Lecture on 'The Distant Boat'

Lecture on Nguyễn Minh Châu's 'The Distant Boat'

Sample Essay: Lecture on Nguyễn Minh Châu's 'The Distant Boat'

I. Outline Lecture on Nguyễn Minh Châu's 'The Distant Boat'

1. Introduction

Introduction to the author and the work

2. Body

- Context of creation
- Paradoxical, perplexing situations:
+ Firstly, the paradox between life and art
+ Secondly, the paradox between the picturesque, romantic nature and the impoverished post-war life
+ Thirdly, the paradox between the beautiful, poetic nature and the soulless beauty: Amidst the idyllic natural scenery unfolds scenes of family violence.

- Message from paradoxes:
+ Artists should never forget life's paradoxes. Art is not just in picturesque beauty but also in the rugged reality.
+ Art must be connected to life, reflecting life even in its hidden corners.
+ Artists must live closely, bond to understand life, the essence of humanity deeply.
- First-person narrative as the subject, the storyteller aligns with the character
-->  the narrator, consistently present throughout the events on a timeline, creates the coherence of the narrative in the text structure.

3. Conclusion

Presenting the General Conclusion
 

II. Sample Essay: Lecture on Nguyễn Minh Châu's 'The Distant Boat'

'The Distant Boat' falls into the category of a discourse story, where Nguyễn Minh Châu addresses the relationship between literature and life.

Through the story of a photographer's journey to the coastal region of Central Vietnam for artistic photography, with a plot full of unexpected situations and a diverse character system, the author explores the authenticity of the artist, highlighting the close relationship between literature and reality as well as the intricate challenges of life, including the tragic fate of humanity.

Firstly, it's crucial to place this short story within the general creative inspiration of Nguyễn Minh Châu in the early 80s of the previous century, characterized by discourse inspiration. This is evident in a series of stories such as 'The Painting,' 'The Woman on the Express Train,' 'Fragrance and Fade,' 'Homeland Wharf,' 'Guests from the Countryside,' 'Mother and Sister Hằng,' 'Living Forever with Green Trees,' 'Land of Love,' 'A Contradictory Encounter,' 'The Distant Boat,' exhibiting a discursive nature where the author challenges outdated, conservative beliefs about humanity, life, and art. Even Nguyễn Minh Châu himself, during his lifetime, expressed that he didn't like 'some stories with a moralistic nature that are too explicit' (1). 'The Distant Boat' also reflects this in certain sentences, for example: 'I wonder who first discovered that beauty is morality? In a moment of confusion, I thought I had just discovered the truth of perfection, discovered the moment in the soul's part.' These are just a few hints revealing the author's didactic purpose, without affecting the main theme of the work, which is the discourse on the relationship between the truth of art and life. This discourse inspiration dominates 'The Distant Boat' and 'A Contradictory Encounter': artists must look closely, delve into what seems beautiful, harmonious to recognize its essence, thereby having a higher, more profound responsibility to life and humanity.

The story was completed in August 1983, meaning in the years before the renewal campaign (starting from 1986). In the early 80s of the 20th century, our country faced a severe economic crisis. The reality demanded appropriate new mechanisms to replace the outdated bureaucratic mechanisms, even changing the approach to ideological subsidies. From a literary perspective, stories like 'The Distant Boat' by Nguyễn Minh Châu are a sign of innovation in literature, from topics and characters to writing style. Therefore, the author is highly praised, being 'the one who perceived earliest, deepest, into the life-and-death urgent demand of that stormy period, which we now call the renewal campaign' (2), 'a phenomenon of new literature' (3)... Placing 'The Distant Boat' in the context of the pre-renewal years, we can clearly see the pioneering position of the writer in innovating the country's literature.

Due to the characteristics of the short story genre - concise details, condensed substance, the plot often unfolding in a limited time and space to portray a phenomenon, discover an essential aspect of life - short story authors pay great attention to creating situations. Analyzing and teaching a short story, we should also focus on this factor. From a theoretical perspective, situations play a role in revealing relationships, social positions, and character traits, expressing the theme of the work. 'The Distant Boat' has created a paradoxical, perplexing, and ironic situation. As a story with a discursive nature, with a philosophical theme, the characters in the story are also ideological characters, not character personalities. Therefore, the central point of analyzing this short story should delve deeper into the aspect of the situation. Thanks to this situation, the ideological nature of the work is clearly expressed.

It can be tentatively classified into the following situation groups:

Firstly, the paradox between life and art. An entire community of photographers, over 'a few months,' has captured 'hundreds of exquisite photos, taken with precision...,' praised by the Head of Department as 'profound individuals, also full of innovation,' evaluating them as 'beautiful both in reality... and, most importantly, they possess a soul. Indeed, these are artistic photos.' However, it's precisely this intelligent Head who 'cannot select enough for twelve months, still lacking one sheet.' It turns out that no matter how much effort, dedication, time, heart, and intellect artists invest, they can't meet life's demands. An artist is never satisfied and must always consider the purpose of art to be always ahead and strive. This can be considered the first artistic message from the writer.

Secondly, the paradox between the beauty of romantic nature and the depiction of war inking. That coastal stretch, over six hundred kilometers from Hanoi, seen by Phùng - a photographic artist looking through the eyes of a professional, is 'truly romantic,' 'serene and fresh like autumn flesh...,' yet it has 'tank yards left by the deceptive armored forces on the escape route during the 'seventh month of the year of the cat'' (now, after almost ten years, they have been somewhat corroded by water and rusted)...' In my opinion, this detail serves at least three artistic purposes. First, it reminds the artist never to forget the paradox of life. Art is not only in romantic beauty but also in the gritty, spiky reality on the other side. Second, to prevent readers from being misled as if it were a signal gradually leading readers to the main theme represented in more intense, tense paradoxical situations. This can be considered a psychological measure inviting readers to follow the unfolding developments of the story. Third, it subtly reminds readers of the background of the story's birth during a not-too-distant war (note a small detail 'after almost ten years'). Since war always accompanies loss and suffering, war drawings, in both material and spiritual aspects, still persist enduringly. Therefore, the bad, inhumane aspects mentioned later in the story are nothing unusual. What we need is to gradually erase war drawings, heal the scars of the pain left by war. This is also a hidden message that needs to be explored more deeply.

Thirdly, the paradox between the idyllic, romantically beautiful nature and the soulless beauty. We temporarily define 'beauty' as a concept with a high idealistic nature to avoid entanglement in the boundary of this concept's definition. In real life and literature, there exists beauty with a soul and soulless beauty. Firstly, Phùng does not choose the 'scene of people pushing a boat into the water' because this 'scene of boat pushing, full of joyful atmosphere... truly majestic,' is somewhat 'rough.' Secondly, Phùng also cannot choose the scene of 'boat fishing casting nets at the breaking dawn' because that is a 'dead scene' that has been overly exploited by many. Thirdly, Phùng avoids the scene of 'The East has turned bright. Half of the sky has already sunk all the stars. The shell-shaped clouds gradually turn pink, while the sea, although already bright, even those standing on the shore see every fold and ripple on the gray-dyed steel surface.' Yet, this scene 'how dull it is, the sound of waves rushing into sleep all night has disappeared somewhere, the sea is silent and colorless, like a giant jellyfish dragged onto the shore.' It's only on the fourth attempt that Phùng decides to press the shutter to capture '... a few boat noses and a cross-scene of nets filled with droplets, each net eye will be a note in the symphony of light and darkness, symbolizing the sunrise as a brilliant glow, in that brightness will appear in the distance the lines of the body of a woman bending, extending her arms forward to lift the net from the water surface, and behind the woman, the image of a fisherman and a child standing straight on the boat's bow, using the whole body as a lever to lift the two net poles straight to the sky.'

Indeed, a scene of beauty with a soul, robust, pure, bright, and cheerful!

That is a truly harmonious scene in terms of imagery and color. The painter has skillfully blended colors with both light and shadow, both close-ups and panoramic views, 'art in fiction' in literary works with paintings and 'literature with music' in literature with music (each net eye will be a musical note). It encompasses both nature and scenes of human labor, objective scenes, and the subjective aspect of the subject (dazzling).

To achieve this scene, Phùng had to decide four times. Art is like that, it requires skill, exploration, patience, and, ironically, art is not only about gaining but also about being 'given by heaven.' Phùng himself pondered on this: '... if it weren't for the clever arrangement of randomness, then with all the talent, I would only... capture lifeless photos.'

Fourthly, the paradox between the 'supreme beauty of the external scene' and scenes of human toil, hardship, and pain. It wasn't until the fifth time that Phùng was 'given a heavenly scene': '... The boat's nose creates a blurry outline into the milky white mist with a hint of pink tint from the sun. Several figures, both adults and children, sit still like statues on the curved bow, facing the shore. All that scene seen through the net eyes and the net panel between two poles appears under a shape similar to a bat's wing, the entire scene from the lines to the light is harmonious and beautiful, a real, simple, and complete beauty that makes me perplexed, with something tightening in my heart.'

There must be strong writing, a deep understanding of painting, a sensitivity to beauty to describe this 'supreme beauty,' 'complete,' piece of writing. The first sentence is an aspiration, a common perception of 'a painting in Chinese ink...' The subsequent sentences are specific images with the boat drifting in the misty dew, several figures including both adults and children, and then the net eyes and the net panel... The scene is truly surreal (the misty dew is white as milk), pure, and pristine (pink tint from the sun), both still (silent and still) and lively (facing the shore). Adjectives like blurry, pink tint, still like statues, curved, and silent enhance the dreaminess, seeming both real and unreal. The subtle comparisons like white as milk, still like statues, similar to a bat's wing, deepen the visual artistry of the painting. It seems that words are helpless before beauty; the painter is forced to involve the subjective 'self' in the 'appreciation process': '... standing in front of it, I become confused, something seems to tighten in my heart?' Adding more 'color' to that painting of mood.

However, astonishingly, the most beautiful and soulful scene conceals the most harmful and heartbreaking aspects!

That's the harsh scolding from the fisherman: 'Move an inch, and I'll kill you now.'

It's a 'familiar figure of a coastal woman, tall with rough features. Wrinkled face. A tired face after a night of netting, pale and seemingly sleepy...'

It's a man with 'hair like a crow's nest... legs moving in a chaotic dance... eyebrows scorched by the sun drooping over two eyes full of fierceness...'

Not finished, next is the scene of brutal beating, inhumane and chilling: 'The old man immediately became fierce, his face flushed, he pulled out a belt from his old military uniform... without a word, he unleashed his anger like a burning fire by using the belt to relentlessly strike the back of the woman, panting and grinding his teeth fiercely...'

Alas! The desire to seek beauty to make humanity more beautiful is admirable, but the artist must be awake to recognize the harsh reality of life. This is also a warning for everyone: be alert to beauty. Any beauty can hide complex things contrary to human happiness. This ironic situation in The Far Shore Boat has dispelled the romantic smoke covering that beautiful image to reveal the cruelty of everyday life. The artist not only perceives the romantic beauty outside but also has to see the brutal torment of that old fisherman. This is a lesson, a responsibility, and the conscience of art.

From the character's perspective, we also see the writer using the principle of irony, contrast in building characters: good and bad intertwined, intertwined with each other. That ugly, rough woman seems incredibly patient and enduring on the outside, enduring 'three days of light skirmishes, five days of heavy battles' but still refuses to 'leave' the brutal husband. Because, as the pitiful mother explained, she has a boundless sacrifice '... the women on our boat need a man to row against the storm, to make a living to raise children so that every family has a dozen or so...' The women on our boat have to live for their children, not for themselves.' On the other hand, that man is not entirely bad. Why did the old man become so cruel? According to the old man's wife, he was 'a very good boy, very gentle, never violent...' in the past. Still according to his wife, it was because he was 'miserable' for making a living to feed his children. Then hungry, when 'God made the sea turbulent every month, the whole family, husband, wife, and children all ate boiled cactus with a pinch of salt...' Sooner or later, he was still a laborer, moreover, the main laborer, earning a living with his blood, sweat, and tears to feed more than ten mouths. The old man beats his wife to release the burdens. Let's notice when beating his wife, the old man also suffers 'With every blow, he curses with a moaning voice of pain.' The old man is not a warmonger, not a person who likes to fight and beat others, because Phung also affirms 'the old man hits me completely for self-defense.' As for Phac, the curious child (meticulously explaining the life of those types of birds to me), early laborer, innocently playing with 'me' as a close friend, and very affectionate to his mother... Besides those qualities in him, there is also a hidden dangerous thug nature: ready to wield a knife to stab his father to save his mother. It quickly became aware of revenge by using violence to prevent violence.

Thus, the characters in The Far Shore Boat are structured with all their complexity, not entirely bad nor entirely good. Ultimately, the old husband is both the perpetrator of the painful scene for his wife, for his offspring, and also the victim of the still dark, miserable life. The wife is both a victim and a perpetrator, and according to the woman's words, it is because of 'a fault... that the women on the boat gave birth too much.' Phac is also the same, both a victim of the gangster's habit and also a perpetrator inciting the gangster habit, and it itself also has an early thug nature. These characters do not have the depth of character development and psychological development processes, but it has served well the function of expressing the theme of the work.

A highly successful aspect of the short story is the choice of the narrative perspective. The author gives the narrative perspective to Phung, the character and storyteller – an optimal choice. Phung recounts the story firsthand, directly witnessing and participating in the events (talking to Phac – the son, confronting the husband to shield the woman, listening to the wife's sincere words), making the narrative feel genuine, as it is the narrator's own story. This narrative technique is broadly conceptualized as 'character-narrator dramatization' (4). The storyteller plays the role of a character, immersing into the events, directly engaging in the plot developments, and then narrates it to the readers; this creates a narrative closeness to real-life truth. Moreover, Phung is an experienced individual, rich in life experiences (having spent ten years wielding a gun against enemies, now working as a photographer, traveling extensively, and interacting with many people), so the narrative contains philosophical elements, such as 'in life, everything is the same; humans are inherently lazy, sometimes we should let ourselves fall into situations that force us to act; otherwise, we might not achieve anything.' To believe and absorb this philosophy, the reader needs someone like Phung, a person with Phung's profession. Furthermore, being a photographer, Phung naturally infuses professional elements into the narrative. Therefore, the prose here is filled with poetic and sentimental qualities, as well as a pronounced artistic and cinematic essence, which is easily understandable. The artistic techniques in the narrative also clearly bear the imprint of the profession, exemplified by a simile describing a fisherman: 'His broad and curved back resembled a boat.'

'The wide and curved back like a boat'

'The yellowish hair with patches of red resembles a large tangled net'

'The truly black eyes remind me of the eyes drawn on the nose of a boat'

The lecture on Nguyễn Minh Châu's masterpiece 'The Distant Boat' has provided the students with fundamental insights into the author, highlighting the distinctive elements of the content and artistic expression in the short story. In addition, to gain deeper perspectives on the work, students may refer to: My Impressions of the Fisherwoman in 'The Distant Boat', Appreciating the Veiled Beauty of the Fisherwoman in 'The Distant Boat', Analysis of 'The Distant Boat', Analyzing the Symbolism of the Distant Boat at Mytour.