Analyzing the emotional state of the character Liên in Thạch Lam's short story 'Two Children'.

Prompt: Analyze the emotional state of the character Liên in Thạch Lam's 'Two Children'.

Compilation of 3 exemplary essays analyzing the emotional state of the character Liên in Thạch Lam's captivating short story 'Two Children'.

I. Outline of Analyzing Liên's Emotional State in Thạch Lam's 'Two Children' (Standard)

1. Introduction

- Thạch Lam possesses a unique talent in depicting the inner world of characters. He seldom describes things directly but often through details, actions, and dialogues, thus portraying rich and distinctive souls.
- The character Liên in the work 'Two Children' exemplifies this artistry, where Liên's inner landscape and emotions are revealed with great subtlety and depth.

2. Introduction:

* Liên's Emotions before the Sunset Scene:
- Feeling melancholic as dusk approaches, darkness gradually envelops everything.
- Smelling the dampness rising, yet feeling familiar, intimate, and loving.

* Liên's Emotions amidst Broken Lives:
- Children scavenging through rubbish: Pity, sympathy, and a sense of helplessness for being unable to assist...(Continued)

>> See detailed Outline of Analyzing Liên's Emotional State in the short story 'Two Children' here.
 

II. Exemplary Essay Analyzing Liên's Emotional State in Thạch Lam's 'Two Children' (Standard)
 

1. Analysis of Liên's Emotional State in Thạch Lam's 'Two Children', Sample 1 (Standard)

Thạch Lam is renowned as one of the most outstanding romantic writers in modern Vietnamese literature. With his simple yet emotionally rich writing style, his works have left deep reflections in the minds of readers. 'Two Children' is one such work. With its simple narrative style, emotional depth, and varied emotions, Thạch Lam has created a character, Liên, full of contemplation and profound meanings.

“Two Children” is considered a peculiar work due to its sentimental nature, which has transformed a story into something beyond just a tale. The story is a patchwork of snapshots of an evening in a poor neighborhood. Emerging from the narrative are images of different lives in that destitute place. Amidst those individuals, each with their own occupation, fate, and story, they all share a commonality: the daily struggle amidst hunger and poverty. And amidst this canvas, Liên stands out with her aspirations and beautiful dreams.

Through Thạch Lam's pen, Liên emerges as a young girl seemingly aged beyond her years due to her keen observation and sensitive soul, qualities seldom seen in someone of eighteen or twenty. Standing before the scene of a twilight, Liên feels a deep melancholy: 'The sadness of the countryside evening seeps into Liên's innocent soul; she feels a profound sadness before the approaching twilight.' That sorrow is vague, the sorrow of youth, of a sensitive girl towards every scene around her. Thạch Lam initiates Liên's melancholic state with the setting of an evening with the echo of frogs croaking softly outside the rice fields. That scene serves as the catalyst for Liên's melancholy. And from here, within her wells up a sense of pity, empathy for the 'poor children' scavenging, picking up the remaining scraps scattered on the ground of the impoverished market.

The essay analyzing the emotional state of Liên in the short story 'Two Children'

Not only does Liên observe and listen, but her sensitive soul also perceives 'A damp smell rising, the warmth of the day mingled with the familiar dust smell too much, making Liên think it's the scent of the land, of this homeland.' To be familiar, connected to this land, to be soaked in so much poverty, hardship of this place, only then can the girl feel the familiar taste but hardly anyone notices? Through these words, Liên appears in the reader's thoughts not only as a sensitive girl but also with a pure soul, a heart rich in mysteries.

And in that moment of twilight, the only image the two Liên sisters are waiting for, hoping for, is the night train passing through the small district town. For the two sisters, the train journey brings with it the light of a future returning to the life of the red and green lights, of delicious food, of wealth. It is a world completely different from life in this poor district town.

Liên, though still very young, possesses a compassionate heart, capable of empathy and love, with aspirations directed towards a bright future. Liên keenly observes the people in this place. She sees an old drunk woman suddenly burst into laughter and then gradually disappear into the night, her laughter fading into the distance. This is the image of the two Liên sisters daily carrying water to make a living, yet earning very little. We also see in the picture the image of Phở Siêu, who cannot earn a single penny all night, the image of Bác Sẩm's family 'trembling' by the đàn bầu with the music lingering endlessly. The poor district, the people in the poor district appear as destitute as ever. These people in the district seem to live in the shadows, living day by day. Poverty and hardship seem to cling to them day after day. At such a young age, Liên has seen the stagnation in the life of her own countryside. Sympathizing with them, understanding them, Liên eagerly awaits the passing night train - the only light bringing prosperity and wealth to this entire district.

The story concludes with the image of the two Liên sisters watching the train pass by together, gradually disappearing, leaving Liên full of regret and contemplation: 'Liên silently dreams, Hanoi far away, Hanoi brightly lit and lively. The train seems to have brought a bit of another world. A completely different world, for Liên, different from the light of Tí's lamp and Bác Siêu's fire. The night still envelops everything, the night of the countryside and beyond, the vast and silent fields,' evoking a sense of sadness in the reader.

Throughout the story, we see the image of a girl with a sensitive soul, full of thoughts, but these thought currents of Liên reflect the contrast of two worlds: one side is a beautiful life, full of light, while the other is the impoverished, harsh district. Thạch Lam wants readers to see the pitiful life of poor children, of insignificant lives in a society where the country is still immersed in slavery and poverty.

A work following the romantic trend, a story seemingly without plot but still captivating readers with its picturesque images of nature, of people described with sadness, with hardships, yet still exuding their poetic essence. And it is precisely the realistic picture that is buried beneath that poetic romance that makes readers appreciate the core human values of the work even more.

Liên's mood was initially revealed through her delicate and sensitive perception of nature's changes at dusk. The dimming evening scenery seemed to seep into Liên's soul, as if the darkness outside was gradually engulfing her, and she felt a melancholic heaviness before the twilight hour. A young girl, perhaps saddened by many things, especially the scenery affecting her mood, the quiet and desolate atmosphere of the countryside seemed to weigh down Liên's youthful spirit. Another day fades away in this impoverished town, as night falls, making it even quieter and more desolate, with flickering lights and sparse sounds. Liên senses 'a damp, warm smell rising, a mix of daytime heat and the familiar scent of dust and earth, making her think it's the unique scent of the land, of her homeland.' That damp smell is clearly not a pleasant, comforting scent but rather a mix of disorderly odors, difficult to discern, of garbage and earthy air, yet to Liên, it feels familiar, bonding her to it, and she finds herself loving that lingering scent. Thus, her love and attachment to this rural town over time have dispelled all unpleasant smells, and instead, in Liên's soul, it is the scent of nostalgia, warm and extremely familiar.

Guidance on analyzing Liên's emotional state in the story 'Two Children'.

In Liên, one can also perceive a soul with a kind and compassionate beauty, her feelings towards each character in the work are clearly expressed. With a few unfamiliar children scavenging for scraps, 'Liên feels compassion, but she also doesn't have money to give them,' from that sentence, we can see her pity for the poor children, the poverty that afflicts them, forcing them to scavenge in the twilight, even though they are just starting out in life, but this could also be one of the many wretched lifetimes buried in life in this town. She both pities the young children and feels powerless and saddened that she cannot help them because she too is poor, she too has no money to give. With Mrs. Tí and her daughter, Liên expresses love through inquiries, as well as revealing a sense of pity and reluctance when describing the circumstances of the two. With Granny Thi, an elderly woman, a bit senile, we again see Liên's understanding, sympathy for a life worn down by poverty, though Liên is somewhat afraid of the old woman.

Liên seems mature and profound beyond her years, yet in her, one can still see the joys of childhood, like An, Liên enjoys outings like any other child, but watching over the shop makes her feel disheartened. However, from another perspective, Liên also feels proud because she feels like a grown-up girl, capable and responsible, able to manage the store, the cash register, and the beloved lock of the money chest are evidence of that.