feels everyone's lives here are as poor as hers, but also because she's sad she can't help them, including the children. Some small details like these speak volumes, the confessions of a girl. This also shows that Liên is a person rich in hidden sentiments.

As night falls, life quickly plunges into darkness, making Liên even sadder, but perhaps that sadness has become too familiar to her. The image of the district street sinking into darkness, and the way the author uses light to describe darkness is remarkable. As the night market begins, Liên opens her stall and sits on a bamboo cot, gazing at her surroundings. Liên observes all activities with a tender affection for her own homeland. It's the familiar image of light and darkness here. Liên sits dreamily on the cot, gazing at the scene, as if Liên has cast her eyes everywhere to seek sources of light in the district space: those are glimmers, slivers of light from lamps, phosphorescence that makes the sand shimmer like gold. It's also the light of thousands of stars glittering but unable to dispel the darkness of the night. As night falls, the entire district street sinks into an unfathomable darkness. And perhaps Liên senses, within herself, a vague melancholy.

The image of mother and daughter Tí with their water stall still open; during the day, they gather crabs and catch shrimps, at night they open the water stall to earn extra income. Beside them is the family of Mr. Sẩm with images of a torn mosquito net and a dan bau, the child playing in the sand, the old man not singing because there's no one to listen. Then Mr. Siêu hurries with his phở stall to where he's heading. Within Liên, she perceives all the efforts of everyone for livelihood. Especially Liên's hidden affection and love are shown in her affection for crazy old lady Thi. Every day she comes to buy wine and leaves staggering, laughing heartily. Liên fills her glass, saying nothing much about the action or making any remarks about the old lady, but through the narrative, Liên also reveals affection through her thoughts about this character.

Adding a touch of flavor to Liên's soul, the image of the Night Train arriving will make the people here earn something extra, and Liên as well. The sisters Liên also stay awake waiting until the train arrives. And it's the train itself that brings light to take the two sisters back to the joyful memories of their childhood, going out and drinking colorful drinks. An has fallen asleep, but Liên keeps sitting on the cot, eagerly waiting.

As the train arrives, illuminating the poor district street and bringing joy to the faces of the people here, as they hope for the train like they hope for a brighter future, especially Liên. She doesn't want to forget a beautiful past. Liên is seeking joy in the past to compensate for the current difficulties of the family. For Liên, the train is a realm of childhood memories, so she always cherishes it and wants to see it through the train's image. Liên's eyes focus on the train's light, which opens up so many memories, also her desire to follow those lights to seek beautiful things in distant places, which will take a long time to reach even in this poor district. The scene when Liên's eyes look until the light is just a little dimmer only adds to our understanding. Waiting for the train is waiting for people from all over, the flavor of memories flowing through...

Just a little girl, but her soul is no different from that of a mature young woman, along with sensitivity, rich hidden sentiments that not everyone has. The compassion, empathy, and even dreams and beautiful memories create a very special image, which also reflects the soul of the author Thạch Lam himself. When describing Liên's emotions, Thạch Lam wants to show the bitter reality of poverty but still carries the flavor of the muddy waterlogged place and also deep empathy for his small characters.

6. Analyzing the emotions of the young girl Liên staying up every night waiting for the train to pass through the district street in the short story Two Children, sample number 6:

Two Children is a remarkable work by Thạch Lam, most known to readers. The piece appears in the collection Sunlight in the Garden (1938). The story impresses readers with its gentle, humanistic writing style. Its unforgettable impression perhaps lies in the image of the two children, particularly Liên, vividly depicted by the writer Thạch Lam.

Liên, just eight years old, an age when, as the ancients say, 'knowing to eat and sleep, knowing to study is good'. More accurately, it's an age of carefreeness. But everything is the opposite. Under Thạch Lam's pen, Liên emerges as a girl mature beyond her years. Childhood drowned in the sadness of decay, the bleakness of a life full of darkness, deadlocks with no way out. For her tender soul, the night train from Hanoi passing through the district street is the ultimate consolation for an ache.

Teacher Liên lost his job and put an end to the days living in Hanoi. The small street of Cẩm Giàng in Hải Dương province where Liên and her sister return to is a place of poverty amidst straw huts with small, fragile lives. Liên's own family is not well-off: her mother sells groceries, and Liên and her sister look after a tiny grocery stall with miscellaneous items, how much do they sell on market days?

Liên is sensitive, often touched by life's fluctuations. Liên's mood also evolves over time: from the afternoon until the train passes through the district street. The story begins with the sound of the autumn drum not echoing far to herald the evening. It's a sound signaling the end of the day and also the sound marking the end of a day full of light replaced by darkness and sadness. Thạch Lam starts the story very soulfully, very poetically with a simple countryside scene, the scent of the wind from the fields blending with 'Afternoon, it's afternoon. A serene afternoon like a lullaby, echoing the sound of frogs croaking in the fields as the gentle breeze carries on'. It's also the moment when Liên's emotional world unfolds, the time when 'In Liên's eyes, darkness gradually filled, and the sadness of the evening permeated her innocent soul. Liên didn't understand why, but felt a melancholy before the hour of dusk'. Sadness that feels 'somehow' means it's very intense sadness. Sadness that doesn't know why it's sad is truly more painful. Thạch Lam allowed the character to self-aware and self-reveal emotions without the need for lengthy narration. And darkness has enveloped the small street, the fields, and Liên's throbbing breath.

Emotional development of Liên, the little girl, during the night waiting for the train in the story Two Children

In the twilight, Liên gazes towards the market where vendors linger. She sympathizes with the hardships of those lives, symbolized by 'the poor children wandering around, picking up pieces of bamboo or wood or whatever is left by the late vendors'. This image pierces deep into Liên's compassionate heart. She feels for the poor children but she herself has nothing to give them. Thus, Thạch Lam's character speaks little but ponders much, bringing forth the beauty of humanity behind earnest reflections on life.

In Liên's perception, the darkness is truly dreadful: 'The entire road leading to the river, the road past the market back home, the alleyways into the village, all are even darker.' The darkness embodies suffocating helplessness, a deadlock with no way out. It's the darkness of poverty and despair, reflecting our nation before 1945, filled with tears:

Our ancestors once pounded their fists against the door of life
The door remains shut, life remains stagnant
The whole nation impoverished amidst straw huts
Literature absorbs the soul drop by drop of falling rain

Thạch Lam employed the artistic technique of contrast to depict darkness and light. While darkness swallows the entire town into its bleak abyss, light appears with low frequency. These are mere 'faint lights', 'slits of light', 'spots of light', 'streaks of light'... all appearing pitifully small, 'lost and then reappearing in the darkness'. Accompanying such feeble light are the fates of people, their lives precarious, drifting, and fading, flickering like candles in the wind. Liên pities all the people in this small town. There's Chị Tý with her arduous life, 'foraging for snails and shellfish', returning home late with a meager load of tea, cigarettes, peanut candy... all livelihoods illuminated by a single lamp illuminating a small area. Liên pities Bác Phở Siêu with his extravagant noodle cart, often empty but he sets it up every night. She pities Bác Xẩm with his ragged mat and empty basin devoid of hope, she's moved by the sounds of his guitar, breaking the silence. She pities Bà Cụ Thi, her laughter fading into the darkness... Life in the town is like this. Simple, dull. Every night is like every other, repeating:

Endlessly circling with a few gestures
Coming and going, still the same faces
So intimately familiar it's almost comical
Lips moving yet only so much is said.

What could make Liên and her sister forget this reality? Perhaps only the universe offers a last chance to lure them into fairy tales. The scene of the two looking up at the sky, searching for the duck following the god of agriculture reveals the innocent, carefree, and very childish souls of the two children. But sadly, even the starry sky above cannot save the two tiny beings, pitiful as they are. Because 'the universe is vast and profound, filled with mysteries and strangeness to the two children'. So they eventually return to the scenes of the surrounding town, especially Chị Tý's lamp. And thus, in the dark night, the pitiful people sit and wait for something to alleviate their daily impoverished lives.

And the train from Hanoi truly becomes the dream and aspiration of the townsfolk. They stay up waiting for the train for survival or for some other reason. All restless, waiting as if for a miracle to come. They hope to sell a bit of merchandise to ease tomorrow's life. As for the two children, they don't wait for the train to sell goods but for another reason. They want to see the train pass through the town because the train seems to bring another world, enough to excite them and illuminate joy, even if only for a moment. So every night, despite being sleepy, both sisters still try to stay awake to wait for the train. This shows that the train has become a familiar image ingrained in the souls of the two children, and waiting for the train has become a fervent longing and a spiritual sustenance indispensable in their lives.

The longing of Liên and An for the train truly moved the readers deeply. Just seven or eight years old, having to manage the grocery store and staying up late to wait for sales is too much for them. But Liên and An staying awake until the train passes through the town is not because they listen to their mother but because they are responding to the call of the train. 'The train is here, wake me up!' That's what An says when her eyes are closing in sleepiness but she still reminds her sister. Such a simple sentence yet so poignant. It contains all the longing and hope to see the train - the last activity of the late night. An falls asleep, Liên sits quietly, her mind strangely quiet too. Quiet enough to hear 'bang flowers falling on Liên's shoulders, one after another, with vague feelings unclear'. It seems like the writer wants his character to rest after a long, tiring day. Then suddenly in the distant wind is the sound of the train rushing in. Then the cheerful shouts of Bác Siêu 'The signal light is on over there!' Liên also sees the blue flame, close to the ground, like a ghost. Then the sound of the train whistle echoes, in the long night extended by the distant wind. That's when Liên hurriedly wakes her up 'come on An, the train is here!' Urgent urging as if if An doesn't wake up, she'll never see the train again. Thạch Lam uses no words to describe the excitement of the two sisters, yet that excitement still vividly and richly portrays humanism.

The two sisters stand waiting for the train from afar. They have the opportunity to admire the one who made them wait by standing even closer. And then 'the train roars forward. Liên pulls An up to watch the train fly by'. This is the happiest moment when Liên and An seem to forget all the current sorrows, forget even the poverty and hardship surrounding their lives. In their hearts, there is only the train now. The train brings a powerful light, different from the dim, small lights in the town. The train is like a flash, a shooting star streaking across the town's sky then disappearing into the night but its light is the dream and longing of countless small human destinies waiting. The train brings another world, it is the desire to change their lives. They send their souls with the train, wanting to go to new horizons, where there is the light of civilization, of fullness. There will be no scenes of poverty and lameness, no monotony and sadness but abundance of joy. They deserve to have such a life, why not? But dreams are just dreams. Everything returns to the familiar light around Chị Tý's lamp. Ending a night of waiting in longing and ending with tears.

Liên and An stand still in the darkness even though the train has 'gone into the night, leaving behind red coal dust flying on the rails. The two sisters even watch the red dot of the green light on the last carriage, far away and then disappearing behind the bamboo grove'. Their regret seems to expose a life of poverty, stagnation. Especially when they realize 'The train tonight is not crowded and seems dimmer'. Meaning the train only slightly soothes the pain in the souls of the two children, unable to break the wall named 'sadness'. And Liên stands still in thought, behind the light of the train and the rumbling of the engine is a very private world. It is the memory of Hanoi where there is the light of the street lamps, where it is lively and bustling. That is the bright spot in the mind and also the brightness in childhood memories. Where Liên and An used to go to play by the lake, drink strange cold drinks. Beautiful memories but now they are imprisoned amidst so much sadness. The train itself has brought Liên a sleeping pill and awakened in the subconscious many beautiful things. That life is truly different from life here in many ways but how can memories return? 'A glorious past. A fragile present. A dim future.' It's sad!

Finally, Liên falls asleep, a fitful sleep with the image of Chị Tý's lamp. A silent and dark sleep. It is an obsession with a stagnant, trapped life that knows when Liên and An will be able to change.