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Prompt: Based on the studied works, please compare the characters Tnú and Việt - Uncle Mết and nephew Năm through the works The Forest of Xà Nu and The Children within the family.
Comparing Tnú and Việt - Uncle Mết and nephew Năm through The Forest of Xà Nu and The Children within the family.
Student's Response
1. Comparing Việt and Tnú
* Vietnamese literature from 1945 to 1975 achieved significant milestones, especially in works portraying the heroic qualities of the Vietnamese people during the two great wars against the French colonialists and the American empire. 'The Python Forest' by Nguyễn Trung Thành and 'The Children within the Family' by Nguyễn Thi are two successful works in depicting iconic characters embodying the noble revolutionary heroism, patriotism, and deep-seated hatred for the invaders, showcasing the fighting spirit of the Vietnamese nation against foreign aggressors.
* Both authors, Nguyễn Trung Thành and Nguyễn Thi, were deeply involved in the anti-American resistance, serving as warrior writers on the frontline of the fiery struggle. Their works breathe the fervor of the battle with vivid character portrayals, entering literature from the reality of combat.
Two short stories, 'The Python Forest' (1965) and 'The Children within the Family' (1966), were both born during the intense period of the resistance war against the US to save the country. As the American empire poured troops into our Southern region, our people faced a life-and-death battle to safeguard independence, freedom, and the right to live. This historical backdrop serves as the foundation for these two works praising the revolutionary heroism, imbued with epic qualities.
* Through these two tales, the author enables readers to discover, admire, and feel proud of the revolutionary heroism of ordinary, humble yet courageous and deeply loyal individuals, who are steadfastly devoted to the revolution. It's a manifestation of profound patriotism, deep-seated hatred for the enemy, and unwavering fighting spirit against invaders to defend the homeland of the Vietnamese people during the resistance against France and the US. It represents loyalty to revolutionary ideals tested in harsh circumstances, revealing the beauty of heroic qualities that epitomize the entire nation.
* Expression of revolutionary heroism in Tnú and Việt:
- They are both born from the indomitable tradition of their families, homeland, and nation: Tnú is a son of Xô Man village, where every resident is oriented toward the revolution, safeguarding the motto 'As long as the Party exists, this land will endure' - Uncle Mết's words. (The Python Forest). Việt is born into a family with a tradition of patriotism and hatred for enemies: His father is a revolutionary cadre, his mother is a resilient woman from the Southern region in struggle, and the two children carry on the ideals of their parents. (The Children within the Family).
- They have endured much pain and loss inflicted by the enemy, symbolizing the pain and loss of the entire nation: Tnú witnessed his wife and children tortured to death by the enemy, and he himself had ten fingers burnt off by the invaders. Việt witnessed the death of his parents: his father was beheaded, and his mother died from enemy gunfire.
- These pains forge the fighting spirit and deep-seated hatred for the enemy of the Vietnamese people. Transforming pain into fighting strength is also an expression of revolutionary heroism: Tnú sets out for the 'forces' despite losing a joint from each finger, Việt joins the army, viewing fighting the enemy as a duty. They fight with the strength of hatred for the enemy, as well as the strength of love, because only by taking up arms can we protect what is sacred, protect love and life. This principle has been proven through the fate and revolutionary path of the people of the Southern region in the two aforementioned works, drawn from the reality of pain and loss, thus it holds even more value and must be deeply ingrained in people's hearts.
- They both possess heroic, indomitable qualities, as Vietnamese people steadfast in the fight against foreign invaders.
+ Since childhood, Tnú has been brave, captured while making contact with the enemy, brutally tortured yet refusing to confess. He escapes from prison, returns as the youth leader of Xô Man village fighting the enemy, even after having ten fingers burnt off, he remains silent in front of the enemy. Tnú embodies the beauty of the hero in the Tay Nguyen epic and the beauty of revolutionary heroism in the era of resistance against the US.
+ In the battle, Việt was wounded and separated from his unit, yet he remained resolute in eliminating the enemy. To his sister, Việt appears innocent and small, but in front of the enemy, he grows rapidly, assuming the stance of a hero.
- In summary, the characters in both short stories have risen above personal pain and tragedy to serve their country. Their suffering represents the pain of the nation during the painful years of war. Their brave and resilient spirit embodies the spirit of the Vietnamese people, reflecting the noble ideals of revolutionary heroism.
* Revolutionary heroism in Vietnam during the resistance against the US is present across the nation, from rural areas to urban centers, from the north to the south, from plains to mountains. Together, they form a formidable force to 'submerge the traitorous scum and invaders.' The lives and sacrifices of these heroic Vietnamese people forever serve as a magnificent epic for future generations of Vietnam to follow.
2. Comparing Uncle Mết and nephew Năm
a. Character Uncle Mết
- Uncle Mết is an elder of the village, 'sixty years old but still with a booming voice echoing in his chest', his beard 'extends to his chest and remains glossy black', his eyes are bright and piercing, 'chest as firm as a large xà nu tree'. His way of speaking is also peculiar (speaks as if commanding; never praises with 'Good! Well done!', when satisfied only says 'Accepted').
- Uncle firmly believes in his people, his homeland. According to him, 'there's no tree as sturdy as our xà nu tree', and the rice made by the Strá people is the best rice in this mountainous forest.
- Uncle Mết is the soul of Xô Man village. He is the keeper of community traditions, guiding successive generations to live up to those traditions.
=> Uncle Mết symbolizes history, embodying the upright, indomitable tradition and the enduring vitality of the Xô Man village people. Uncle Mết shares similarities with the fierce tribal leaders who express the aspirations and dreams of the community in some Tay Nguyen epics. Writing about Uncle Mết, the author unleashes the high power of epic writing with romanticized idealism; although he is a real elder of the village, who has achieved many remarkable feats in the resistance against the French (comparable to the hero Núp) in Xóp Dùi village, Kon Tum province.
b. Character Uncle Năm
- Uncle Năm fully embodies the natural traits of the gentle, emotionally rich Southern farmers, introspective and dreamy. Someone who has experienced the bitterness of life as a landless laborer before the revolution, making him naturally reticent. The deep-seated pain from a lifetime of hardships and the witness to the atrocities of the Western victory, the Americans, and their puppets perhaps have contributed to the emotional complexity in his always wide-open, watery eyes. The Southern character ingrained in him is reflected in his dedication to his offspring, and the end of the story also celebrates a few lines.
- A unique feature of this man is that he keeps a family chronicle. The notebook contains all the trivialities of many generations, serving as evidence of his pure-heartedness. It also documents the atrocities committed by the enemy, the achievements of each member, like a chronicle. He himself is a living history, as he entrusts, admonishes Chiến and Việt: 'our family stories are as long as the river, so Uncle will divide it into sections and write them down for each of you...' The character has shown the beauty of an ironclad heart, the sense of responsibility of the preceding generation.
