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Assignment: Analyzing the text Beloved Saigon by Minh Hương
I. Detailed Outline
II. Sample Essay
Analysis of the text My Beloved Saigon by Minh Hương
I. Outline of the Analysis of the text My Beloved Saigon by Minh Hương
1. Introduction
- Introduction of the author and the work.
2. Main Body
a. The Beauty of Saigon:
* Lifestyle:
- Saigon remains youthful. 'I am getting older', 'Saigon remains youthful like a freshly sprouted silk cotton tree, undergoing changes...', using similes and personification in this way demonstrates the youthfulness, vibrancy of a city in development.
- 'I love Saigon tenderly... I love the morning sun... I love the contradictory weather... so clear like glass... trees providing shade', continuously using the phrase 'I love...' directly expresses and emphasizes one's affection for Saigon, for the nature and life of the people here.
* People:
- There is no differentiation in the origins of people, there is diversity in cultural colors, blending together to create a special cultural atmosphere, showing hospitality, ready to welcome anyone to this land.
- 'They speak naturally, sometimes jokingly easy-going mostly spontaneous without pretense. People from Saigon, like most people from the six provinces, are very sincere, straightforward, and kind-hearted.'
- Saigon girls with their unique characteristics in clothing, behavior 'The city girls... somewhat innocent', exude youthfulness, dynamism, full of vitality, 'shy like the new moon,... Warm and innocent smiles'.
- The author portrays the young men through their appearance, heroic nature during the most precarious times of the country, both girls and boys volunteered to go to the front lines, protecting every inch of homeland throughout the years 1945-1975.
=> From these observations, meticulous observations, and understanding of the author, we can clearly see the author's sentiment is one of love, attachment, considering the land of Saigon as their homeland.
b. Love for Saigon:
- 'That's why I love Saigon and love the people here, a deep and enduring love. No matter how much affection, it is never in vain, forever...', using the phrase 'I love...' to affirm Minh Hương's feelings, a deep, profound love, attached to the beloved land of Saigon.
- Creating a rhythm for the sentence, like a refrain of a love song, like waves of overflowing emotions, it is a message, hoping everyone will give love to Saigon like the author, expressing sincere and warm feelings, as well as the author's welcoming words to everyone to this land he considers his blood homeland.
3. Conclusion
Summarizing the value of content and artistry.
II. Sample Essay Analyzing the text My Beloved Saigon by Minh Hương
Minh Hương (1924-2002), whose real name was Võ Văn Đài, hailed from Quảng Nam. He was both a writer and a teacher. Minh Hương possessed an emotionally rich writing style. The text My Beloved Saigon excerpted from his memoir Remembering Saigon, published in 1994, is one of the author's most famous and finest works, reflecting his emotional sentiments and deep attachment, the author's longing for the beloved land of Saigon.
The author's love for the land of Saigon is consistently expressed throughout the excerpt. Firstly, it is manifested in the way the author perceives the beauty of life here, 'Saigon remains youthful. I am getting older.' For the author, 'Saigon remains youthful like a freshly sprouted silk cotton tree, undergoing changes...', using similes and personification in this way has shown us the youthfulness, vibrancy of a city in development. Next, the author continues to describe Saigon's life through natural images 'I love Saigon tenderly... I love the morning sun, a sweet sunshine and the breezy afternoon, under the sudden tropical rain. I love the contradictory weather with the sky being gloomy suddenly turning as clear as glass... trees providing shade'. The continuous use of the phrase 'I love...' is the author's way of directly expressing and emphasizing their own emotions, their feelings for Saigon, for the nature and life of the people here. Besides, the simile '...as clear as glass' shows us the uniqueness of the weather here, the weather changes unexpectedly, bringing unexpected emotions, deep impressions in the author's heart. Another aspect of Saigon's life is its sounds 'I love the night with sparse noise. I love the bustling streets, the rush of vehicles during peak hours. I love the quietness in the dewy morning...'. The sounds of life here appear with many different aspects, both the hustle and bustle of a youthful, dynamic city, and the quietness of late night, the poetry of the dewy morning, fresh and cool. From the author's general assessment of the essence of Saigon - a youthful city, to specific assessments of different weather, about sounds sometimes bustling sometimes quiet, poetic, we can see the author's deep affectionate feelings for Saigon.
But it doesn't stop there, the appearance of Saigon also appears through the image of Saigon's people. Here there is no differentiation in the origins of people, whether they come from the North, Central or South, no matter what ethnicity they are, all are collectively referred to as Saigonese, forming a diversity in cultural colors, blending together to create a special cultural atmosphere, showing hospitality, ready to welcome anyone to this land. This seems to have become a very cheerful, warm lifestyle of this land. Based on nearly 50 years of living with the people of Saigon, the author Minh Hương has made a very penetrating observation about the people here that 'they speak naturally, sometimes jokingly easy-going mostly spontaneous without pretense. People from Saigon, like most people from the six provinces, are very sincere, straightforward, and kind-hearted.' From there, it has created a unique style, a unique way of life for Saigonese in particular and people from the six provinces in particular, which is sincerity, simplicity, straightforwardness, and kindness. The reason for this special feature is because, Saigon is a place where people from all over the country gather, from there they have explored land, expanded horizons, their lives have long been attached to nature. They are people who go to open land, come from farmers, simple, and close, so their way of life becomes liberal, straightforward, not knowing how to be cunning, tricky. Besides the general characteristics of Saigonese, the author also goes into the image of Saigon girls with their unique characteristics in clothing, behavior 'The city girls... somewhat innocent'. Clothes, loose or braided hair, white fabric hats, loose black pants, walking in wooden clogs or canvas shoes, weaving, tanned skin, their appearance is both graceful and strong, daring. It can be said that from appearance to clothing, the girls here all exude youthfulness, dynamism, full of vitality. Besides, their character is also expressed through their appearance with 'shy like the new moon,...Warm and innocent smiles'. And the image of the boys is portrayed by the author through their appearance, heroic nature during the most precarious times of the country, both girls and boys volunteered to go to the front lines, protecting every inch of homeland throughout the years 1945-1975. From these observations, meticulous observations, and understanding of the author, we can clearly see the author's sentiment is one of love, attachment, considering the land of Saigon as their homeland.
