Expressing opinions on the concept: Literature...some are worth worshiping, some are not worthy

Essay Prompt: In a letter discussing literature, Nguyen Van Sieu wrote: 'Literature (...) some are worth worshiping, some are not. The unworthy type focuses only on literature. The worthy type focuses on humans.' Express your opinion on the above concept.

Sharing thoughts on the perspective: Literature...some types deserve reverence, some do not

I. Outline Sharing thoughts on the perspective: Literature...some types deserve reverence, some do not

1. Introduction

- Introduce a quote by Nguyen Van Sieu.

2. Body

a. Concept of literature:
- Introduce some famous definitions of literature, summarizing that literature cannot be defined in just a few words.

b. Nguyen Van Sieu's perspective on worship-worthy and non-worship-worthy literature:
- Worship-worthy literature must be valuable, meaningful, and deserving of respect. Non-worship-worthy literature lacks significance, doesn't contribute to positive values, or play a role in the development of national literature.
- Worship-worthy literature focuses on humans, placing them at the center, embracing profound human values.
- Non-worship-worthy literature focuses solely on literary aspects, detached from human life, lacking in humanistic value.
=> Affirming the correctness of Nguyen Van Sieu's statement.

c. Discussion:

* Worthy Literature:
- Worthy literature is dedicated to focusing on humanity, revolving around human life, creating art from the ordinary and mundane, forming a precious, authentic art form.
+ Establish a theoretical foundation based on authors, works, the relationship between the work and reality, and its significance to prove the above point.

* Unworthy Literature:
- Criticize literature that is merely superficial, lacking persuasive content, devoid of value, and does not contribute to human and societal development.
- Provide evidence to support this viewpoint.

* Worship-worthy literature requires not only substance but also unique, creative artistic form.
- Creativity in construction and the systematic nature of works define an artist's style, creating distinct values for each piece.
- Connect with authors and their works.

3. Conclusion

Share thoughts on Nguyen Van Sieu's perspective.

II. Sample essay Expressing opinions on the concept: Literature...some types deserve reverence, some do not

In the last century, under the changing circumstances of the country, new, modern ideologies gradually replaced outdated, feudal thoughts. This was the result of the swift introduction of bourgeois and proletarian cultural influences, a global progress that quickly surpassed the medieval feudal culture due to its sluggishness and regional nature. This sparked intense and heated debates among artists about the new and the old, notably the emergence of the New Poetry movement that rocked Vietnamese literature from 1932-1941, featuring renowned authors such as Xuan Dieu, Huy Can, Che Lan Vien, Han Mac Tu, Nguyen Binh, etc. The struggle extended beyond artistic styles; during this period, there was also an unyielding literary battle between two schools of thought: 'art for human life' led by Hai Trieu and 'art for art's sake' initiated by Hoai Thanh. This debate lasted for a relatively long time (1935-1939). However, the complex and challenging nature of literary ideological debates made it difficult to determine winners or losers until the success of the revolution when Marxist-Leninist ideologies infiltrated the people's consciousness, officially affirming that the 'art for human life' perspective was correct, and the 'art for art's sake' perspective was a mistake, hindering the development of national literature and being detrimental to the revolution. Recognizing the correctness of literature over hundreds of years, even before the literary battle occurred, Nguyen Van Sieu wrote in a discussion letter about literature: 'Literature has types worth worshiping and types not worth worshiping. The type not worth worshiping is the type solely focused on literature. The worthy type is the one focused on human beings.'

What is literature? According to Professor Nguyen Dang Manh, 'Literature is a form of artistic thought expressed through human language,' or according to S. Langer, 'Literature is the creative expression of symbolic forms of human emotions.' Alternatively, literature can be described in a broader sense as 'Literary works are the spiritual organism of individuals and society.' In conclusion, one can never fully define literature with just a few sentences because literature is not a trivial concept; it is the synthesis of many ideologies and consciousness from all over the world. Everyone can have their own perspective on literature, but no one can assert that theirs is the only and correct viewpoint.

Discussing literature, let's explore what worthy and unworthy literature means according to Nguyen Van Sieu. 'Worship' here implies reverence, in the sense of admiration, respect, and cherishing something precious, with significant meaning. Worthy literature can be understood as works that have value, deserving respect and adoration. Conversely, unworthy literature, in my opinion, lacks meaningful content, does not contribute to beneficial values, and plays no role in the development of the nation's literature. Nguyen Van Sieu emphasizes the worthiness of literature focused on humans, aligning with the concept of 'art for human life.' Unworthy literature, in this context, targets abstract art, solely concentrating on literature without offering humanistic values or serving the spiritual life of individuals. This perspective by Nguyen Van Sieu is entirely accurate and suitable for the current national context, a country of the people, by the people, for the people, with Marxist-Leninist and Ho Chi Minh ideologies. Even Hoai Thanh, the leader of the 'art for art's sake' school, expressed a sincere and vehement attitude, stating, 'The art for art's sake faction stubbornly refuses to accept that title... However, their attitude is essentially a non-political attitude. Still, without politics, what significance does 'non-political' hold? Therefore, calling them the 'art for art's sake' faction is appropriate.' Not only due to the national context or any forced ideology, but I also believe that art, originating from the human mind and soul, must first be 'selfish' for humans, not anything else. As M. Gorky said, 'Literature is humanity,' and it should be.

Worthy literature is literature dedicated to focusing on humans, revolving around human life, creating art from the ordinary and mundane, forming a precious, authentic art form. It does not need to be meticulously crafted or select only perfect elements because literature, when written for ordinary people to read, should at least be understandable and relatable to be valuable. As the writer Nam Cao once said, 'Oh, art doesn't have to be a deceitful moon; it shouldn't be a deceitful moon. Art can only be the cry of pain, emerging from the mistakes of life. Writers should not escape from art but stand in hardship, opening their souls to embrace the echoes of life.' Literature, when centered around humans, depicting the fate of individuals and the country in different historical periods, becomes incredibly valuable. The masterpiece 'Tale of Kieu' by the great poet Nguyen Du is a timeless classic in Vietnamese literature. The essence of the work lies in the humanitarian heart of the author towards the unfortunate fate of beauty in the old society. It denounces the injustice and tyranny of the feudal regime. Moreover, by focusing on people, Nguyen Du was able to portray the beauty of Vietnamese women through Thuy Kieu's character. Rarely has any work achieved such deep humanistic content and values, delving profoundly into the hearts of readers as 'Tale of Kieu' has done for Vietnamese literature. Looking back, even the realist writers before the revolution increasingly recognized the role and position of 'art for human life' works. Society's harsh reality, cruelty of the ruling class, and decadence of the upper class were vividly depicted in Tô Hoài's 'A Phu's Husband' and Vũ Trọng Phụng's 'Dumb Luck.' They also highlighted the misery of people at the bottom of the old society in Nam Cao's works, showcasing the tragic loss of life and humanity in characters like Chí Phèo or the horrendous famine of 1945 in 'The Wife Picks Over.' These works served as profound lessons on 'art for art's sake.' Even many realist writers before the revolution began to realize the role and position of works that are 'art for human life.' They saw a society of absolute power and cruelty through Tô Hoài's 'A Phu's Husband,' a terrifying and decadent upper class in Vũ Trọng Phụng's 'Red Dices.' They also witnessed the suffering of people in the lower class of the old society in Nam Cao's works, portraying the tragic fate of those who wanted to soar high but were oppressed by their circumstances in 'The Surplus Life.'

Is literature worthy of worship limited to reflecting societal realities? Certainly not, as per Thach Lam's perspective, literature is not a means to provide readers with escapism or forgetfulness. On the contrary, literature is a noble and influential realm that we possess to both condemn and transform a deceitful and cruel world, making human hearts cleaner and richer. Literature exposes and records what happens in human society like an emotional diary. Simultaneously, it ultimately aims to change the world of humanity, which is precisely what worthy literature is currently doing and has done excellently. From 'Tale of Kieu' to 'Dumb Luck,' 'Chí Phèo,' 'The Surplus Life,' 'The Wife Picks Over,' 'Worn-out Life,' 'Old Hạc,'... and many other works all share a single goal: to change this unjust society, urging and opening new perspectives and ideas in the human soul, guiding people towards revolution for a better future. Worthy literature goes beyond that; it must 'evoke feelings we haven't trained, but innate feelings.' It must focus on building character, morality, and the human soul, encompassing family bonds, love for homeland, nation, tolerance, compassion, and more. Works by Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ho Chi Minh, and authors writing about resistance such as To Huu, To Hoai, Nguyen Khoa Diem, Nguyen Dinh Thi, Nguyen Trung Thanh, Nguyen Thi,... all excel in addressing these issues.

The above are some perspectives on literature worthy of worship. As for literature not worthy of worship, in reality, I think it's merely literature meant for enjoyment without additional meaning. Authors do not center on humans but prefer specific perfect standards to refine their works. However, the consequence of excessive concern for appearance is often empty content and lack of persuasion. After reading once, people may find it good, praising it for its beautiful writing, good language, or smooth narrative rhythm. However, they never talk about the content because, realistically, there's nothing to say. A work that does not make people ponder, reflect, or realize something has little value. During the ideological battle with the Tự Lực Văn Đoàn group, Vu Trong Phung once expressed his viewpoint: 'You want novels to be just novels. I and writers with the same direction as me want novels to be life truths.' Anything beyond the reach of humans is often not captivating or relevant because it does not evoke genuine emotions or inner resonances. Vu Trong Phung and many writers understood this well. For instance, in 'Nine-Story Tower,' although not a literary work, I want to use it as an example for people to understand how harmful the 'art for art's sake' can be. Its starting point is the ideal of the main character, the ideal of a perfect architectural work 'durable as the moon and stars,' capable of 'competing with Western chemistry' to make 'our people proud.' However, the blinded 'art for art's sake' of Vu Trong Phung made the splendid castle increasingly distant from the people, a magnificent architecture rising from the bones, sweat, and poverty of the people, albeit beautiful, holds no significance. The ultimate destruction of Vu Trong Phung and the castle is also the consequence of the 'art for art's sake' ideology.

Nguyen Van Sieu, while denying that literature solely focuses on literature, emphasizing form, a worthy literary work, with its artistic form, cannot be ordinary. Many writers may write about the same theme, but it's the artistic elements, creativity in construction, and the work's structure that define an artist's style, creating unique values for each piece. For example, Nguyen Du, with his descriptive poetic style, excellent use of the 'lục bát' poetic form, created the timeless classic 'Tale of Kieu,' both in content and form, delving deep into the reader's soul. Thach Lam, with a storytelling style that does not rely on plot, became a sophisticated writer with keen observational and inner character description. Or Vu Trong Phung, with a sarcastic, uncompromising writing style; Nam Cao, with a simple, authentic, and poignant writing style; Nguyen Khoa Diem, with profound philosophical thoughts intertwined with folk cultural elements; or Xuân Diệu's passionate, enthusiastic writing; Huy Cận's fervor... All writers and poets make their works uniquely attractive in very personal ways, not depending on any mold. That is genuine literature, literature worthy of worship.

Literature has always been an integral part of the human spiritual life, shaping the worldview, philosophy, and values of humanity. It serves as a valuable and emotionally rich diary, documenting societal changes. However, not every literary work can effectively fulfill this role. Ultimately, literature is meant to serve humanity. Therefore, literature worth cherishing is composed of works that focus on life, directing towards humanity. These works satisfy both profound human values and the beautiful, distinct artistic values of each piece.

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Expressing opinions on the concept: Literature...worthy and unworthy is the second topic of essay number 5 in Language Arts 12. To excel in this essay, students can refer to:  Express your perspective on the opinion of the French writer, Phap La Bo-ruy-e: 'When a work elevates our spirit and evokes noble and courageous feelings without needing any principle to evaluate it: it is a good book created by an artist'. The unworthy type focuses solely on literature, while the worthy type concentrates on humanity'. Express your opinion on the above concept, the famous French writer, Buy-phong, stated: 'Style is essentially human.' How do you interpret this opinion?, Vietnamese literature after the August 1945 Revolution is characterized as 'Mainly inclined towards epic and romantic inspiration.' Express your views on the above assertion. Why can it be said that genuine literature has the ability to humanize people? Connect literary reality.