Analyzing the Humanitarian Value of the Excerpt 'The Sorrows of Self'

Prompt: Analyzing the Humanitarian Value of the Excerpt 'The Sorrows of Self'

Analyzing the Humanitarian Value of the Excerpt 'The Sorrows of Self'

I. Outline for Analyzing the Humanitarian Value of the Excerpt 'The Sorrows of Self' (Standard)

1. Introduction:

- Introducing the author and the work

2. Introduction:

a. Location of the Excerpt:
- From line 1229 to 1248, belonging to the segment of Family Disasters and Exile
- After being sold, Kiều is deceived into the 'lầu xanh' by Mã Giám Sinh.
- She lives in misery and disgrace.

b. Humanitarian Value:

* Empathy towards Kiều's fate and appreciation of her human worth:

- Depiction of the scene at the 'green pavilion':
+ 'Countless butterflies fluttering': customers bustling in the 'green pavilion'
+ Characters like 'Tống Ngọc', 'Tràng Khanh': depict playboys, libertine lifestyles.

- Self-awareness of Kiều's fate:
+ Contrasting artistic techniques: 'when stars - now stars': sudden circumstances, making Kiều difficult to accept.
+ Kiều pities herself 'startled at her own sorrow'
+ Phrases like 'weary butterflies, fatigued bees' depict Kiều's exhaustion, loneliness, and despair.

- Kiều's sorrow permeates the scenery: 'Asking for the wind to lean against the flowers/ Half curtains soaked in snow, surrounded by moonlight':
+ The natural landscape with its beauty and the joy of people, but for Kiều, it's only sadness and suffering.
+ Kiều is aware of her fate, she is in pain and despair.

- Kiều's self-questioning in despair: 'To pretend joy when joyless/ Who feigns love for whom?'

* Indictment of contemporary feudal society:
- The contemporary feudal society, dominated by money, has pushed people to the brink.
- It's because of society that Kiều had to sell herself, becoming a courtesan in the 'green pavilion.'

* Advocating for the rightful freedom and happiness of individuals:
- Kiều's self-questioning reflects the dilemma of seeking happiness that Nguyễn Du wants to convey.

3. Conclusion

- Reaffirmation of Nguyễn Du's humanitarian values.

II. Sample Essay Analyzing the Humanitarian Value of the Excerpt 'The Sorrows of Self' (Standard)

Nguyễn Du stands as a national literary giant, a luminary in Vietnamese culture. His magnum opus, 'The Tale of Kiều,' has immortalized his name. This work narrates the life and fate of the talented and beautiful woman named Vương Thuý Kiều. Through 'The Tale of Kiều,' Nguyễn Du not only critiques the dark society of his time but also empathizes with the unfortunate. The excerpt 'The Sorrows of Self' vividly demonstrates the humanitarian values that Nguyễn Du sought to convey.

The excerpt 'The Sorrows of Self' spans from line 1229 to 1248, falling within the segment of Family Disasters and Exile. It depicts the moment when Thuý Kiều sells herself to Mã Giám Sinh as a concubine to raise money to free her father and brother from prison, saving her family from ruin. However, her agony reaches its peak when Mã Giám Sinh betrays her, selling her to a brothel. Enduring days akin to hell, Thuý Kiều experiences immense suffering, loneliness, and humiliation.

The humanitarian value lies in the author's attitude towards his characters. Nguyễn Du demonstrates profound empathy for Kiều's plight and respects her intrinsic human worth. Moreover, he critiques and denounces the oppressive feudal society of his era, which condemns individuals to abject misery. Through his work, Nguyễn Du advocates for the fundamental rights of individuals, demanding the right to live and to freedom.

In the excerpt 'The Sorrows of Self,' the first humanitarian value we observe is Nguyen Du's compassion and empathy towards Kiều as she endures life in the 'lầu xanh':

'Amidst countless butterflies, bees fluttering,
Nights filled with revelry, laughter till dawn.
Leaves and wind, birds on branches flicker,
At dawn, Tống Ngọc leaves, at dusk, Tràng Khanh returns.'

This vivid portrayal depicts the vivid scenes of life in the 'lầu xanh,' where the destitute fate of the woman in the mortal world is described in great detail using symbolic language. For Kiều, in that 'lầu xanh,' she must entertain countless guests, reveling in endless joy 'at dawn, at dusk.' Countless 'butterflies' flutter around her, yet she cannot count them. There, amidst the 'nights of revelry,' the 'laughs,' endless merriment, in her heart lies immense sorrow, 'I start, then pity myself so much.' Nguyen Du is also astute in using the symbols 'Tống Ngọc' and 'Tràng Khanh' to refer to the promiscuous guests. Thuý Kiều is conscious of her tragic plight, aware of her unhappiness, yet she must helplessly endure. Her dignity is trampled, yet she can do nothing but resign herself to her fate.

These verses immediately evoke a sense of pain, self-pity, and compassion for Kiều's own suffering:

'As the wine's effect wanes at dawn,
I start, then pity myself so much.
When the silk curtains invite, alluring,
Now shattered like flowers strewn on the road.
With a face thick as mist, limbs weary as butterflies,
In the land of Chu rains, Qin clouds, who truly knows spring?'

She pities her fate, pities the scene where yesterday was 'alluring,' now 'shattered like flowers on the road.' Her noble character is buried, tormented in a pile of filth, hard to wash away. Living in oppression, in disgrace, she drinks to forget everything, but when she wakes up, she feels ashamed. She 'starts' feeling sorry for herself. The repetition of 'myself' in a verse allows us to feel Kiều's self-awareness of her fate while also demonstrating Nguyen Du's deep sympathy and sharing with her. Compassion might be the prevailing emotion throughout the first part of the excerpt. Kiều cries for her painful fate, pities her status. The feeling of self-pity also reflects her extreme humiliation, while also showing her strong personal consciousness.

A girl of great beauty, seemingly with a perfect life, now falls into a situation that even Kiều herself is shocked and stunned. The juxtaposition of past and present in this excerpt has vividly depicted Kiều's past and present. The phrase 'shattered like flowers on the road' has shown the harsh reality. Phrases like 'weary as butterflies,' 'thick as mist' are Nguyen Du's unique creations, but they have shown the extent of pain, the oppression that Kiều has to endure. A girl who has just turned into her prime, yet she asks, 'who truly knows spring?' Isn't this despair, pain, and distress to the extreme?

Next, Nguyen Du described the landscape of nature - flowers, snow, moon - in this 'lầu xanh':

'When the breeze leans against the flowers,
Half the curtain swallows snow, the moon pervades all around.
What scene doesn't bear a trace of sorrow?
In sadness, where could there ever be joy!
A few strokes draw poetic lines,
Instruments amidst the moon, chess beneath the blossoms.
To feign happiness is a heavy burden,
Who truly finds solace with whom?'

The vividly beautiful landscape, with all its sounds, colors, and liveliness, is accompanied by human figures playing instruments and chess. Yet, this nature is mockery, derision towards Kiều's fate. Because no matter how beautiful those scenes are, the people there, no matter how cheerful, are just a disguise of a world of 'buying meat, selling humans.' Therefore, Kiều always has to live in two worlds, one of fake happiness, and the other of deep sorrow when 'the night ends.'

Her sorrow permeates everywhere, seeping into even the surrounding scenery:

'What scene doesn't bear a trace of sorrow?
In sadness, where could there ever be joy!'

Nguyễn Du ingeniously blended both the external scenery and the emotions into two lines, turning them into eternal truths. These lines epitomize the entire excerpt, expressing all the emotions and pains in Kiều's heart. Her shame and loneliness rise within her, overshadowing all external appearances. Through her eyes, everything appears dark, mournful.

Finally, Kiều reluctantly questions herself:

'Feigned happiness is but a burden
Who truly empathizes with whom?'

'Feigned happiness' is happiness in pretense, amidst Kiều's confusion and deadlock. She must endure these 'butterfly and bee' scenes, an inevitability she never foresaw. Even though there were times when she thought of death, she never imagined falling into today's tragedy. Hence, she ultimately questions herself, 'Who truly empathizes with whom?' It's a question born of despair and pain. Who in this place, in this society, can empathize, share with her, be a 'kindred spirit' to her?

Alongside analyzing the humanistic value of the excerpt 'The Sorrow of Separation,' readers can explore the intricacies of content, ideologies, and artistic prowess demonstrated by Nguyễn Du through this excerpt by referring to other writings such as: Interpreting 'The Sorrow of Separation', The status of women in ancient society through 'A Meeting Planned by Destiny,' 'The Sorrow of Separation,' The solitary plight of the military wife, Analyzing the excerpt 'The Sorrow of Separation' in The Tale of Kieu available at Mytour.