Analyzing the emotional states of characters in 'The Happiness of a Funeral'

Prompt: Please  analyze the emotional states of characters in 'The Happiness of a Funeral,' and from there, provide insights into contemporary upper-class bourgeois society.

Analyzing the characters' emotional states in 'The Happiness of a Funeral'
 

I. Outline of Analyzing the Characters' Emotional States in 'The Happiness of a Funeral' (Standard)

1. Introduction

Introducing the excerpt from 'The Happiness of a Funeral'

2. Main Body

- Analyzing the emotional states of individuals in the late Mr. Hong's family:
+ Mr. Hong: 'Closing his eyes to dreamily reminisce about the time when he wore formal attire, leaning on a cane, coughing and sobbing to receive praise, to flaunt his age, prestige, filial piety, and fortunate family.
+ Mr. Van Minh (husband): Flaunting the latest fashions from the tailor shop, delighted at the division of assets.
+ Mrs. Van Minh (wife): Given the chance to wear the latest formal attire, promoting the fashion trends of the tailor shop.
+ Miss Tuyet: Delighted to wear the 'Innocence' outfit to prove to the world that she 'hasn't lost her innocence.'
+ Young Tan: Given the opportunity to show off his photography skills with his camera...(Continued)

>> View detailed Outline Analyze the emotional states of characters in 'The Happiness of a Funeral' here.
 

II. Sample Essay Analyzing the Emotional States of Characters in 'The Happiness of a Funeral' (Standard)

While contemporary writers often focus their pens on the struggles of impoverished peasants with tragedies depicting the hardships of rural life, Vũ Trọng Phụng instead delves into the lives of the upper class to reflect the deceit and moral decay of society. These themes are vividly portrayed in the excerpt 'The Happiness of a Funeral' - a passage from chapter XV of the novel 'Dumb Luck'.

The characters in the excerpt represent the typical figures of the urban upper class at that time. They praise sophistication, emulate the 'civilized' lifestyle without realizing that such emulation erodes moral values and leads to the degradation of human character. 'The Happiness of a Funeral' begins with the sentence: 'Three days later, the old man died for real', as if to announce the death of the patriarch and also as an opportunity for the descendants and outsiders to show their joy. This is a funeral completely contrary to others, as people usually mourn the departure of loved ones, but the funeral of the old patriarch brings happiness to many. His death 'has brought joy to many'. The descendants in the family are the happiest, as 'that diploma will soon become a reality, not just a distant theory'. This joy is the joy of people living for status and wealth, losing the norms of morality and the good values of social ethics.

They all rejoice in the common joy of the family, but each also has their own happiness. The eldest son's feelings reflect the deceit, filial impiety towards the ancestors. Before his father's death, Mr. Hong 'closed his eyes to dreamily reminisce about the time when he wore formal attire, leaning on a cane, coughing and sobbing, so that the world must point out: Look, the big guy has grown old like that'! Are those coughs, sobbing a genuine pity or just false tears to deceive the public? Mr. Hong wants to show off to society that his family is an affluent upper-class family. In fact, his actions are all aimed at showing off, flaunting piety, flaunting prestige: 'He was absolutely sure that everyone would praise such a funeral, such a cane'. Surely that would make people think it was a prosperous family because the old patriarch lived a long life.

Van Minh - the grandson of the old patriarch, should have mourned the departure of his grandfather, but Van Minh appeared happy to receive a share of the inheritance. Is there anyone not happy when suddenly gaining money, wealth but being happy about the benefit from the death of loved ones is unethical. Van Minh only has one concern, which is 'inviting a lawyer to witness the death of his grandfather' and dividing the property according to the will. This is an opportunity for him to flaunt the latest fashions from the tailor shop and also an opportunity to show off his own honor. Amidst such joy, he 'only worries about how to deal with Red-Haired Spring so that he must'. He is uncertain how to repay Red because he knows Red is not qualified, knowledgeable in medicine but still invited him to treat his grandfather. Hasn't that indirectly caused the death of the old patriarch? Just because he is unsure how to repay Red, he looks cunning, fashionable with 'a face of a person at the time the family is in mourning confusion'. The author has deeply explored the thoughts of the character to highlight the emotions, the essence of the grandson known for his understanding because he had spent time studying abroad.

Besides the joy of her husband, Mrs. Van Minh is also extremely delighted to have the opportunity to promote the latest trends from the tailor shop, the outfits that 'could bring a bit of happiness to those in mourning because even the deceased deserve some happiness in life'. As the daughter-in-law, she only frets because 'she has never been able to wear the latest fashionable clothes, the black-bordered white velvet hat - dernières créations'. The main purpose of Mrs. Van Minh is to advertise, promote the designs of the tailor shop rather than mourn the fate of the deceased patriarch. The funeral has become a fashion show rather than a place for people to express compassion for the departed. This action goes against the traditional cultural values of the nation.

When Mr. Hong whispered that he would 'divide a few thousand dong for his daughter and son-in-law', Mr. Phan was extremely excited. Even he himself did not expect that 'the value of the invisible deer horns on his head would be so large'. It seems that he does not feel his honor is tarnished but feels grateful for his wife's adultery bringing him great benefits. Right at that funeral, he calculated a 'business campaign' with Red-Haired Spring to get a few more silver coins because he is very talented in advertising. Readers may think Mr. Phan is the filial grandson when Vũ Trọng Phụng described his crying sounds, but his crying is just 'Sniff! Sniff! Sniff!' continuously. That crying exposed the deceitful nature of him glorifying himself as a dutiful grandson, as it was just an excuse for him to push people aside and hand a five-dong silver paper to Red-Haired Spring. For him, the funeral is the place for exchange, trading with Spring - the one who has contributed greatly to helping him receive a few more dong.

One of Van Minh's younger sisters whom Red-Haired Spring seduced is the naive Tuyet. Besides the joy of showcasing the latest fashion trends, wearing the latest formal attire, she also wants to flaunt her modesty to the world. She wears the 'Innocence' outfit - 'a thin chiffon dress, with lace, looking like it's exposing armpits and half of the breast - but with black borders, and wearing a cute little hat'. Tuyet wears that outfit to prove to society that 'she hasn't lost her innocence'. She dresses like that to dispel rumors about her overly corrupt self of the world. What filial niece dresses like that at her grandfather's funeral? It turns out the funeral is an occasion for Tuyet to flaunt her beauty, flaunt her modesty, flaunt herself as a traditional, virtuous girl, but in reality, Tuyet, naive as she is, is a corrupt girl. Her face has 'a somewhat romantic sadness very in line with a family in mourning' but that sadness does not stem from mourning the deceased patriarch but stems from waiting for Red-Haired Spring to appear. It makes her feel like she's been stabbed in the heart.

Young Tan celebrates the death of the patriarch by showcasing his photography skills. He 'goes crazy' because he has 'prepared so many cameras but never got to use them'. He asks everyone at the funeral to pose for photos, he 'nags at each person, either leaning on a cane, or bowing their heads, or bending their backs, or wiping their eyes like this, like that...' The funeral is like a fair where he and the talented actors take photos to show off their skills.

The passing of the late Hồng not only brought about grief and sorrow but rather an unusually profound happiness to the members of the family. From that passing, writer Vũ Trọng Phụng laid bare the utter decay of the bourgeois upper-class society, where people live with each other through deceit and indifference. To delve further into the unique features of the excerpt Happiness of a Funeral, you can explore: Analysis of the character Red-Haired Xuân in the excerpt Happiness of a Funeral, Sensing the cry of the horned judge in Happiness of a Funeral, Analysis of the exemplary funeral scene in Happiness of a Funeral, Analysis of satirical art through the excerpt Happiness of a Funeral in Số đỏ by Vũ Trọng Phụng