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Assignment: Analyze the emotional journey of the character Liên in the short story Two Kids
Sample Essay: Evolution of Liên's Emotional State in the Short Story Two Kids
Essay:
'Literature is anthropology' (M. Gorky). In literature, therefore, the humanistic beauty is always a means of aestheticism where poetic and realistic elements blend together. To illustrate this point, Thạch Lam's 'Two Kids' serves as an example. 'Two Kids' is not only a portrayal of the harsh reality of impoverished districts but also a remarkable poetic composition. The work instills a poignant sense of melancholy in readers about human life.
The depiction of reality in the impoverished districts becomes even more desolate and cynical from the perspective of the writer. It is the twilight of a day in the countryside where 'the sun had sunk behind the bamboo forest, leaving only black clumps of bamboo against the faintly pink sky' and the chorus of frogs began to echo across the rice fields, enough to make the tranquil evening as soothing as any other evening.
Like an artistic motif, the desolate rural town reveals itself in the backdrop of the evening market scene with only a few vendors tidying up their stalls, and a few children scavenging for odds and ends... That picture once emerged in the 'chilly early season wind' but why does it still carry an indescribable sadness into the twilight hour in 'Two Kids'. Yet, that town painting is not just a landscape but a portrayal of human life. A reality in the remote countryside, a touch of urban life brought in by the nightly train. What is life like in the rural town? It's the livelihood activities of the people that Liên seems all too familiar with, each person has their own habits. Like Uncle Phở Siêu, Sister Tí, the father and son of the sẩm theater, crazy old Mr. Thi, and even Liên herself. Mostly just listening for the sound of the market closing before shutting shop and waiting. Reality doesn't surprise us that it's a poor rural town with hardworking people struggling pitifully.
But all such realities are placed within the observing eye contained within romantic literature. Time entering into the life of the rural town doesn't swiftly rush or dissolve into the night. Time slowly progresses through the inner development steps. From the 'sound of the market closing' to a gentle phrase: 'Evening, evening' rising within, then the sky gradually darkens and the space becomes late night devoid of daytime 'noise,' only the 'starry sky with a thousand shimmering green stars.' Each moment has a different landscape but all are made more enjoyable through fresh, agile sentences. Are there any evenings as soothing as in the eyes of Nam Cao, Vũ Trọng Phụng? Only the romantic soul of Thạch Lam could have such smooth, poetic expressions.
The skill lies in the writer's integration of two observing souls into one. Understanding that the writer's observation is correct, and understanding that the scene unfolds in the eyes of the character Liên is also accurate. We can clearly see this through the character's surprise. 'Liên sat there forgetting everything! Now Liên hurriedly lit the lantern and piled the black incense balls together'. 'The evening begins, a summer night as soft as velvet and the cool breeze.' But there are many sentences like these and they are used precisely, achieving a standard. Does that perception come from the writer's soul or from Liên's soul when the rural town sinks into the silence. In the eyes of 'Watching the late-night figures slowly disappearing in the night.'.
If the early evening of the rural town was once 'decorated' with lights emanating from the roadside stalls, now it's just darkness. A few faint lights shine from the doorways into the streets. The romantic eye doesn't just stop at the very real lights but seeks out the fragile glow of fireflies flickering between the bamboo leaves, evoking an indescribable melancholy. The rare light of nature is quickly 'captured' by the writer in a romantic gaze. The poetic essence lies there. There are a few realities and the lofty spirit of the pen sketches and settles on the written page. But it's all still the ordinary occurrences in the life scene that's inherently dreary.
The light from Sister Tí's lantern illuminates a small corner. From a distance, one can see a fairly complete artistic picture with two contrasting 'color tones.' The weathered face of the rural woman tells of a day's toil for sustenance, clothing. Family life is busy and dark. But every night, Sister Tí contributes such a light. Although it's to earn extra income, it seems they only sell for the sake of it. So what brings them out here? Perhaps it's the way of life. And the rural town at night is where they live... The sounds of life emanate from the dialogues, the activities of the people here. Each person contributes a bit of light, a bit of flavor, sound. All together, they create a picture of poverty. There's no single standout feature in the picture but all the people present make up the overall scenery of life.
If in Nam Cao's works, there are scenes of harsh reality with tears of hunger, food, and oppression, then the reality of Thạch Lam's works is 'measured by' a certain unit of 'romance.' His pen sketches very lightly and gracefully. The poor rural town has many reasons for its people to struggle for survival. But here is a truly harmonious atmosphere, warm human love, and each person, when they return home, surely still retains the familiar warmth despite being very sad. The harmony between reality and romance has helped Thạch Lam achieve a gentle, elegant literary style, hiding the excellent personalities within him.
Returning to the nighttime activities scene in the rural town, the romance doesn't just stop at the panoramic view but sinks into the writings about Liên sisters. This is the focal point the writer concentrated on portraying. Liên impresses with her profound inner world, stemming from a highly sensitive person. When the night falls, it's also when Liên feels a melancholic sadness before the twilight hour. That sadness arises from the desolate rural town scene amidst the sound of the echoing market drum as if haunting. Involuntarily, a scene that makes her shiver with pity: it's the sight of the sturdy, ragged children amidst the market, long gone, picking up useful items. The first impression is that Liên has a heart that's not at all childish. The posture of an older sister, even smaller, signifies a 'maturity' in psychological temperament.
The picture of the desolate rural town, hidden in the void darkness of the rural town. The life of the rural town has deeply ingrained in Liên's mind. It seems that if anything were missing from the scene outside, Liên would have sighed already. But everything remains the same, even the sound of Uncle Thi sometimes frightens Liên. But the familiar feeling still finds the old man endearing and pitiful. Each person's life scenes, life, one by one pass through Liên's seemingly naive soul. The lives of each person have contributed to the life of the entire community of poor rural people. From the fragmented lives similar to Liên's shared living environment, we see a very clear common point, which is the narrow confines of the social environment. Day by day, it's just the usual market, a few rows of stalls with empty spaces 'The leaves fluttering in front of the tent' and those 'people' alone.
