Exploring the Intricacies of Thị Mầu's Character in 'Thị Mầu Goes to the Pagoda' - A Literary Analysis

Thị Mầu, a woman with a distinct personality, courageously transcends the conventional norms of Confucianism to express herself. She symbolizes the unspoken aspirations of women in the past. Despite her unconventional actions in the temple, driven by the urgency and desire for love, rationality is overshadowed. Thị Mầu represents a different facet of Vietnamese women—an eagerness for love, a fundamental right for both women and humanity in general. Growing up entails the freedom to explore, love, and choose one's life partner. However, societal constraints, manifested through artificial moralities, confine women to adhere to traditional values rather than choosing love and happiness. Thị Mầu's advocacy for freedom in love is evident in her advice to fellow women, cautioning against familial expectations. She embodies the essence of artistic expression.

Upon reading the excerpt from 'Thị Mầu Goes to the Pagoda,' I am deeply impressed by the character of Thị Mầu. Mầu is a carefree woman, contrasting with the grace and virtue of Thị Kính. On the full moon day, Thị Mầu prepares rice and money to go to the pagoda for offerings. As soon as she steps into the Buddha's gate, Thị Mầu immediately reveals her bold and daring nature through the exchange with the young monk Kính Tâm: 'Eighteen years old, still single, dear little monk! Still single, you know!' Despite Kính Tâm's indifference, Thị Mầu continues her inappropriate remarks: 'Who looks as beautiful as a comet?', 'Who comes to this temple/ With a neck three inches high, eyebrows straight.' Not only that, Mầu also exhibits inappropriate behavior in the sacred place. She steps forward, grabs Kính Tâm's hand to receive the temple sweeping task. Unable to pull the young monk, Mầu uttered some vulgar words 'Swear to Buddha!'. From this, I see that Thị Mầu is a woman who goes against the moral standards of the ancient society.

I'm deeply impressed by the character of Thị Mầu every time I read the excerpt from 'Thị Mầu Goes to the Pagoda.' She is a character in stark contrast to the beauty of Thị Kính. Thị Mầu, portrayed by the folk author, is a carefree woman. On the full moon day, Thị Mầu goes to the pagoda to make offerings. Here, she falls in love with Kính Tâm and expresses inappropriate words and actions. Admiring the young monk, Mầu openly praises, 'Who comes to this place/ With a neck three inches high, eyebrows straight.' Furthermore, Mầu teases: 'Leave your monk's robe and fight me. Who sees a girl and runs away like that!' causing Kính Tâm to flee in fear. Not stopping there, Mầu finds a hiding spot, waits for Kính Tâm to come out, then rushes in to hold hands and take over the temple sweeping duty from Tiểu Kính. She even boldly says 'Leave Buddha behind' and 'Swear to Buddha' right in the solemn monastery. For me, Thị Mầu is a woman who goes against the moral standards of women in ancient society.

In my perspective, Thị Mầu is a bold, courageous woman, full of passion in expressing her own love. Despite the strictness of feudal rituals, Thị boldly articulates her feelings, turning her thoughts into words, sharing them with everyone without any sense of shame or reluctance. It's a way of expressing love that is genuine and open-minded, albeit with a hint of excess from Thị Mầu. However, through these details, we can see the depth of Thị Mầu's admiration for Tiểu Kính, how significant and profound it is.

Thị Mầu is the epitome of a carefree woman in feudal society. Upon entering the Buddha's gate and seeing the charming young monk, Kính Tâm, Thị Mầu fearlessly engages in teasing banter. She uses bold words to try to captivate Kính Tâm's attention. Subsequently, Thị Mầu takes improper actions in the sacred place. She finds a hiding spot to 'hold the young monk's hand.' When she sees Tiểu Kính sweeping the temple courtyard, Thị Mầu directly breaks the feudal ritual of 'men and women should not be close.' She boldly steps forward, grabs the young monk's hand, and competes for the task of sweeping the courtyard. Despite all her efforts being unreciprocated, Thị Mầu resorts to vulgar language 'Swear to Buddha!'. From this, folk authors successfully portray Thị Mầu as carefree, bold, and in defiance of virtuous moral values.