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Topic: Discuss your perception of the inner beauty and character of Thuy Kieu through the excerpt 'Bestowing Charm,' an extract from The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du.
I. Outline
II. Sample Essay
Appreciating the Inner Beauty and Character of Thuy Kieu through the Excerpt 'Bestowing Charm.'
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I. Outline Appreciating the Inner Beauty and Character of Thuy Kieu through the Excerpt 'Bestowing Charm.'
1. Introduction
-Introduction to the excerpt 'Bestowing Charm.'
-Guiding into the theme of the inner beauty of Kiều portrayed in the excerpt 'Bestowing Charm.'
2. Body
a. Kiều, a filial daughter
-Facing family adversity, she sacrifices love to sell herself and save her father and younger sibling.
b. Kiều, a girl of principles and love
-With Kim Trọng:
+Agony and torment for failing to keep the oath with her beloved.
+Upholding the word of love, Kiều asks Vân to fulfill the destined bond with Kim Trọng on her behalf.
-Regarding Thúy Vân:
+Entrusting her with all earnest desires.
+Understanding the challenges and losses she bears when accepting the reliance.
+Placing all trust in Thúy Vân.
3. Conclusion
Affirming the value of the excerpt in depicting the character beauty of Nang Kieu.
II. Sample essay Appreciating the Inner Beauty and Character of Thuy Kieu through the Excerpt 'Bestowing Charm.'
Ancients had a saying: 'Fair face, destined fate.' This saying seemed to prophesy Thuy Kieu's life. A woman of beauty, grace, and complete virtue, yet her fate was twisted and harsh. Her life was a series of tragedies, with the most heart-wrenching being the love tragedy between her and Kim Trong. As she plunged into the abyss of tragedy, the beauty of Thuy Kieu's character and soul shone even brighter. The excerpt 'Bestowing Charm' vividly portrays this beauty of hers.
When faced with the tragic paths of destiny, people often stumble, lose themselves, and end up in despair. For Kieu, the courageous woman illuminated the qualities of goodness amid the torrents of fate's tragedies. First and foremost, she proved herself to be an incredibly filial daughter. Amidst family crisis caused by false accusations, her father and sibling captured, Kieu accepted to sell herself to redeem her family, repay her parents' nurturing, and fulfill the complete duty of filial piety.
'Being a good child means repaying the debt of giving birth.'
Faced with the dilemma of love with Kim Trong and the moral duty to her parents, despite the pain, Kieu made a decisive choice. For her, family was of utmost importance, and her parents were the ones who gave her life and endless gratitude. Choosing to sacrifice her own happiness to trade for warmth, peace, and happiness for her family is something admirable and worthy of respect in Kieu. Her filial piety serves as a shining example for those navigating life, teaching them to love, protect their families, especially in times of adversity and danger.
For her parents, she is a filial daughter; for her destined lover, Kim Trong, Kieu is a person of principles and love. She loves Kim Trong deeply, but the inability to be with him makes Kieu's pain indescribable. The sorrow and agony in her heart are overwhelming, thinking she has betrayed Kim. Choosing filial duty and love, Kieu reluctantly relies on her sister to bond with Kim:
'Depend on you to answer for me
Sit and pay respects on my behalf'
Kieu fervently relies on her sister, placing all trust and hope in Thuy Van. The words 'depend,' 'rely,' and 'submit' show Kieu's sincere and utmost trust in Thuy Van. Kieu understands that relying on Van is challenging for her sister, but it is the only choice to alleviate some of the worries when thinking about Kim. Kieu's earnest actions of 'pay respects' and 'submit' express her gratitude and appreciation for Thuy Van.
When seeking help, Kieu doesn't elaborate on her own circumstances, as no one understands it better than Van. After expressing her feelings, she continues to persuade Thuy Van to repay the debt to Kim Trong on her behalf:
'In spring, let the rivers flow long
Pity the love, blood, and tears replace words of the homeland
Even with flesh torn and bones decayed
Smiling through nine springs, let the fragrance linger'.
She employs a series of expressions: 'love, blood, and tears,' 'flesh torn and bones decayed,' 'words of the homeland,'... with a significant impact in persuading Thuy Van. Those profoundly empathetic words, anyone who hears them will be moved, especially Van, being Kieu's sister, understanding her sister's situation and feelings deeply. Hence, she finds it challenging to refuse Kieu's plea to repay the debt to Kim Trong.
As the plea concludes, memories of love flood back. The keepsakes given to Van carry memories of love that cannot be expressed or erased. Kieu is torn, in agony between reason and her emotions. Those were beautiful days, the time when Kieu truly found happiness in her love:
'The wedding crown and the cloudy voucher
This fate, hold onto it, this shared possession'
'The soul still bears the weight of vows
Shattered, the willow body compensates with bamboo and plum'
She loves Kim Trong, her heart always loyal and concerned for him. Even in the cold reality, she never thinks for herself, only for Kim Trong. The more she loves, cherishes him, the more Kieu feels she is at fault, a betrayer. She reluctantly apologizes, with heartfelt remorse:
'Oh, Kim Lang
Dear Kim Lang
Enough, I've let you down from now on'
Fate betrayed, the love story short-lived, Kieu may not want it, but she accepts it. Those earnest words 'Kim Lang' are reserved for Kim Trong alone. The choked sob is Kieu's final expression of love, a bitter moment when sorrow and bitterness overflow within her.
'Farewell, my dear, I shall no longer burden thee from this moment forward.'
Though Kieu may betray Kim with silver, her heart still carries the heavy burden of agony, yearning for the moments when she and Kim could fulfill their promises. Even though I cannot meet Kieu directly in those times, it is certain that Kim Trong will understand her loyal, steadfast, and profound feelings. He will cherish and love Kieu even more.
In just a short excerpt, Nguyen Du skillfully paints a virtuous Kieu, with a beautiful character and a pure soul deserving of respect and nurturing.
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This exemplary essay allows readers to delve deeper into the soulful beauty of Lady Kieu. Furthermore, to explore the detailed excerpt on multiple facets, we invite you to refer to other sample essays such as Reflecting on the stanza 'Trao duyen', Literary discourse on the Trao duyen passage, Appreciation of the last 8 verses of Trao duyen, Tragedy of women in ancient society through Cung oan ngam and Trao duyen.
