Crafting 'The Ivory Comb' by Nguyen Quang Bright

1. Crafting 'The Ivory Comb', concise version 1

The Ivory Comb (excerpt)

Question 1:
- Summary of the excerpt:
Mr. Six left home to fight. It wasn't until his daughter turned eight that he had the chance to visit home and see her. Little Thu didn't recognize her father because the scar on his face made him look different from the person in the photo she knew. She treated him like a stranger. When Thu finally recognized her father, the bond between them intensified, but it was also the moment Mr. Six had to leave. At the base, the father poured all his love and longing for his daughter into making an ivory comb to give to his beloved daughter. He sacrificed himself in battle before he could give the gift to his daughter. Before closing his eyes, he managed to hand the comb to a friend.
- The story portrays the deep father-daughter bond of Mr. Six in two situations:
+ The initial meeting after eight years apart, where Thu initially doesn't recognize her father, and when she does, he has to leave again. This is the basic situation of the story.
+ At the base, Mr. Six channels all his love and longing for his daughter into making the ivory comb to give to her, but he sacrifices himself before he can give her the gift.
If the first situation reveals Thu's intense feelings for her father, the second situation expresses the deep love of a father for his daughter.

Question 2: Analyzing Thu's Psychological Development and Actions in the Final Meeting with her Father:
- Thu's psychological development and actions in the final meeting:
+ Before recognizing her father: bewildered, frightened, wide-eyed, cold and distant, runs away crying for her mother. Stubborn and defiant when at home with her father.
+ Upon recognizing her father: contemplative upon hearing her grandmother explain the scar. When she sees her father preparing to leave, Thu's face reflects deep thought before she rushes to embrace him affectionately.
- Thu's character: Strong, deep, decisive, and stubborn yet still innocent and naive.
- Art of describing psychology: Successfully describes psychological development from surprise and fear to coldness and finally to an explosion of love due to suppression. The author understands children's psychology well, cherishing and valuing childhood emotions.

Question 3:
- Mr. Six's feelings for his daughter were partly expressed during his visit home, but they were concentrated and profound later in the story, when he was in the jungle at the base.
- Remorse and regret haunted Mr. Six for many days after parting with his family because of his outburst of anger towards his child. Then, his child's words, 'Dad, buy me an ivory comb!' prompted him to think of making an ivory comb for her.

Question 4: Commentary on the Narrative Art of the Story:
- The storyteller assumes the role of a close friend of Mr. Six, not only as an objective witness and narrator but also expresses empathy, sharing with the characters. Through the thoughts and emotions of the storyteller, the details, events, and other characters in the story are more clearly revealed, enhancing the persuasive significance of the narrative.

Practice

Question 1:
- Thu's attitude when Mr. Six returns and when he leaves is contrasting but consistent in the character's personality.
- Due to the high consistency in the character's personality, the contrast is created between two different time periods.
- Thu loves her father, is proud of him, and engraves his image in the photo when taking pictures with her mother. The love is deep and enduring. She only loves the man in the photo. Another person insists that the man in the photo is her father, but Thu adamantly refuses. Her stubborn opposition is also because of her love for her father. Later, when her grandmother tells Thu that her father has a scar on his face because of the Americans, she loves her father even more, and in that intense, urgent love, there is also regret and remorse. The consistency in the character's personality lies there.

Question 2: When rewriting the passage recounting the final meeting between Mr. Six and his daughter from the perspective of another character's reminiscence, attention is needed:
- If playing the role of Mr. Six, it is necessary to depict the 'restless' emotions of the father after years of separation due to war, the eager anticipation of meeting his daughter, and the burning desire to hear his daughter call him 'dad' that is 'tormenting to the point of not being able to cry.'
- If playing the role of Thu, it is necessary to show the emotional development from 'scrutiny' to 'excitement' and finally 'suddenly shouting: - Dad…d…d…dad!'. That is also the last time little Thu meets her father.

Question 4 (page 202 of Vietnamese Literature 9 Textbook Volume 1):
- Narration: First-person perspective through the voice of the character 'I' - the close companion of Mr. Six.
- Purpose: Establishing genuine objectivity and depicting the camaraderie among comrades in the fight.

Practice Session

Question 1 (page 203 of Vietnamese Literature 9 Textbook Volume 1):
Before recognizing her father, young Thu was extremely cold and obstinate. Upon recognizing him, emotions surged like a flood. This demonstrates a nuanced mix of love and resentment, showcasing a resilient and steadfast character trait of the eight-year-old girl.

Question 2 (page 203 of Vietnamese Literature 9 Textbook Volume 1):
According to young Thu's recollection:
My father left home to join the resistance. It wasn't until I turned eight that he had the chance to come back to visit us, to visit me. I didn't recognize my father because the scar on his face made him seem different from the father in the photo taken with my mother. I treated him as a stranger. By the time I recognized him, it was also the time for him to leave again. At the base camp, my father poured all his love and longing into making a comb from ivory to give to me. In a fierce battle, he sacrificed himself. Before closing his eyes, he managed to pass the comb to a friend to send to me.