Express your thoughts on the character Mr. Hai in the story Village by Kim Lân.

Prompt: Express your thoughts on the character Mr. Hai in the story Village by Kim Lân.

Thoughts on the character Mr. Hai in the story Village by Kim Lân
 

1. Express your thoughts on the character Mr. Hai in the story Village, sample #1:

Kim Lân is a writer deeply acquainted with the lives of rural farmers in northern Vietnam. All of his stories revolve around the experiences and activities of farmers. The story 'Village' was written by Kim Lân during the early stages of the resistance against the French and was published in the Văn nghệ magazine in 1948. The main character is Mr. Hai from the Dau market village. The author successfully depicts Mr. Hai's emotional turmoil upon hearing rumors of his village joining the enemy. Through this, the author aims to praise his patriotic spirit, as well as that of the Vietnamese people in general.
 
Mr. Hai is very proud of his Dau market village. When forced to evacuate, he repeatedly recalls to those around him the revolutionary atmosphere of his village: 'Even the elderly with gray hair and beards would pick up sticks to practice...'. Thus, throughout the evening, the old man would sit and reminisce about his village endlessly. He spoke for his own pleasure and to ease his homesickness, paying no attention to whether others were listening or not. After moments of arduous work, lying with his hands on his forehead, he would think about his village. He simply wanted to return, to 'dig roads, build embankments, dig ditches, and carry stones with everyone...'. Because of his intense love and pride for his village, he 'choked back tears, his face numb', 'fell silent as if unable to breathe' upon hearing the news that his entire village was siding with the enemy! Initially, he couldn't believe it, asking repeatedly, his voice trembling: 'Is it true? When someone insists that from the village chief downwards they're all 'Viet gian'... then Mr. Hai can't bear to hear anymore. He bangs the drum and leaves straight away. The words of a woman nursing a child echo in his ears: 'These traitors who steal and rob when hungry, are pitied if caught stealing. But those like Viet gian who betray the nation deserve a single blow each!'... Those words cut into him like knives, his heart constricting. Countless questions tore at him. Enraged, he clenched his fists and shouted: 'They may eat stolen food or whatever they like, but how dare they betray this nation!'... Then he thought again 'Could it be that those in the village have really stooped to this?' Mr. Hai evaluates each person in his mind. No, they are all spirited individuals. He's torn. Half-belief, half-doubt.

Present your thoughts on the character Mr. Hai in the story Village by Kim Lân
 
That night, Mr. Hai couldn't sleep. 'He turned from one side to the other, sighing.' When the landlady asserted that the villagers wouldn't tolerate anyone sympathizing with the Viet gian, the old man fell silent. Countless dark, horrifying thoughts raced through his mind, and he contemplated returning to the village. Just as he began to entertain the idea, he immediately objected: 'Why return to that village? They've all gone over to the West, going back to the village means abandoning the resistance.' Thinking so, tears welled in his eyes. Remembering the past - the dark, lamentable times - he was 'shaken'... Just that detail. Kim Lân allows the reader to understand Mr. Hai's feelings towards the Revolution, towards the country. If he didn't love his country, didn't trust in the Revolution, why would he be so overwhelmed, so anguished? And it was precisely because of that that he rejoiced when he learned that those rumors were just blatant lies. He went to find Mr. Thứ to clear things up: 'It's the rumor that the Dau market village is siding with the Viet gian. All lies! All lies!' He kept repeating, Mr. Hai even gestured to everyone with that news... And that evening, he went to Mr. Thứ's house again, sat on the bamboo bed, and talked about his village... Kim Lân chose a rather unique situation. The expression of the writer's patriotism also has its own distinct characteristics, unlike any other writer of the time.
 
It can be said that 'Village' is a quite remarkable short story. Its greatest artistic success lies in its ability to depict the psychological development of characters. The passage where Mr. Hai hears rumors of his village siding with the Viet gian demonstrated Kim Lân's talent in portraying character psychology. Through analyzing the character of Mr. Hai, we can see that the author wants to praise the love for the homeland, the love for the country, and the revolutionary consciousness of the gentle, straightforward farmers. It is precisely because of their love for the homeland and the country, their revolutionary consciousness that they wholeheartedly follow the Party, the Revolution, stand up to fight for the right to live, and maintain the nation's independence and autonomy against all difficulties and challenges.

2. Express your thoughts on the character Mr. Hai in the story Village, sample #2:

Kim Lân is a writer known for his prowess in writing short stories with themes centered around farmers. The short story 'Village' was written in 1948 during the early stages of the resistance against the French colonialists. The story depicts the admirable qualities of Mr. Hai, with his fervent love for the village, unwavering trust in the Party and the revolution, and a sense of dignity that values the honor of the village over material possessions.

Reading the short story 'Village,' readers are deeply impressed by the character of Mr. Hai, a gentle, diligent, hardworking, straightforward person with a fierce love for the Dau market village. When war broke out, he had to evacuate, 'evacuation is also resistance.' He remembered the village, boasting about its beauty and prosperity: tiled houses packed together. He was happy, proud, and dignified about the village. He even boasted about the birth of the governor's son without realizing the governor was his enemy. The revolutionary light illuminated Mr. Hai's dark life to discern who the enemy was so he wouldn't boast about it anymore. He had participated in building resistance works: digging roads, embankments, trenches... strenuous work but he participated with enthusiasm, joy, and responsibility. Mr. Hai's love for the village is not only expressed in words but also in specific actions, showing that the farmers are ready to defend the homeland. His love for the village blended into his love for the country. Mr. Hai's habit is to go to the information room to rejoice when hearing about our army's victory, even if it's small, with the thought 'small victories lead to big successes, making the Westerners retreat early.' These thoughts of farmers about the enemy were simple but they also demonstrate the certain success of the revolution. That is the new ideological awareness of Mr. Hai when illuminated by the revolutionary light.

Essay expressing thoughts on the character Mr. Hai in the story Village by Kim Lân selection
 

The writer cleverly inserted unexpected situations into the story, pushed to a climax when the character revealed a series of psychological developments. The news that the Dau market village was siding with the West was like 'a cold splash of water,' extinguishing the long-burning flame of love for the village in Mr. Hai's heart. The sudden, unexpected news made him dizzy, 'as if unable to breathe,' thinking he misheard. But then hearing the names of people and villages made Mr. Hai feel ashamed. The phrase 'Ha, it's sunny, let's go home!' gave him an excuse to avoid others and head home. The writer's pen focuses on describing Mr. Hai's image walking on the road with a hurried demeanor, a bowed head because of feeling ashamed, humiliated. Tears fell when he saw his child, with the thought: 'Are they also looked down upon, despised?' 'Who are they. who are they doing business with.' The internal monologue combined with the rhetorical question expresses Mr. Hai's worries for his child, for the people of the Dau market village. And then all the worries and humiliations turned into furious curses aimed at the Viet gian. The two words Viet gian became a stigma, an indelible shame in Mr. Hai's heart that made everyone hate. In that moment of pain, Mr. Hai turned to those who stayed in the village with firm belief 'they are determined to live and die with the enemy,' but then the news that the Dau market village was siding with the West made him doubt 'No fire, how can there be smoke.' He had intended to return to the village but then didn't 'The village is truly loved, but the village siding with the West must be avenged.' As someone who once loved the village fervently, now saying revenge must have caused Mr. Hai immense pain. The writer's pen focuses on describing the psychological developments of the character, vividly portraying Mr. Hai's profile of shame, humiliation, pain, anger when hearing about the village siding with the West.
 
To ease his pain, he talked to his child 'Do you want to return to the Dau market village? Who do you support?' And the father received the answer 'I want to return to the village. I support Uncle Ho Chi Minh forever.' The dialogue is short, revolving around the Dau market village. It can be said that the conversation is just an excuse for Mr. Hai to express his inner feelings, although speaking of avenging the village, in his heart, he still misses and wants to return to the village. Even though there were times when that love changed, the belief in Uncle Ho remains steadfast and sacred, never changing. That is the new shift in the ideological awareness, emotions of Mr. Hai or of the farmers in the early days of resistance against the French. It can be said that since hearing that the Dau market village was siding with the West, Mr. Hai has lived in dark, stagnant days of despair. The writer's pen describes the psychological developments of the writer as delving deeply into the character's inner world when feeling ashamed, humiliated, in pain, angry.