Exploring the Tragedy of Women in Feudal Society through the lens of Doc Tieu Thanh Ki, Chinh Phu Ngam, and Cung Oan Ngam Khuc

 Sample Essay: The Tragedy of Women in Feudal Society Explored through Doc Tieu Thanh Ki, Chinh Phu Ngam, and Cung Oan Ngam Khuc
 

I. Outline:
 

1. Introduction

- Nguyen Du encapsulated the common fate of women in feudal society, where males were favored over females:

Painful is the fate of women!
They say destiny for both sexes is a shared lament.

- The destinies of these characters are vividly portrayed in three works: Doc Tieu Thanh Ki by Nguyen Du, Chinh Phu Ngam by Dang Tran Con, and Cung Oan Ngam Khuc by Nguyen Gia Thieu.
 

2. Main Content

* The painful fate and unjust death of Little Thanh in the poem Doc Tieu Thanh Ki:

- Due to unfortunate circumstances, Little Thanh, despite her talent and beauty, is forced into marriage with a wealthy merchant.
- Jealous, the first wife locks her up in a house on Côn Mountain.
- Stricken with sorrow, Little Thanh expresses her emotions through poetry. She dies at the age of eighteen.
- Out of jealousy, the first wife burns Little Thanh's poetry collection.
- Little Thanh's tragedy lies in the loss of her youth, love, and the happiness of married life.

* The solitary, agonizing fate of the military wife:

- As husbands head to war, military wives endure restlessness, anxiety, anticipation, and despair.
- They question why the bliss of companionship must be shattered. Behind the agonizing uncertainty lies resentment and condemnation towards the war that inflicts heart-wrenching scenes: Couples in love forced into the struggles of survival.
- Loneliness envelops the military wife during long nights of vigil, yearning, and worry for the spouse on the battlefield. The unshared pain is carried away by the wind.

* The forgotten fate, robbed happiness of the palace maid:

- Upon entering the palace, she was as fresh as a newly blossomed flower.
- In a short time, she is neglected by the king.
- Living in constant anticipation, she feels herself fading away, resembling a withered flower.
- Frustration, sorrow, injustice – she longs to break free from the palace, return to a normal life to experience love and freedom.

3. Conclusion

- Poets have brought the unfortunate fate of women into literature with empathy and compassion. The tragedy of women in the ancient feudal society continues to haunt and touch the hearts of readers.
- Feudal society deprived women of their right to freedom and robbed them of happiness. Such an inhumane society deserves condemnation and eradication.

II. Sample Essay: The Tragedy of Women in Feudal Society through Doc Tieu Thanh Ki, Chinh Phu Ngam Khuc, and Cung Oan Ngam Khuc
 

1. The Tragedy of Women in Feudal Society through Doc Tieu Thanh Ki, Chinh Phu Ngam, and Cung Oan Ngam Khuc, Sample 1:

In 'The Tale of Kieu,' the literary maestro Nguyen Du borrowed the words of Thuy Kieu - the talented and ill-fated young woman - to encapsulate the tragic fate of women in feudal society where males were favored over females:

Painful is the fate of women,
As they say, destiny is a shared lament.

These verses are saturated with sorrow, resentment, like a lamentation against an unjust destiny. Unfortunately, in such a society, misfortune has become the shared fate of many. Renowned works like 'Doc Tieu Thanh Ki' (Nguyen Du), 'Chinh Phu Ngam' (Dang Tran Con), and 'Cung Oan Ngam Khuc' (Nguyen Gia Thieu) bear witness to this tragedy.

'Doc Tieu Thanh Ki' is one of Nguyen Du's finest Han-script poems, included in the Thanh Hien poetry collection. Nguyen Du might have composed this poem before or after being sent as an envoy to China by the Nguyen dynasty. The scenic beauty of Xi Hu is intertwined with the legend of the talented and beautiful Thanh Thanh, who lived in the early Ming dynasty. Due to unfortunate circumstances, she had to marry into the wealthy Phung family in Hangzhou. Jealous of her, the first wife confined Thanh Thanh to a solitary house on Co Son Mountain. Her youth was confined within the desolate walls. Full of compassion and regret, Thanh Thanh wrote a collection of poems expressing her anguish. Not long after, she died of sorrow at the age of eighteen. Even in death, the first wife remained jealous, burning Thanh Thanh's poetry. Fortunately, some survived, copied by contemporaries, titled 'Phan Du' (burnt but saved), narrating the tragic fate of Thanh Thanh.

Reading those poems, Nguyen Du's heart overflowed with sympathy for the talented yet ill-fated girl. Simultaneously, he expressed his concern and sorrow for the unfortunate fate of many other talented women. These emotions are vividly portrayed in the famous poem:

West Lake's beauty turns to desolation,
Heart-wrenching beside the remnants of torn paper.
Cosmetics possess a lingering resentment in the burial,
Literature, though fated to burn, still echoes.
The grudge of the needle at the throat questions the heavens,
The hidden elegance carried by wanderers themselves.
Unaware of the three hundred years to come,
Will anyone weep for To Nhu?

Visiting Little Thanh three hundred years after her death, the poet solemnly faces the mournful scene of West Lake transformed into desolation. Time has eroded everything. On that desolate hill lie the scattered remains of Little Thanh's unfortunate bones. Mentioning the beauty of West Lake, the author likely refers to the people who once lived here, particularly Little Thanh. The life of that talented and beautiful girl is now reduced to legends, intensifying the poet's poignant feelings for her ill-fated existence:

West Lake's beauty turns to desolation,
Heart-wrenching beside the remnants of torn paper.

Analyzing the Tragedy of Women in Feudal Society through Doc Tieu Thanh Ki, Chinh Phu Ngam, and Cung Oan Ngam Khuc

How did Little Thanh express her emotions through her poetry? Undoubtedly, it is a sorrowful lament for her fate, a poignant reflection on her unfortunate destiny, and most profoundly, the pain of unshared love. The poet mourns the talented yet ill-fated Little Thanh, feeling as if her spirit still lingers somewhere. She died in solitude, withering away. Her youth was imprisoned, and how could she escape the injustice and oppression that befell her?

Cosmetics possess a lingering resentment in the burial,
Literature, though fated to burn, still echoes.

Cosmetics symbolize women's beauty, a beauty that transcends time. Even if beautiful women may be persecuted, oppressed, and die, their names persist through generations like Lady Trieu, Dương Quý Phi... Literature is the talent of Little Thanh individually and also the spiritual beauty of the literary world in general. Literature, being fated to burn, is mentioned here as if possessing a lingering spirit, capable of harboring resentment and making efforts to resist violence and destruction for survival, conveying heartfelt messages to future generations.

Although most of Little Thanh's poetry has been burned, the remaining fragments are enough to evoke sympathy and sorrow for her. In the ancient feudal society, how many Little Thanhs existed? Sharing the same empathy and compassion as Nguyen Du, Dang Tran Con composed 'Chinh Phu Ngam' to reflect the suffering of women whose husbands went to war, condemning the wars that led to scenes of separation and death. The work encompasses the idea of demanding the right to live and the right to human happiness. Female scholar Doan Thi Diem translated from Han to Nom, skillfully conveying the content and artistry of the original.

The excerpt 'Lonely Scenes of the Military Wife' from verses 193 to 228 depicts the aftermath of the farewell, where the military wife returns, imagining the dangerous battlefield and feeling both sorrow and anxiety for her husband. Once again, she wonders why couples have to part ways? Why does she find herself in the unfortunate situation of caring for her elderly mother and foolish child alone? Why does she have a husband but endure a shadowless existence? This can be considered the passage that most vividly showcases the author's talent in depicting the character's psychology.

The husband has departed for war, leaving the young wife feeling strangely empty. Silently pacing the courtyard, she sows each step with loneliness weighing heavily on her. Her restless emotions leave her unsettled, anxiously waiting for good news that never arrives. For a year, she sits alone beside the lamp, the pain unshared with anyone:

Does the lamp understand and not tell?
My heart alone understands, that's enough.
Sorrowful, I speak, but there's no response,
The lamp's flowers, with the shadow of the loved one, I pity!
The rooster crows, the mist covers the rooster's cry,
The breeze flutters, enticing the shadow in all directions.
The clock ticks as if counting the ages,
The enduring sorrow stretches like a distant sea.

The evident resentment is palpable in every word, every sentence, even though the author never explicitly mentions the two words 'war':

Fragrance smolders, the confused melody captivates,
Mirror smolders, revealing the pearl's radiance.
Iron strings grip, plucking the harp's strings,
The delicate strings break, hindered by obstacles.

Iron strings, wedding vows, and melodious offerings symbolize the love between man and woman, the marital bond. Now, separated, everything becomes meaningless. It seems the military wife avoids touching anything as emotions lead to separation and the shattering of marital happiness. Her mentality is truly conflicted, detached, making life painful and restless. In anticipation, amidst fear and despair, she only knows how to send her longing with the wind:

Does this heart's message reach the winter wind?
A thousand gold pieces sent to the peaceful mountains.
Even though the peaceful mountains aren't reached,
Thinking of you deepens the path to the sky.
The sky's depth, far and incomprehensible,
The pain of missing you remains unresolved.
A scene of sadness deeply touches the heart.
Branches soaked in dew, the sound of insects in the rain.

That scene, that emotion itself speaks of the tragedy of women's inability to live happily in the old society, simultaneously reflecting the author's condemnation of war. Nguyen Gia Thieu's 'Cung oản ngâm khúc' is a lament of a talented and beautiful palace maid, initially favored by the king, but soon abandoned and forgotten. Confined within the palace walls, she pities her own fate and blames the heartless king.

Excerpt from the Sorrow and Resentment of the palace maid consists of 36 lines, from line 209 to 244 of the work. The poet describes the bitter and bitter feelings of the palace maid:

In the palace, the shadow silently fades,
Night after night, waiting eagerly.
What is the use of being a spring flower!
Playing with flowers, gradually losing their freshness.

In the lonely and desperate situation, she recalls her entry into the palace, her beauty as fresh as a newly blooming flower, fragrant and charming. But now, her status is no different from a withered and faded flower, forgotten and unloved. Reflecting on the bitterness of life, the pain, regret, and resentment accumulate over time, tormenting her mind and body. The palace maid is bitter and resentful at an illogical twist of fate: Suddenly, she becomes a widow, meaning she is no different from a destitute woman, ironically a destitute woman in the prime of her youth. Her emotions range from melancholy and sorrow to bitterness and anger. It seems she is sinking deeper into despair, quietly withdrawing into an internally tumultuous and agonizing life. She is sorrowful to the point of despair, weary to the point of numbness, and agonized to the point of heartbreak when facing the harsh reality of her fate.

Alone standing in grief, sitting in sorrow,
Already complained to the moon at the mourning flowers!
Sad every heartrending moment,
Tired of a hundred evenings, steps back into a trance.
This flower, why be so indifferent,
Letting its petals thin, letting its stamens wither and turn yellow!

The prolonged sadness beyond endurance, the palace maid indirectly blames the king, but no less fierce:

Night after night, leaning against the palace wall.
This sorrow, who finds it easy to endure?
To endure it is not to seek survival,
To endure it is with bitter grief, poison yet unmatched!

Finally, her dissatisfaction with the fate of beauty and misfortune, wanting to break free from the golden palace to return to a normal, simple, and happy life:

Moon's hand doesn't pluck, so be it!
Is plucking like this not awkward?
Awkward hand wants to cut the red thread,
Angry, wants to kick down the embroidery room and leave!

Poets with deep compassion have brought the image of women and their tragedies into literature for ages. Unfortunate fates like Thanh, Kieu, the military wife, the palace maid are just a few among millions of lives suffering under a feudal society full of strict constraints and severe prejudices against women. Reading the poems of these poets, we understand why we must eliminate that conservative, unjust, and backward society to protect the right to freedom and happiness for women and humanity as a whole.

2. Tragedy of women in feudal times through Doc Thanh Ky, Chinh Phu Nam, and Cung Oan Ngam Khuc, model 2:

When talking about the fate of Kieu, Nguyen Du painfully wrote:

'Painful for the fate of women
The saying that destiny is universal'

The ideology seems truly pessimistic, but it's a reality. Under the feudal system, women suffered a lot; they were victims of feudalistic thoughts. The idea of 'valuing men and despising women' is the deep-rooted cause of the tragic fate of women. Women had no right to decide their destiny, no access to education, and had to accept a dependent life. Sympathizing and understanding the pain of women's fate in the old society, ancient scholars recorded those tragedies through the lives of some women in the old feudal society. Each person has their own pain, but the most common pain is the misfortunes in love life.

Women are inherently sensitive. That alone is enough for them to endure more misfortune than men. Soft, sorrowful, emotional, and even exaggerated, it has always made women very sensitive to their misfortunes regardless of the society they live in. In the old society, when men had the right to have 'five wives and seven concubines,' the misfortunes that women had to bear were even greater. Women had to live in the situation of 'Sharing a husband is not easy for anyone,' they had to endure bitter and sad bitterness. The desire for complete marital happiness always tormented them. Poet Ho Xuan Huong - a woman full of courage - had to express her resentment when living in that regretful state:

'The one who quilts with cotton, the one who freezes
Cut for the fate of marrying together'

The scene of sharing a husband, the aristocratic jealousy of Hoan Thu pushed Thuy Kieu - Thuc Sinh into a miserable situation:

'In the same bridal chamber
People outside laugh, people inside cry silently'

Both Little Thanh in Nguyen Du's Solo Thanh Ki and the palace maid in Palace Resentment Song share the same pain. However, their tragedies are much more poignant. Little Thanh, with her beauty and virtue intact, had to endure the misery of marrying a man named Ho Phung, and she was tortured to death by her husband's first wife. As for the palace maids, who were supposed to be the country's beauties, they had to live in loneliness and sorrow for being forgotten by the king in the deep palace. They were all victims of the polygamous system.

Perception of the Tragedy of Women in Feudal Times through Solo Thanh Ki, Chinh Phu Ngam, and Palace Resentment Song

Luckier than Little Thanh and the palace maid, the military wife lived in the blissful years of passionate couplehood. However, her tragedy began with the war. She bid farewell to her husband with the hope that he would achieve military success and receive a noble title. The military wife had to wait for her husband in loneliness. The noble title was nowhere to be seen, and she had to wait tirelessly in solitude, silently watching her youth slip away in vain. The longing for marital happiness and the loneliness made the military wife realize that noble titles and fame are fleeting and meaningless. In the loneliness, the military wife in Chinh Phu Ngam by Dang Tran Con also felt similar to the military wife in Khue Oan by Vuong Xuong Linh:

'Suddenly sees the color of willow branches
Regretful, entrusting the dream to find the noble title'

(Suddenly sees the color of willow branches at the end of the road
Regrets letting her husband go to the army to search for the noble title)

The common tragedy of Little Thanh, the palace maid, and the military wife is also the tragedy of most women in the old society. It is the tragedy of incomplete marital happiness. When women are not allowed to determine their own happiness, they cannot have happiness, and if they do, it is very fragile. The happiness of women in the old society depends solely on luck:

Her body like raindrops fall
Drops on the palace, drops on the plowed fields

The tragedy of Little Thanh is the tragedy of a meager fate. In the polygamous system, the senior wife holds all the power, and if the husband is weak, the authority over life and death belongs to the senior wife or the most formidable woman among the wives. The other wives can only live in bitter resentment. Little Thanh, though talented and beautiful, died miserably under the jealous torment of the senior wife. Her tragic fate moved many to tears along with To Nhu:

'Makeup on the divine face, meeting death afterwards
Literature is fate, lingering pain remains'

Sensitive and sorrowful, women like Little Thanh often suffer greatly. To endure misery while sharing a husband is a tragedy in itself. Even in death, their poetic confessions are tortured and burned. Little Thanh's tragedy is the common tragedy of many women in the old society. They not only miss out on complete marital happiness but also endure the lonely and humiliating existence.

The tragedy of the palace maidens in the deep palace is no different. They must be young and beautiful to be selected into the palace to serve the king. In the deep palace, thousands of beauties have only one person to look forward to, the king. They must live in hope, in the weariness of waiting. But everything is very fragile. Some palace maidens spend their entire lives buried in the deep palace, never once seeing the king's face. When their hair turns gray or when they return to their hometown, they are still young girls. Some lucky ones may catch the king's attention a couple of times, but it doesn't make much difference. After that, it's a string of days living in agony, in weary anticipation, only to be torn apart by unfulfilled desires. Living the life of a palace maiden is not just lonely and pitiful; they also have to compete with each other using money, power, and cunning to get closer to the king. When they fall out of favor, in the deep palace, they only know how to live in despair, in loneliness, and sadness. It's truly heartbreaking when a young and vibrant girl becomes a lonely woman, uttering words full of resentment:

'Night after night leaning against the palace wall
This sadness, who allows us to kill each other
Killing each other without any residual desires
Killing each other with the poison of solitude'

The tragedy of the palace maidens demonstrates the inhumane nature of the feudal system. It robbed women of the right to live, to enjoy the happiness of a normal human being. The deep palace is a living tomb for many talented and beautiful women. It is also the battlefield for women. They compete and vie for a bit of happiness, a bit of attention from the common husband they share.

The palace maidens languish in loneliness due to their fate in the deep palace, while the waiting of the virtuous wife becomes wearisome as she anticipates her husband going to battle. Hoping her husband returns with the title of a marquis to honor the family name, but her waiting is in vain. The virtuous wife is alone in exhaustion. The desire for marital happiness has oppressed her. Her tragedy is precisely her loneliness. The virtuous wife departs without a promised return. The feudal wars have stolen her happiness and youth.