My Impressions on the Excerpt from The Ivory Comb

Prompt: My Impressions on the Excerpt from The Ivory Comb

My Reflection on The Ivory Comb Excerpt
 

I. Outline My Reflection on The Ivory Comb Excerpt

1. Introduction

- Brief overview of author Nguyễn Quang Sáng and writing style.
- Insight into the context and content of The Ivory Comb.

2. Body:

* Title:
- It embodies Thu's dreams and symbolizes Mr. Sau's profound father-daughter bond with her from her birth to his sacrifice.
- It's the last keepsake Mr. Sau left for his daughter, also deeply etching the pain that war left in every family, the loss, the sorrow, the division...(Continued)

>> View the Detailed Outline My Reflection on The Ivory Comb Excerpt here.

II. Sample Essay My Reflection on The Ivory Comb Excerpt
 

1. My Impressions on The Ivory Comb Excerpt, Sample 1 (Standard)

Nguyễn Quang Sáng - a writer born, raised, and primarily active on the battlefields of the South, with a simple, rustic writing style imbued with the essence of the Mekong Delta, his writings about life, people in this place during the two fierce resistance wars of the nation and in the post-war years have always left a deep impression on readers. The short story 'The Ivory Comb' - a touching story about father and daughter, born in 1966, is one of his most outstanding works.

Firstly, the short story 'The Ivory Comb' has constructed two remarkable plot situations, leaving a profound mark on readers. The first situation depicted is the emotional reunion of father and daughter, Mr. Sau, after eight long years of separation, but ironically, Thu refuses to acknowledge her father. By the time Thu realizes, Mr. Sau has to return to his unit. Additionally, the story also builds another unique situation, that is when Mr. Sau, stationed at the base, pours all his love into making a comb for Thu but before he could give it to her, he sacrifices himself. In his dying moments, he instructs his comrade to pass the comb he made to his daughter. Thus, it can be seen that the work has constructed two unique and meaningful plot situations. These are dramatic situations with many unexpected elements, thereby expressing deep, intimate father-daughter emotions. Moreover, the characters placed in dire situations have revealed their personalities and father-child emotions, thereby the author has affirmed the sacred, noble, and powerful nature of father-child love.

The Best Essays My Impressions on The Ivory Comb Excerpt

Besides crafting remarkable story situations, the short story 'The Ivory Comb' also develops unique characters, foremost among them being the character of Thu. Thu is a girl with a profound love for her father, eight long years of separation, she always yearns to reunite with her father, and then the day she has always dreamed of arrives. One would think Thu would be overjoyed, would run into her father's arms to hug and kiss him, but everything turns out completely different. Upon hearing her father's call, and when she finally meets him, she looks at him with wide eyes as if she cannot understand what is happening, then hastily runs to find her mother. During the short three days at home, despite Mr. Sau's lavishing her with love, care, and pampering, Thu still adamantly refuses to call him father, whenever she needs to speak with Mr. Sau, she always speaks grumpily. And even in the most difficult times like having to scoop water for a pot of rice, Thu still struggles, trying to do it herself. Especially during meals, when Mr. Sau picks out fish eggs for Thu, she flicks them away, causing rice to scatter. Because of this, Thu was scolded by Mr. Sau, but the child did not cry but went to her grandmother's house. Thu refused to accept her father just because there was a scar on Mr. Sau's face, different from the image she had seen for eight years. Then, when her grandmother explained everything to her, Thu understood everything. The next morning, Thu returned home, which was also the time Mr. Sau had to say goodbye to everyone to return to his unit. At this moment, Thu's attitude towards Mr. Sau changed completely, no longer stubborn, but now only a face of 'sadness', 'the girl's deep eyes suddenly stirred' when she caught the affectionate and sad look of her father. Then, when Mr. Sau said goodbye to everyone, Thu called out to her father - a heartbreaking call, a call of love, of longing, of waiting that she had been hiding within herself for eight years. She clung tightly to her father, kissed him many times, and even kissed the scar. She wished her father would stay with her at home instead of leaving. And when parting with her father, Thu wished her father would buy her an ivory comb, to always feel her father and his love beside her. Thus, it can be seen, Thu is a disobedient child but very rich in love and affection for her father.

Along with the character of Thu, the character of Mr. Sau also leaves a deep impression on readers. Returning to his homeland, his family after eight years of long separation, the day of return, the longing makes Mr. Sau deeply moved. That emotional moment of Mr. Sau was expressed by the author through poignant images, sentences 'cannot wait for the boat to reach the shore, he jumps up, pushes the boat out... hastily takes long strides.' Then, when he returned home, faced with his daughter's attitude, he fell into a painful state 'he stood still there, the pain made his face sad, his hands dropped down as if broken'. In the few short days at home, he did not go far but always stayed close, tried every way, patiently waiting for Thu's change, waiting for Thu to call him father. And when the child recognized him, it was also the time he had to leave his child, leave his family, his homeland, the deep father-child relationship was also the time the author expressed his deep emotions 'holding back emotions and not wanting his child to see him cry, one hand hugging his child, one hand pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his tears, then kissing his child's hair.' The tears of Mr. Sau are not only tears of emotion but also tears of great happiness, they well up from his deep love for his child.

Parting with his child, Mr. Sau carried with him the promise to buy his child an ivory comb back to the battlefield. Then, when returning to the battlefield, he always regretted and felt remorseful for punishing his child. And furthermore, he poured all his love for his child and his longing into making an ivory comb for his child. He carefully and meticulously carved each tooth, he 'diligently' engraved each word: 'Love remember to give to Thu, daughter of father'. Every time he missed his child, he took out the comb to admire and ran it over his own hair to make the comb shinier. Mr. Sau poured all his feelings for his child into making the ivory comb, that comb was the crystallization of longing, of deep love that he gave to Thu. Mr. Sau's deep love for his child is also clearly shown through the detail of Mr. Sau's sacrifice. In the last few scarce moments of his life, Mr. Sau asked his comrade to pass the ivory comb to Thu. And then, later, that comb was handed to Thu, which shows that the father-child love never dies, never disappears but becomes a support for Thu to grow up and mature.

In summary, the short story 'The Ivory Comb' by Nguyen Quang Sang has left a deep impression on readers of all generations not only because of its unique story situations, captivating storytelling art but above all because of the boundless warmth of the noble father-child affection in the midst of the fierce and harsh war.

2. Reflection on the excerpt 'The Ivory Comb', model 2 (Standard):

Nguyen Quang Sang (1932-2014), one of the famous authors who grew up in the two resistance wars against the French and the Americans, was once a soldier participating in battles in both North and South Vietnam, so his works always bear the breath of the era. In over half a century of fighting and writing, he left behind a large number of works that were no less than those of his contemporaries. Before 1975, his works mainly focused on the theme of soldiers with the losses and pains in battle, with a simple, rustic tone, deeply imbued with the essence of the people of the South. He created his own style of writing that could not be mistaken for any other writer. 'The Ivory Comb' is not his first work, but it is the work that propelled Nguyen Quang Sang's name to prominence compared to contemporary authors. When reading the short story, we can understand that the cruelty and brutality of war are not just about bombings and bloodshed on the battlefield, but it also seeps into the rear, infiltrates into the family space, cuts into the hearts of every person with invisible but enduring wounds. It can be said that 'The Ivory Comb' is a work with a fresh perspective on pain and the tragedies of war from a different aspect, a more brutal aspect of war.

The title 'The Ivory Comb' is a very important detail in the work, it is the dream of Thu and it also symbolizes the deep father-daughter relationship of Mr. Sau with Thu from the time she was alive until his sacrifice. He still regretted not being able to meet his daughter again to personally give her the comb that he meticulously carved and crafted with all his heart, with all the love he had pent up, including regret and remorse for punishing her the first time they met, which was also the last time. The image of the ivory comb is also the last keepsake that Mr. Sau left for his daughter, while also deeply engraving the pain that the war left in every family, the loss, the pain, the separation, all that remains is a vague image of a father and an ivory comb carved with all the longing.

Reflection on the excerpt 'The Ivory Comb', selected literature

The entire story revolves around two unfortunate and painful situations: first, Mr. Sau's long-awaited visit home after eight years of separation, hoping to meet his beloved daughter whom he had been away from since she was less than a year old, only to be bitterly disappointed when she refuses to see him, avoiding and fearing him like a stranger, leaving him heartbroken and bewildered, even resorting to anger and hitting her. The second situation is equally tragic; after Thu understands that her father looks different from the picture she remembered, she returns to accept him, but it's also when Mr. Sau must return to his unit. The brief encounter leaves both father and daughter with indescribable memories and emotions, yet it's also a poignant moment as it marks the last time they see each other. War has forever taken Mr. Sau away, leaving Thu only an ivory comb as a memento.

Regarding the character of Thu, she is portrayed during the brief three-day reunion with her father after eight years of separation, in the confined space of Mr. Sau's home. Initially, one would expect the meeting to be filled with joy and overflowing happiness after eight years of longing, but contrary to expectations, Thu displays an unusual attitude. While Mr. Sau is deeply moved, she is surprised, wide-eyed with fear, and then flees in panic, calling for her mother's help. Throughout the three miraculous days when Mr. Sau tries to pour out all his emotions to compensate for eight years of separation, hoping that the girl would open her heart to accept him as her father, Thu, on the contrary, remains cold, distant, even exhibiting rebellious behavior, adamantly refusing to acknowledge him as her father. This is evident through many details in the story, such as Thu refusing to address Mr. Sau as her father, opting to speak bluntly, and the climax being when Thu accidentally spills the bowl of rice when Mr. Sau picks out the fish eggs for her. This incident unleashes all the pent-up pain and sorrow that Mr. Sau has endured for so long, leading him to strike Thu and yell, 'Why are you so stubborn?' One would hope that Thu would understand, would show fear, but her defiant nature prompts her to dash to her grandmother's house for refuge, determined not to accept Mr. Sau as her father. Fortunately, this very journey of the girl turns out to be the turning point in Thu's heart. It turns out that Thu doesn't hate her father, doesn't feel indifferent, or stubbornly disobedient, but rather because she loves her father too much. The young, unscarred face of the man in the photograph that her mother often showed her. Now, encountering a man with a hideous scar across his face, she cannot recognize him and cannot bring herself to call him 'father' simply because she remains loyal to the man in the photo, believing that Mr. Sau is not her biological father. This detail wrenches the hearts of readers, revealing what war has left in the heart of a child, a pitiful father. It's not just a scar on the face; it's a scar in the family's emotions. The author's depiction of Thu's unusual attitude vividly portrays the cruel irony that war has inflicted on every individual, not just the endurance of soldiers on the battlefield but also the agony and suffering of civilians in the rear, especially emotionally deprived children like Thu. It also showcases Thu's distinctive personality traits, innocent yet rebellious, strong-willed, and deeply loving toward her father. The way Thu rejects Mr. Sau's affection also serves as a way for her to express her deep love for her father, intensely intimate. When she finally realizes, regrets, and returns home to meet her father, it's a moment of both anguish and relief. Her prolonged cry of 'father' echoes 'like a tearing, tearing the silence and tearing the guts of everyone' with immense sorrow. At this moment, all the feelings towards the father that she has longed for eight years seem to burst out completely in her call, each hurried kiss she gives to her father as if trying to express all the feelings she has held, her hair standing on end with excitement, perhaps no moment more emotionally charged. And it's clear that the girl's actions go beyond just boundless affection for Mr. Sau but also invisible fear; perhaps she sensed that this trip of Mr. Sau's is a one-way journey, so she doesn't want him to leave even for a moment, she just wants him to stay home with her. Eight years of separation have left her with too much deep-seated longing. The detail of the girl bidding farewell to her father with the wish for him to buy her an ivory comb shows that she wants a keepsake from her father to always feel his presence, while also serving as a bond between Thu and Mr. Sau. Her words, her wish, are the motivation for Mr. Sau to fight valiantly, to soon return and give his beloved daughter the ivory comb she has always longed for. Especially, the detail of the ivory comb seems to erase all the eight years of separation, blur the hideous scar, leaving only the deep-seated love between the ordinary father-daughter pair in the family. It can be said that Thu's emotional transformation once again highlights her deep affection for Mr. Sau, revealing the image of a girl who, despite being headstrong and rebellious, actually harbors a profound, heartfelt longing for her father.

The image of Mr. Sau emerges through two segments spanning from his home to the battlefield, encompassing a considerable period during which he seems to embrace all the feelings and affection of Thu. After 8 years apart, he returns home to meet his beloved daughter with indescribable joy and emotion, only to find her treating him as a stranger, usurping her father's place, and even when cornered, she still resolutely opposes him, resisting all the care and affection he has poured out over 8 years to compensate for her. This makes Mr. Sau, a man who has struggled for years in the painful battlefield, more miserable than being wounded by bombs and bullets outside the front lines. His resolute face sometimes 'looks pitiful,' and 'his hands drop down as if broken,' must be suffering, sorrow, disappointment to such an extent that even a man who has endured bombs and bullets can't help but laugh to cover up his overwhelming pain. The pain and suffering that are hard to bear often make people easily angry, and Mr. Sau made a mistake when he blamed Thu, a mistake that haunted him until his last breath. It can be said that the war has brought deep tragedies to both Mr. Sau and Thu, the reunion, thought to be happy, turned into a tormenting agony over the course of 3 days, just when happiness seemed to burst, it was also the time Mr. Sau had to go far away, never to return. When he returned to the battlefield, the tragedy still tortured him, he missed his daughter to the point of agony, plus the regret, for hitting his daughter once, hurting her, made Mr. Sau constantly remorseful. Only when he started making the ivory comb with all his heart, meticulousness, and boundless love, did Mr. Sau gradually alleviate his regret and his love for his daughter became even deeper. Even in the face of sacrifice, though gasping, he only remembered Thu, his beloved daughter, and her comrades' eyes carrying the ivory comb back to her became the most remarkable and touching moment in the story of the father-daughter relationship between Mr. Sau and Thu after their reunion.

Nguyen Quang Sang's ivory comb is an extremely touching story about the special family affection, especially the father-daughter relationship between Mr. Sau and Thu during the harsh resistance war against the French and initial American aggression. From there, it gives readers a new perspective on the destruction, fierceness of war, not only destroying the country, taking away human lives, not only the people in the frontline enduring hardships, sacrificing blood and bones, but more importantly, it is the cause of family separation, leaving people with pain, holes in their hearts that can never be filled by anything else.

3. Reflection on the excerpt from the ivory comb, model 3:

The father-son relationship is an extremely sacred and noble emotion. If maternal love is the 'calm water' gentle and soft, then the father's love for his children is the 'Mount Everest,' grand, powerful, enduring, and long-lasting. With that insight, Nguyen Quang Sang wrote the work 'The Ivory Comb,' a short story that deeply touches people's hearts about the relationship between Mr. Sau and Thu in the harsh circumstances of war. In just a few days, Mr. Sau's visit home, the short excerpt from the story has drawn many tears, empathizing with the father-child relationship, the deep-seated familial love that cannot be compared, and especially Thu's enduring affection for her father.

Created in 1966, when the author was both a writer and a soldier in the Southern battlefield, the work is set in a rural area of rivers and streams. Mr. Sau, a seasoned soldier, had the opportunity to visit his family during a few days of leave. Temporarily away from the chaos of bombs and gunfire, he returned to his wife and daughter, Thu. But tragically, his daughter, whom he had only met once, refused to acknowledge him as her father, even rudely rejecting him. In such circumstances, readers not only witness the intense bond between father and daughter but also shed tears of compassion for the incredibly difficult, laborious life of the revolutionary period. Thu's affection for her father, Mr. Sau's love for his daughter, is not spoken, but every thought, every gesture of the characters, demonstrates that the sacred father-child relationship cannot be eroded by war but rather, those divisions, those pains, affirm the strength of family ties.

Readers are easily impressed by little Thu, who is both mischievous, lively, stubborn, and deeply affectionate towards her father. Living with her mother while her father fights far from home, she only sees his face through a small photo of the two of them together. In Thu's memory, her father is always the man in the picture, a brave soldier according to her grandmother's stories. Her affection for her father naturally grows, and she longs to see him, to see him in real life as if stepping out of a portrait. Therefore, when faced with Mr. Sau, now with a long scar on his face from battles outside the battlefield, little Thu is extremely frightened and confused. For her, her father does not have a long scar 'turning red, twitching' whenever he's emotional, so when she sees Mr. Sau claiming to be her father, she flatly refuses and rejects him. Her innocence, naivety, yet also conservatism, make readers both laugh and feel bitter. Laughing because of the resolute, steel-like childish character that absolutely refuses to call a stranger father, sad because of sympathizing with Mr. Sau's pain when his child refuses to acknowledge him, sad because of the circumstances of war that have torn apart such deep, affectionate father-daughter bonds.

After the unexpected meeting, Mr. Sau understands his child's emotional deprivation, so he tries even harder to take care of Thu, to find ways to be closer to her. But the more he tries, the more Thu rejects him.

My thoughts on the excerpt from Nguyen Quang Sang's Ivory Comb

In a difficult situation, when tasked by her mother to ladle rice water, because the pot was too big to lift down, everyone thought little Thu had to call her father, Mr. Sau, for help. But no, after a scrutinizing look, came the empty words: 'The rice is boiled, ladle the water!' Even when Mr. Sau didn't help to make little Thu call out for her father, she accepted taking the ladle to scoop out the water, 'mumbling something indistinct' without even opening her mouth to acknowledge Mr. Sau as her father. Asked by her mother to call her father for dinner, little Thu also blurted out 'Come to eat rice!', 'The rice is cooked!'. Those seemingly indifferent words could be offensive, but deep within them lies trust, is little Thu's love for her father. She believes that her father must be the man in the photo, and the man sitting in the house with the frightening scar is not her father. So, no matter what, she refuses to call him. That intense emotion is heightened through the detail of little Thu tipping over the rice bowl when Mr. Sau handed her a fish egg. Thu 'put the chopsticks in the bowl, then suddenly spilled the fish egg, rice splattered all over the table'. After being spanked and scolded by Mr. Sau, little Thu didn't cry or shout but 'sat quietly, head bowed down', 'took the chopsticks, scooped the fish egg back into the bowl, then silently stood up, stepped away from the table' and went to her grandmother's house, not forgetting to 'make a loud noise with the bamboo basket'. The mental struggle of an eight-year-old girl makes readers tremble slightly. A little girl with such a strong, brave character. Receiving care from someone who claims to be her father, she is neither timid nor does she confide, asking her mother why that stranger is at their house and yet refuses to open her heart. In her mind, her father is only one, and no matter how well someone treats her, they can never replace the familiar figure she sees in the blurry old photograph. The word 'father' is lofty and sacred, and she won't easily give it to anyone else. Her actions are not unruly or detestable but, on the contrary, very humane and compassionate. A willful but understanding girl, she respects emotions and loves her father so much, but now when father and daughter meet again, it's also when Mr. Sau has to return to his unit. The call of the heart, the filial love may be late but truly intense and precious.

The affection of little Thu towards her father brought tears to many readers in the final details of the story, when Mr. Sau was preparing to return to the combat zone. After a night at her grandmother's, being explained to and told stories, little Thu 'tossed and turned', 'sighed like an adult from time to time'. Perhaps she was blaming herself, why didn't she ask her mother, ask her grandmother about the scar on her father's face, why was she stubborn, causing her father pain, why didn't she call out 'father' as soon as Mr. Sau returned. Regret leads to concrete actions, the decisive action of an innocent, pure-hearted girl. Arriving home, seeing so many people, her mother busy preparing to pack, little Thu 'stood in the corner of the house', 'leaned against the door', her face 'saddened, the sadness on her innocent face', looking at her father 'with deep contemplation'. Hearing Mr. Sau's last words, little Thu suddenly 'shouted out' the word 'Fa...t...her!', full of emotion, like 'breaking the silence', the word 'father' suppressed for so many years, the word 'father' bursting out. The stubborn girl who was just so defiant yesterday is now 'stretching out both arms to hold her father tightly', 'speaking amidst tears', 'kissing his hair, his neck', 'kissing his shoulders', and 'even kissing the long scar on her father's cheek'. The silent affection nurtured over the past eight years has been revealed. Between father and daughter, there are no more bombs, no more distances that can separate them. Not wanting her father to leave, little Thu uses both hands, both feet to 'cling to her father', saying in a tearful voice, 'Don't let father go anymore! Father stays home with me!'. A pure and sincere affection, a completely different attitude from the willful little Thu, the girl who loves her father so much, cares so much, but now when father and daughter get to meet again, it's also when Mr. Sau has to return to his unit. The call of the heart, the filial love may be late but truly intense and precious.

Throughout her childhood lacking her father's love, little Thu only harbored a longing to see her father, bone and flesh. Not recognizing Mr. Sau as her father was also because he didn't look like the father she imagined, until understanding everything, how bitter and poignant her heart's cry 'father' was. War has torn apart countless families, wives losing husbands, mothers losing children, children losing fathers... that pain is fully depicted through little Thu's emotions. She doesn't dare to hope for the day when father and daughter can go out together in peaceful scenes, little Thu calling her father amidst tears, witnessed by the familiar neighbors. That great affection may never fade in the hearts of readers. From the call, the cry to the profound, stirring gaze of little Thu will always linger, like powerful evidence for the enduring and firm father-child bond amidst those who share the same bloodline.