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Topic: Reflections on parent-child relationships in the short story 'The Ivory Comb'
Concise reflections on the father-child relationship in 'The Ivory Comb'
I. Outline of Parent-Child Relationships in 'The Ivory Comb':
1. Introduction:
- Introduction to the short story 'The Ivory Comb.'
- Discussion on parent-child relationships within this story.
2. Body:
2.1. Affection of Thu towards Mr. Sau:
- Initially distant, rejecting Mr. Sau's affectionate gestures, deeply hurting him.
- Upon realizing Mr. Sau is her father and learning the reason behind his facial scar, Thu struggles with sleeplessness.
- Thu's demeanor changes during the farewell:
+ Stands quietly, shifts aside as Mr. Sau bids farewell to everyone.
+ Calls out 'dad.'
+ Rushes to embrace his neck, kisses all over.
+ Clings on, unwilling to let him go.
=> The intense love for her father bursts forth, moving everyone deeply.
2.2. Mr. Sau's affection towards his child:
- Excited and hopeful upon meeting his child.
- Disappointed and pained during his days at home when despite his efforts, his child refuses to call him 'dad.'
- Accidentally strikes the child in anger during a meal.
II. Writing a Reflective Passage on the Profound Parent-Child Relationship:
Parental love is always a compelling theme in literature. The short story 'The Ivory Comb' by the writer Nguyễn Quang Sáng revolves around a special, sacred father-child relationship during the resistance war against the Americans to save the country. Mr. Sau enlisted when his child, Thu, was just over a year old. All Thu knows about her father is the young man in the photo with her mother. The fierce battle leaves Mr. Sau with a long scar on his face. It's this scar that makes Thu cry out when she sees her father for the first time. Throughout the days Mr. Sau spends on leave at home, the little girl adamantly refuses to utter a single word of 'dad,' no matter how much everyone cajoles, threatens, or pleads. Thu's rebellious, stubborn attitude stems from her burning, intense love for the father in the old photo. A girl barely over six years old, with no memories of her father, yet steadfastly holding onto a fervent, intense love. Then, in the moment of parting, that affection bursts into kisses all over, tight embraces refusing to let her father go. Returning to the battlefield, Mr. Sau is still haunted by his love and regret for striking his child. He channels all his love into crafting an ivory comb for his child. On the back of the comb, he meticulously carves: 'Love, remember to Thu, my child.' Each time he thinks of his little girl, he takes out the comb to admire, then polishes it to a shine, smoothing the hair, his actions speaking volumes. The parent-child relationship in 'The Ivory Comb' isn't expressed through direct words or typical affectionate gestures. Writer Nguyễn Quang Sáng constructs the characters' inner world through subtle gestures and thoughts. From this, we see a profound, intense father-child bond, not overtly expressed but still deeply stirring for the reader.
III. Reflective Essay on the Most Heartfelt Parent-Child Relationship in 'The Ivory Comb'
1. Reflection on Parent-Child Relationship in the Short Story 'The Ivory Comb' - Sample 1
The story 'The Ivory Comb' (by Nguyễn Quang Sáng) is set amidst the resistance war against America but primarily focuses on human emotions amidst the harsh realities of war. An excerpt from 'The Ivory Comb' (9th Grade Literature, Volume I) depicts the deep and affectionate father-daughter bond between Mr. Sau and Thu.
Mr. Sau returns home after years in the battlefield with the fervent, burning desire of a father eager to reunite with his child. However, from the very first moment, the long-awaited sound of his daughter calling out 'Father!' remains unfulfilled. The child behaves completely aloof, treating him like a stranger. The more Mr. Sau anticipates his daughter's affection, the more she resists. This leaves him in anguish, feeling as if 'both arms dropped as if broken.' There are moments when it seems she might relent, when it appears she can no longer resist and must call out 'Father.' Yet she still refuses to utter the word 'Father' that Mr. Sau eagerly awaits.
Thu's childish actions, spirited speech, and defiance towards her father deeply sadden Mr. Sau, his friends, and readers alike. Having a family, experiencing the joy of fatherhood, yet not hearing the beloved 'Dad' from his daughter torments him to the point where he can only 'gaze at his child with a gentle shake of his head and a smile.'
Thu's psychological response is entirely natural. She's too young to comprehend the harsh realities of war. No adult has prepared her to deal with the unusual circumstances. This conveys Thu's genuine, profound, and intense affection for her father - the man she knows from a photograph, the father she has engraved deeply in her heart without ever hearing the word 'dad.'
When her grandmother resolves the doubts in her heart about the scar's origin, Thu realizes that it's actually her father. With pent-up worry, love, and longing for so long, her emotions explode fiercely, determinedly, just before her father leaves. The 'Dad... d... dad!' that erupts from deep within her touches everyone's hearts. It's the call her father has been waiting for for years. It's a cry that pierces everyone's soul. Mr. Sau, overwhelmed with joy and happiness, unable to hold back his tears. Thu clings desperately, desperately holding onto her father, holding onto the long-awaited love. 'She kissed her father everywhere. She kissed his hair, his neck, his shoulders, and even the long scar on her father's cheek,' 'her hands tightened around his neck, she probably thought her hands couldn't hold her father, so she hugged him with both feet, and her small shoulders trembled.'
For the father, it's the first and also the last expression of love he hears from his child! In the battlefield, he puts all his effort, caution, and meticulousness into making an ivory comb for his child. He pours all his fatherly love into it. The comb becomes sacred, comforting him, 'somewhat unraveling his tangled feelings,' nurturing the parent-child bond. He often 'takes out the comb to admire, then polishes it to a shine, smoothing the hair,' turning his love for his child into a masterpiece - a masterpiece that's only created once in a lifetime. Before closing his eyes, Mr. Sau still remembers the comb, asking his friend to pass it on to his child - a gesture of passing on a lifelong wish to preserve the eternal bond between father and child.
The short story 'The Ivory Comb' has portrayed, in a touching manner, the deep and heartfelt father-child bond of Mr. Sau and his daughter amidst the grim circumstances of war. The imagery of the comb is infused with a throbbing heart, affirming the profound and sacred human values!
2. Reflection on the Father-Child Relationship in the Short Story 'The Ivory Comb' - Sample 2
We are living in a peaceful country, guided and loved by our parents, enjoying laughter-filled days at school. Can we forget those heroic pages, the days when our forefathers sacrificed their lives? Their blood has dyed the land for us, a beautiful sacrifice for our generation today. They sacrificed both body and spirit, sacrificing the happiness they deserved. War, a realm of devastation and death. In the rain of bombs and bullets, amidst the bitter taste of gunpowder, the noblest sentiments of comradeship surge. The heartfelt longing of fathers setting off to battle, leaving behind their most beloved children, becomes even more intense in Nguyen Quang Sang's work 'The Ivory Comb.'
Nguyen Quang Sang was born in 1932, in Chợ Mới district, An Giang province. During the resistance war against the French, he joined the army, operating in the Southern battlefield. After 1945, Nguyen Quang Sang moved to the North and began writing literature. During the anti-American resistance, he returned to the South to participate in the struggle and continued his literary work. Nguyen Quang Sang's works encompass various genres: Short stories include 'The Golden Bird,' 'The Homeland People,' 'The Ivory Comb,' 'The Virtuous Woman,' 'Redrawing the Old Picture'...
Novels such as 'Land of Fire,' 'Season of Troublesome Wind,' and 'River of Childhood Poetry' are well-known among readers, especially the screenplay for the famous movie 'Once to Remember, Once to Love.' Perhaps due to being born, raised, and primarily active in the Southern battlefield, his works mostly depict life and people in the Southern region during both resistance wars and post-war periods. 'The Ivory Comb' by Nguyen Quang Sang is a short story about the profound father-son relationship of Mr. Sau and his son after the war. This is a simple yet surprisingly powerful short story as we often see in Nguyen Quang Sang's literature. The excerpt from the textbook has shown a small moment encapsulating the profound and sacred father-son bond.
'The Ivory Comb' was written in 1966 when the author was active in the Southern battlefield and was included in the collection of stories with the same name. The text in the textbook depicts the reunion of Mr. Sau - a soldier fighting far from home. It wasn't until his daughter turned eight that he had the opportunity to visit home and see his child. Little Thu - his daughter who didn't recognize him as her father, instead treated him coldly, sometimes impolitely. It broke Mr. Sau's heart, but he still loved his child with paternal affection. After a few brief days of family reunion, Mr. Sau had to leave. At that moment, Thu suddenly changed her attitude. She clung tightly to her father, not wanting them to part. Everyone was astonished. It turned out that a few days earlier, when she saw a large scar on Mr. Sau's face, Thu realized he didn't resemble the man in the photo with her mother. With her grandmother's explanation, Thu understood everything, and she called out 'Dad... Dad!' and promised, 'Dad, buy me an ivory comb!' At the base, Mr. Sau poured all his love for his daughter into making an ivory comb to give to his little daughter. But in a battle, he fell. Before closing his eyes, he managed to pass the comb to his friend, sending it back to his child. The story is narrated from the perspective of Mr. Ba - the character referring to himself. Although this is a fairly common theme in literature, the humanistic value of the story becomes even deeper.
The story revolves around a simple yet invaluable keepsake, the ivory comb. Throughout the story, throughout the years, throughout life, there is only one call, a simple and sacred call of the highest order in this life: the call of fatherhood! The story 'The Ivory Comb' has retold in a truly touching way the meeting and emotions of Mr. Sau and his son. The image of Mr. Sau has left in the hearts of readers a sense of sympathy, affection, and deep impressions.
Like many others, Mr. Sau followed the call of his homeland to go to war, leaving behind his beloved wife and child. The distance only intensified his longing for his dear daughter, who was less than a year old when he left. That longing became a burning desire, a fervent dream in his heart. That's why every time his wife visited, he asked, 'Why didn't you bring our little one?' Unable to meet his child, he had to admire her through photos... Although that photo was worn and torn, very old, he always treasured it carefully, considering it a treasure. And what about his daughter, Thu? From childhood to eight years old, she only knew her father through photos and through the stories of her grandmother and mother. Despite living in the love of everyone, perhaps Thu also felt a lack of one love, one father's protection. Surely little Thu has been waiting for her father every moment? And eight years of those long, endless years have also increased the longing, anticipation in the hearts of both Mr. Sau and Thu, Mr. Sau longing to see his child, while Thu dreams of seeing her father.
Then that longing became a reality. Mr. Sau got leave. The day to visit his child, Mr. Sau felt nervous on the boat. He was thinking of his child, imagining how the moment of father and child meeting would be like. Those thoughts overwhelmed him, making him forget he was on the boat with a friend. When the boat docked, Mr. Sau eagerly jumped ashore. His friend understood him well, so there was no reproach. I can't forget the extremely sacred and significant moment of Mr. Sau, the moment a father hoped his child would run to embrace him, the step back after so much separation...
Perhaps due to being too emotional, Mr. Sau had gestures that even his friend didn't expect, 'his voice trembling,' he stretched out his hands waiting for his child and took long strides toward her. He thought the little one would run to him, but unexpectedly, she screamed 'mom... mom' and ran away. Why did Thu act like that? Didn't she love her father? She yearned for him every day, every hour. Yet everything was reversed for her. Here was her father, why didn't she recognize him? The child's actions stunned him. All the love and anticipation he had bottled up seemed to vanish, leaving only endless anguish within him.
That pain continued to torment him for three days at home. During those three days, Mr. Sau didn't go far, just lingered at home playing with his child. He wanted to use his words, his actions to compensate for the emotional losses for the child. It seemed like he wanted, with affectionate gestures and words full of tenderness, to soothe the doubts, erase the coldness of the child toward him. He wanted to hug her and say, 'Daddy loves you very much, Thu!' And perhaps he also hoped his daughter would run into his arms and say, 'I love you too, Daddy!' But no... what he had dreamed of, what he had thought of, now seemed like an unrealized dream because of Thu's attitude towards him. When her mother told her to call her father for dinner, the child blurted out, 'Don't want to eat!' The child's words struck his heart, but he sat still pretending not to hear, waiting for her to call 'Dad come eat.' But Thu stubbornly refused to call her father, and even angrily said a few words like 'The rice is cooked!' and 'I've called but nobody listens.' At this point, he only knew 'watching the child gently shake her head and smile. Perhaps because of the overwhelming sadness, he had to smile.' I briefly thought about the emotions at this moment and the questions surrounding him. Why is that? Why did Thu do that? Why doesn't she acknowledge her father? Looking at her, I felt like she was stubbornly refusing to call her father. This attitude is truly inconsistent with the long-separated father-daughter relationship, or is the child still angry with her father for something?
The climax of the story rises when the rice cooker boils, she's alone, unable to lift the pot to strain the water, she had to ask an adult for help. The situation made readers think she would have to give in and 'accept defeat' - she would have to call her father for help. But she still refused to utter the word her father longed for! Just saying that word, and she would be free from the dilemma. But resolutely not! She still acted stubbornly, taking on a dangerous and overwhelming task herself! It means she refuses to yield, refuses to admit defeat. That makes the father, the father's friend, and even the readers heartbroken. What could be more painful than a loving father being rejected by his own child!
It seemed like Thu's coldness and stubbornness had wounded the most fervent feelings in him. Due to his excessive love for his child, Mr. Sau couldn't contain his emotions. During dinner, while spoiling his child, he served her a fish egg, but unexpectedly, she knocked the egg out of the bowl. Furious, he raised his hand and scolded her. Perhaps hitting the child was beyond his intentions. It was all because he loved her too much. Thu throwing the egg out of the bowl could be seen as a trigger that ignited the emotions he had suppressed and contained for so long.
But upon understanding, we find that: That detestable act is actually extremely precious. That stubborn attitude is, in fact, a wonderful expression of a child's affection for her father. Simply because in Thu's innocent memory, her father was very handsome. Due to enemy bombs, her father bore scars on his face. It was a painful thing she didn't understand, yet she distanced herself, causing more pain to her father. The girl didn't believe, even doubted, which showed her distrust. Neither the father's friend nor the mother could dispel the hidden doubts in her heart, so she still didn't call. It wasn't simply the defiance of a naughty, disobedient girl, but it was the determination, the resolution of someone with principles. This was the deep-seated seed that later formed the strong, resilient character of a liberated child. When her grandmother explained the scar on her father's face, Thu realized that it was indeed her father. The beloved image of her father in the photo, the father she deeply admired, finally merged with the figure bearing the long scar. The revelation amplified the love for her father, but... it was too late. Yet in the final moment, before Mr. Sau left, that sacred affection suddenly flared up. As he left, his feet hesitated, not wanting to step away. Surely Mr. Sau wanted to hug his child, kiss her, but fearing she might kick and run away, he just stood there watching her with affectionate, sorrowful eyes.
In his gaze, he carried so much love that he wanted to convey to his child. 'Come on, Dad's leaving,' he said. If only Thu understood her father's gaze, understood his feelings at that moment, right? Then suddenly she ran over, calling out in a trembling voice, 'Dad...d...daddy!' It was a tearing cry, tearing through the silence and tearing through everyone's hearts, sounding truly heart-wrenching. The cry burst forth after years of suppression, waiting, and longing. That was the sound of a father that Mr. Sau had waited for eight long years to hear from his child, waited for during the days spent beside her, a moment he thought he would never experience again, but suddenly, it erupted. It broke through, causing the reader's heart to ache. The father couldn't hold back tears of surprise, of joy, of love, and of the bittersweetness of emotions. Along with the gesture of 'calling and running towards him as fast as a squirrel, she jumped up and threw her arms tightly around his neck, her silky hair standing on end.' 'Holding onto his neck tightly, she spoke amidst tears, 'Dad...dad...don't leave, stay with me.' She hugged Mr. Sau and 'kissed the long scar on his cheek,' displaying a deep-seated love of a child for her father. And upon hearing Mr. Sau say, 'Dad's leaving now, Dad's coming back to you,' the child cried out 'no,' then clung tightly to his neck, gripping both legs tightly around him, her small shoulders trembling! Surely the child was crying.
Perhaps at that moment, Thu truly felt remorseful, regretful for her mistake, truly felt sorry for her father's suffering? She whimpered, 'Dad's coming back! Dad, buy me a comb, dad...' All her words clearly demonstrated the character of an innocent, loving child towards her father. It was profound and beautifully noble. Perhaps at this moment, Thu had truly become an adult. All of Thu's tantrums at this moment turned into deep affection for her father. Amidst the tantrums, stubbornness, amidst the anger and regret of Thu, we still see her as truly innocent, truly adorable. As for Mr. Sau, happiness came to him so suddenly that his throat choked up. Unable to contain his emotions, Mr. Sau cried. His tears were tears of joy, of happiness. And not wanting his child to see him cry, Mr. Sau hugged her with one hand and wiped his tears with a handkerchief, then kissed her on the head... That's when the child called him 'dad.' Who could have imagined that a soldier who had endured the horrors of the battlefield and faced imminent death would be so tender in fatherly affection. After years of waiting, suffering, Mr. Sau was finally embraced by boundless joy. Now he could leave with great peace of mind knowing that at home, there was a beloved daughter eagerly awaiting him, every second, every minute longing for his return.
Mr. Sau's affection for little Thu became even more intense, lofty, sacred, and touching when he personally made a comb for his daughter. 'Dad's coming back! Dad, buy me a comb!' That was the simple wish of the little daughter in the moment of father and daughter parting. But for that father, it was the first and only wish, so it kept urging in his heart. Finding a comb for his daughter became the duty of a father, the heartfelt plea of filial love. He suddenly came up with a great idea: making a comb for her out of ivory. Perhaps not just because he couldn't buy a comb in the war zone, making a comb from ivory was a way to overcome difficulties. But more than that, ivory was a rare precious material - his daughter's comb had to be made of that precious substance. And he didn't want to buy it, he wanted to make it himself. He would pour all his fatherly love into it. When he found the ivory, his face lit up 'like a child receiving a gift.' Yes, when one turns into a child again, it is when one is showing the noble status of a father. Then he 'sat down to carve each tooth of the comb, carefully and meticulously like a silversmith,' 'carved the back with the inscription: 'Love, remember to give to Thu, your daughter.' He often 'took out the comb to admire and then polished it on her hair to make it shiny and smooth.' Fatherly love had turned the soldier into an artist - an artist who only created one masterpiece in his life, so the ivory comb crystallized within it a simple yet profound fatherly love, miraculous in its simplicity!
But that day would never come again. He didn't have time to deliver the ivory comb to his daughter because that father had sacrificed himself in a major battle against the enemy. But 'it seems that only fatherly love cannot die.' Unable to say anything, all the last strength he had left was to 'put his hand in his pocket, pull out the comb,' and give it to his close comrade, then look at him for a long time. But that was an unspeakable farewell, it was clearly more sacred than a last will, because it was a trust, the final wish of a close friend, the wish of filial love! From that moment on, the ivory comb of filial love turned his comrade into a father - the second father of little Thu.
Friends! In those dark days, the living had to live in secrecy and even the dead had to die in secrecy. His grave couldn't be raised high because if they found the tomb, they would dig it up and find traces, so his grave was like a flat, flat as the forest floor. Uncle Ba, his friend, carved a knife into a tree next to where he lay to make it easier to remember. Living like that and dying like that, how could one bear it? We had to hold guns. And little Thu was no longer the little girl she used to be but a smart, brave guerrilla. Thu followed the path her father chose. Thu went to seek revenge for her homeland, for her father who was killed by the enemy.
Although Mr. Sau sacrificed himself, the story of the two fathers and daughter will live forever. The image of the ivory comb with the inscription will forever be a memento, a witness to the pain, the tragedy of war. Thank you to the writer Nguyen Quang Sang for vividly depicting the soul, the emotions of Mr. Sau and little Thu. The story leads the reader through the fate and brave heart, follows the feelings of a father and son soldier over decades spanning two wars. One alive, one dead, but the artifact, the link between loss and the existence of the ivory comb, is still here. This is evidence for us 'the greatest loss that short stories mention is the deceased, the family home no longer fully exists in reality. It is a crime, the pain, the loss of invasion wars that brutal generations inflict on us. But what we see is no resentment, the power of hatred has turned little Thu into a smart, brave soldier, who has bound the lives of those who have lost together to stand up and continue writing the epic of victory.
Folding the books, bidding farewell to Mr. Ba, the story of 'The Ivory Comb' with his final words - resonating deeply in our readers' minds, like the echo of a fairy tale. That modern fairy tale succeeded in creating story situations, describing character psychology, emotions, and narrating gently, conveying emotions. Is Mr. Ba - the storyteller - or is it writer Nguyen Quang Sang? It must be someone who has experienced living to the fullest for the homeland's resistance, closely tied to the people rich in affection, both humane and resilient, the writer who incorporated various characters, created vivid details, surprises, and achieved such a moving and touching narrative style. At the same time, the story revives the wartime period to make the readers reflect on and deeply feel the pain, the loss that war brings. Mr. Sau's profound father-child relationship has transcended the bombs of war to become increasingly sacred, radiant, and closely bound to the love for the homeland, the country. Through the characters' lives, from little Thu to Mr. Sau, Mr. Ba, Nguyen Quang Sang seems to want to emphasize that in our nation's recent arduous resistance against foreign invaders, the Vietnamese people's bonds, especially the father-child relationship, comradeship, the intergenerational connection between the elderly and the young, the dead and the living... are forever immortal. Like the ivory comb given back, the father-daughter bond of little Thu will also be forever immortal!
3. Feeling the father-child bond through the short story 'The Ivory Comb' - Model 3
In each of us, who hasn't lived in the moments of family affection? Coming to our literature, we feel even more deeply the utmost emotion. If in 'Kitchen Fire' by Bang Viet we relive the peaceful life with our grandmother... In 'Turn Off the Lights' by Ngo Tat To we immerse ourselves in the deep mother-child bond... Then in the work 'The Ivory Comb' by Nguyen Quang Sang, the father-child affection of Mr. Sau and little Thu is truly touching.
Under the skilled pen of the writer, we are brought into extremely unique and surprising situations, thereby emphasizing the profound and beautiful father-child bond amidst adversity. The plight has made little Thu and Mr. Sau distant and aloof.
After eight years of separation from his family, leaving his wife and child to fight, Mr. Sau always nurtured the hope of being able to visit home. Then that dream became a reality, he was able to return home, to visit his wife and child. Upon returning home, he was extremely nervous to see his child after so many years apart, but the more he hoped, the more disappointed he became. Little Thu - his daughter - did not recognize him because of the long scar on his face. It broke Mr. Sau's heart, but he still loved his child with all his heart. It was only because of that scar that the cruel war had caused, creating sad tragedies, acting as a barrier between father and child. Reading the work, we feel a surge of hatred towards war, not only causing painful sacrifices but also inflicting ironies that even innocent, naive children have to bear. Little Thu's sudden departure at that time was only driven by the love she had for her father, because the man in front of her did not resemble the father in the photo her mother had shown her. She too was just a victim of war, unable to live close to, to be loved by her father but had to be far away from him since childhood. But that long scar on his face was only a temporary barrier, it could not conceal the father-child bond. The deep father-child bond transcended all the pain and loss to be together. Though only for a fleeting moment, it contained unforgettable memories in the souls of little Thu and Mr. Sau.
Perhaps, we cannot help but be moved by Mr. Sau's deep love for his daughter. Oh! We must marvel at Mr. Sau's thoughtful actions while at the base. The intense longing for his daughter made him devote all his mind and strength to meticulously crafting a beautiful ivory comb for her. That image keeps flashing before us: 'He sawed each comb tooth, carefully, meticulously, and painstakingly like a silversmith.' The comb had become a precious sacred object containing Mr. Sau's love and longing for his daughter. He had imagined the moment of happiness when he could personally hand the comb to his daughter, but it all became memories, sacrificed by Mr. Sau. Once again, readers deeply feel the loss and sacrifice of war.
In conclusion, when reading the work 'The Ivory Comb' with its tightly woven plot, surprises that bring readers into the profound but extremely tragic father-child bond in the midst of war. Through this, Nguyen Quang Sang wants to convey to readers that the father-child bond is an extremely sacred and noble feeling for each of us. Therefore, let us cherish and cherish that affection.
4. Essay on the Father-Child Bond in the Short Story 'The Ivory Comb' - Model 4
Amidst the pain of war, we come to appreciate many sacred and bonding emotions. It could be the camaraderie of comrades-in-arms facing life and death together, the loyal love of a wife waiting for her husband,… The short story 'The Ivory Comb' by writer Nguyen Quang Sang is a work about touching, precious father-child love during that era.
Little Thu – the character, a young girl about 6 years old in the story, makes us feel the intense love of her father behind her strong, stubborn personality. When her father returned from the battlefield to visit home, Little Thu refused to acknowledge him because of the long scar on his face. With that belief, she spoke words of avoidance, rejecting her father, refusing to utter the word 'father' even when threatened or sweet-talked by others at home. When her grandmother explained that the scar was caused by the Westerners, Thu spent a sleepless night rolling back and forth, occasionally sighing deeply. The next morning, the day her father returned to the battlefield, Little Thu called out 'father' at the moment of parting. The call had been suppressed for so long. The call emanated from the father's incredibly intense, profound love, moving everyone deeply. Little Thu rushed forward, arms outstretched to hug her father, clasping both legs tightly around him, kissing her father all over, even kissing the long scar that she had once rejected. It was the clearest evidence of Little Thu's love for her father.
The father in this story is Mr. Sau, a soldier who joined the resistance when his daughter was less than a year old. When granted leave to visit home, he was eager, looking forward to seeing his daughter. But that anticipation turned into agony, disappointment when his daughter did not recognize him, even showing aversion, rejection towards him. The peak of disappointment was anger when Mr. Sau accidentally hit his daughter when Little Thu showed her defiant attitude. He deeply regretted that, and upon returning to the battlefield, he was constantly tormented by his mistake. When he found the piece of ivory, he poured all his mind and love for his child into making an ivory comb to give to his daughter. On the comb, he carefully engraved the words 'Love remembers, for Thu, my daughter.' Each line of text contained all his sorrows, hoping for the country's early independence so that father and daughter could be reunited.
Through the story above, we deeply feel the sacred, profound father-child love. Although not spoken, both Little Thu and Mr. Sau have their own ways of loving, making us silently admire and be moved. Writer Nguyen Quang Sang was very creative in placing the storyteller's perspective on the supporting character of the story to express the attitudes, emotions of both main characters, the plot full of surprises also emphasizes the father-child bond in this story clearly.
