My Impressions of Thu's Character in Nguyen Quang Sang's 'The Ivory Comb'

Prompt: Reflecting on Thu's Character in Nguyen Quang Sang's 'The Ivory Comb'

Three Sample Essays: My Impressions of Thu in Nguyen Quang Sang's 'The Ivory Comb'

Sample Essay 1: My Impressions of Thu in Nguyen Quang Sang's 'The Ivory Comb'

Thu's portrayal as the central character in the story is depicted by the author with great subtlety and sensitivity. She is a girl rich in personality, stubborn, and courageous. Thu leaves a strong impression as a seemingly defiant and even frightening child, steadfastly refusing to address anyone as 'father,' or when she throws the egg given to her by Mr. Sau, ultimately leaving for her grandmother's house after he strikes her. Nguyen Quang Sang skillfully constructs numerous situations that challenge Thu's character, yet what surprises the reader is the consistency in her personality. Despite being threatened with punishment by her mother, cornered, or struck by Mr. Sau, Thu always reveals a resolute and strong-willed persona. Some argue that the author has somewhat exaggerated Thu's character, but I believe that this obstinate attitude is a beautiful manifestation of a child's affection for her beloved father. In Thu's mind, there is only the image of a father 'posing in a photo with mom.' This father, unlike Mr. Sau, is not made old by time but by the scar on his face. The scar, a mark of war, has deeply etched his facial features. Perhaps in the distant and challenging circumstances of war, it was too young to know the fierceness of bombs, bullets, the acrid smell of gunpowder, and the harshness of a soldier's life. That feeling is not simply the stubbornness of a spirited girl but rather a demonstration of determination, straightforwardness, a steadfast stance, revealing to some extent the resilient and determined character of the teacher reflecting later on.

Ultimately, despite her stubbornness, boldness, and depth of emotion, Thu remains just an 8-year-old child, with all the innocence and naivety of a child. The author shows a profound understanding of the child's psyche and vividly describes, with a loving and reverent heart, those invaluable thoughts and feelings. When her father strikes her, Thu 'grabs the chopsticks to put the fish into the bowl, then quietly stands up, walks away from the table.' Is Thu afraid that Mr. Sau will see the tears in her heart? Or does Thu vaguely realize her mistake? The series of subsequent actions 'That evening, she went down to the boat, got on board, untied the mooring ropes, tried to make the rope sound louder, made it rattle, then took the pole to swim across the river.' Thu left during dinner but made a noise to attract attention. Perhaps she wanted everyone at home to know she was about to leave, to rush out to comfort and coax her. There is a contrast in Thu's actions, between her toughness and maturity beyond her years, and on the other hand, the desire to be loved and comforted. While 'That evening, mom went over to coax them, but they still refused to come back,' Thu's stubborn and childish personality is depicted by the author as both familiar and subtle.

In the closing scene, when little Thu realizes her father, it's hard to deny that she's a child rich in emotion. The father-daughter bond within Thu, nurtured for so long, now surges forth in the moment when father and daughter must bid farewell. Who would have thought that a girl who hasn't seen her father since she was 1 year old would still cultivate such enduring and intense love for her father, even though he has never cradled her, pampered her, cared for her, or made her a toy since she began to acquaint herself with life. She has hardly any impression of her father, but surely she has imagined how her father might be skilled, tall, with wide arms to embrace her? The intense emotion within her prevents her from accepting another strange man as her father. When the day comes for Mr. Sau to leave, the once-strong girl seems 'abandoned. standing in the corner, leaning against the door, and just looking at everyone around her father, as if she longs for the warmth of family affection, she also wants to run back and hug her father tightly, but there is something blocking her throat, making her stand there, hoping her father will recognize her presence.' And when her father bids her goodbye, every emotion within little Thu suddenly wells up. She can no longer suppress her feelings as before; she suddenly shouts 'Dad...' while running forward like a squirrel, she leaps up and wraps her arms tightly around her father's neck. She kisses him all over. She kisses his hair, his neck, his shoulders, and even the long scar on her father's cheek. The call 'Dad' from the depths of little Thu's heart, the call her father has tried every means to force her to make for the past few days, the call of fatherhood is so close and intimate for the first time in her life as if she were a child just learning to speak, a call her father longed to hear once. So many dreams, so much longing, as if bursting out in a call for her father. That call not only makes her father cry but also carries a sacred value for her. For the first time, she vaguely feels the happiness of a child with a father. It's as if little Thu has grown up in her naive mind. The writer's pen affirms a character rich in emotion, strong-willed, resolute, yet still innocent, and naive: the character of little Thu.

Sample Essay 2: My Impressions of Thu in Nguyen Quang Sang's 'The Ivory Comb'

Nguyen Quang Sang's 'The Ivory Comb' has long been hailed in literary circles. It impresses with the way the author constructs the plot, develops the character system. The work reaches a pinnacle in the theme of fatherhood - a subject not explored by many writers. Throughout the work is a tear-jerking story between Mr. Sau and little Thu - his daughter. The story in the work would be incomplete without the character of Mr. Sau and would not reach its climax without little Thu. If we say that the whole work is a body, then little Thu is the soul in that body.

Little Thu is a child who has endured so much pain from war, evoking deep sympathy and compassion. And little Thu also represents the image of children living in such cruel war conditions. Thu was born not yet a year old when she had to be separated from her father. At that time, she was too young to be aware that this was her father, to be able to remember her father's image in her mind. It is for this reason that even at 8 years old, Thu only knows Mr. Sau's face through a photo taken with her mother. Thu's childhood is a childhood lived without a father's love. Even though at home, her mother can perform all the tasks of a man well, the position of a father in Thu's tender heart is still ambiguous. She has not truly had a sincere view of her father. Living without a father means that Thu has gone through a very unhappy childhood, very lacking in fatherly love. From a young age until she was 8 years old, all Thu had was a burning desire, a longing to meet her father. But unfortunately, when her father returns, bringing back scars on his face from the battlefield that make her unable to recognize him as her father. The man with these scars is not like the father Thu has been looking forward to for 8 years, and that is also why Thu does not recognize her father. Unfortunately, war has caused Mr. Sau to endure physical pain, but what is that pain compared to the fact that his only daughter refuses to acknowledge him? The moment Thu calls 'father,' everything seems to stop and then erupts in her tearful voice. It's as if heaven wants to play with human emotions, when Thu recognizes her father, it is also the moment Mr. Sau has to go to the battlefield to perform his duty, so the hurried, tearful call of little Thu is also the last call her father can hear. That meeting is also the last time father and daughter can reunite. Truly, little Thu is deprived, lacking so much, but the love that a child should have enjoyed.

Despite living in the emotional deprivation of her father, she shines with a beauty that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Little Thu is a spirited, stubborn child with a very strong personality. When she first meets Mr. Sau, Thu is stunned, frightened, unable to recognize her father. She screams in fear 'Mom! Mom!' and then runs away. No matter how hard Mr. Sau tries to get closer to her during his days at home, Thu always finds a way to push him away. Even though Mr. Sau puts Thu in the most difficult situations, she still stubbornly refuses to call him father. During the three days off, Thu always shows opposition to Mr. Sau, and the climax is when Mr. Sau picks up a big golden fish egg to put in Thu's bowl, and she uses chopsticks to throw the egg out of the bowl, scattering the whole meal. At this point, Mr. Sau's anger suddenly erupts, without thinking, he slaps Thu's bottom, expecting Thu to cry. But no, once again Thu's stubborn, stubborn nature emerges, she puts down the bowl of rice, runs to the pier, jumps on the boat, even deliberately waves the oars loudly to let Mr. Sau know. That evening, no matter how Thu's grandmother persuaded her, she still didn't come back. From this, we can see the deep and intense love of Thu for her father, when she doesn't know the reason for the scar, she still adamantly refuses to acknowledge her father. Because in Thu's heart, there is only one father, the one who took a picture with her mother, that is the father she longed for, waited for, revered, and respected. This makes the reader even more pitiful, an 8-year-old girl who has never met her father once, only knows her father through a rough photo, and then when she finally meets her father, she does not recognize that is her father she has been longing for. When her grandmother explained the scar on her face, Thu's father-daughter love suddenly surged. The moment of farewell, Thu suddenly exclaimed 'Dad...d...d...' The sacred call of fatherhood, devoid of emotions, just to call for her own father that Thu has suppressed for 8 years. Now it can be uttered. The call breaks the silence of everyone, breaks the pain of Mr. Sau, sounds so pitiful, along with the father's call tearing their hearts, are the hurried actions somewhat fearful. Thu is afraid her father has to go to the battlefield and can't come back. Thu wants Mr. Sau to stay at home with her. The deep kisses of affection that Thu gives to her father somewhat soothe the things she has done for 3 days to her revered father. All the memories, the feelings of the past 8 years between father and daughter seem to be encapsulated in this moment, in this detail. Although Thu is stubborn, stubborn, she is still just an innocent child, not recognizing her father because he is different from the photo taken with her mother because Mr. Sau has a scar on his face. Truly, somewhere in Thu is still very childish, when saying goodbye to Mr. Sau, Thu asked him to buy her a comb, that is a promise that Mr. Sau will come back, but Mr. Sau couldn't fulfill that promise.

Through the work, we also remember Thu as a patriotic, deeply resentful girl. Because of her love for her country, when she grows up, Thu also becomes a brave teacher, following the path that Mr. Sau has chosen, the path of saving the country... Becoming a teacher is also for her father, for the many loves for her father, wanting to drive away the enemy to avenge her father.

Sample Essay 3: My Impressions of Thu in Nguyen Quang Sang's 'The Ivory Comb'

A rebellious, headstrong little Thu. An intelligent, courageous teacher. That's all I admire and admire about Thu. These qualities have been beautifully and touchingly written by author Nguyen Quang Sang in the short story 'The Ivory Comb.' The story, every time I read it, evokes the most intense emotions within me.

Since childhood, Thu has not been pampered by her father, not embraced and cherished like other children, but in Thu's innocent heart, the image of her beloved father is still deeply imprinted through the photos he took. Father - it is a long chain of memories that never fade in Thu's mind. Yet, the little girl refuses to acknowledge her father when he returns home. Despite Mr. Sau's attempts to be affectionate, Thu remains indifferent, treating him as a stranger. The tense situations make me read on eagerly, and my emotions, like Uncle Ba's, believe that Thu will have to give in, have to call Mr. Sau 'Father.' But no, Thu's stubbornness, her determination, becomes clearer towards the end of the story.

She steadfastly refuses to acknowledge her father. She acts indifferently towards Mr. Sau: she splashes the fish egg he picked up, causing the whole meal to be ruined, Mr. Sau hits Thu, yet she doesn't cry, quietly goes to her grandmother's house. She's sulking, evidenced by her deliberately waving the rope loudly. It's clear how stubborn Thu is. I still wonder: Why is Thu so obstinate, not believing that he is her father when both Uncle Ba and her mother - the people Thu trusts the most - affirm that he is Thu's father. Those questions led me to continue reading the story. When her grandmother explains her father's scar, Thu tosses and turns, sighs on the bed like an adult. Surely Thu must have thought a lot, regretted a lot. It was then that I realized: Thu doesn't accept her father just because of a scar. Isn't that reason too childish? I don't blame Thu because I understand Thu's stubbornness, not accepting her father is only because Thu loves him so much, Thu doesn't think he's her father. She just wants to reserve her feelings for her beloved father whose image still deeply resonates in her little heart. That's the pinnacle of love. Thu's feelings for her father are so deep, so touching, aren't they? When she suddenly realizes it, it's too late, Mr. Sau has to leave everyone for the battlefield.

It's surprising, at that moment the father-daughter relationship seems to awaken, the beloved 'father' that Thu can only utter now. The endearing 'father' seemed to tear the silence, tear everyone's heart. Thu seemed unable to hold back, clinging to her father and kissing his cheek, kissing the scar that once scared her. Reading up to this point, I am deeply moved to the point of choking. That emotion seems like a fire burning in Thu's soul, now she loves her father more than ever. Now little Thu is obedient, unlike the stubborn Thu before! Once again, Thu has to be away from her father. In a moment, Thu has grown up, and suddenly there is news that her father has passed away. Painful to the extreme, she asks her mother to go into mourning. Thu wants to avenge her father. Thu's feelings for her father are so warm, so sacred. During the resistance war against America, To Huu wrote:

Bare swords refusing to live kneeling
Green age does not regret a penny of silver hair
Classmates before fathers, classmates after
Enough to become comrades sharing the fate of soldiers

The poetic verses praising the youth are truly magnificent! Today I encounter that heroic spirit in the very liaison teacher - little Thu from the past. Nguyen Quang Sang wrote: She has a sharp nose to distinguish between Westerners and impostors. Is it true? Or is he just admiring her intelligence and then speaking and writing that way? As for me, I not only admire her for her intelligence but also for her courage, her love for the Fatherland. When Uncle Ba met her and handed her the ivory comb left by his deceased father, Thu's eyes widened, more moved, her chest heaving. I understand Thu is very moved, very happy, tears overflowing her eyes. Thu cried, Thu cried because she was so surprised. Knowing Uncle Ba lied, but I believe Thu doesn't blame him and sees him as a second father, a father who has brought her the joy she has been seeking for ten years.

The more I read the work, the more adorable it is to see how innocent and stubborn little Thu is, a courageous, intelligent liaison teacher. And touching is the warm, deep father-child relationship of two generations walking on a revolutionary path together.

Furthermore, Expressing my thoughts on the character of Mr. Sau in the short story 'The Ivory Comb' by writer Nguyen Quang Sang is an important lesson in the 9th grade Literature curriculum that students need to pay special attention to.

In addition to the content we've studied, students need to prepare for the upcoming lesson on Appreciating the father-child relationship through the short story 'The Ivory Comb' to master their 9th grade Literature knowledge.