My reflections on the father-child relationship during war through the text 'The Ivory Comb' by Nguyen Quang Sang

Prompt: Reflect on the father-child relationship during war through the text 'The Ivory Comb' by Nguyen Quang Sang

3 exemplary essays Reflecting on my thoughts about the father-child relationship during war through the text 'The Ivory Comb' by Nguyen Quang Sang

1. My reflections on the father-child relationship during war through the text 'The Ivory Comb' by Nguyen Quang Sang, Sample 1:

I have shed tears over the poignant and noble father-child emotions... The father, burdened with the heaviest load in life, with countless unappreciated merits, remains uncovered even by the expansive skies. Never think that filial love is not sacred and noble, not warm and beautiful like maternal love. If anyone harbors such thoughts, they will undoubtedly have a different perspective on the parent-child relationship through the short story 'The Ivory Comb,' skillfully portrayed by the writer Nguyen Quang Sang, featuring the impressive and subtle character of Thu, and above all, the profound, sacred, and beautiful father-child bond amid the harsh circumstances of war.

The story revolves around Mr. Six, a soldier far from home who visits his daughter after 8 years. Little Thu does not recognize her father because the scar on his face makes him different from the image she had known, so she treats him as a stranger and is quite cold. When she realizes that Mr. Six is her father and the father-child relationship suddenly surges within her, that is also the moment Mr. Six has to leave. At the base, remembering the promise to his daughter, Mr. Six poured all his love and longing for his daughter into the ivory comb that he painstakingly crafted, with each tooth carefully carved for the ivory comb with only one missing row of teeth, or the humpback, adorned with the words 'Love, remember to give to Thu, my daughter' on the comb's spine, to give to his beloved daughter. Unfortunately, in a fierce battle with the American - pseudo troops, Mr. Six sacrificed himself. Before closing his eyes, he managed to hand the ivory comb to his close friend Uncle Ba, the storyteller.

Thu, the central character in the story, is vividly and sensitively portrayed by the author. Despite being a strong-willed, spirited, and courageous girl, Thu is also rich in emotions. Her attitude contrasts sharply with the days when Mr. Six returned home and when he was about to leave, yet remains consistent. Perhaps due to excessive love and longing for her father, when she denies him, she refuses to accept Mr. Six, refuses to call him 'dad' even once. She remains stubborn because in her mind, there is only the image of her father in the photo she sees every day, not the appearance of the current Mr. Six. The father is not recognized by the child because the scar on his face distorts his face too much... Yet, this scar is an unwanted mark of the brutal war that Thu is too young to perceive and understand—the intensity of bombs and bullets, the pungency of gunpowder, the hardship and struggle in the harsh conditions of war that soldiers must endure... But it is precisely from that determination, straightforwardness, courage, and firm stance that somewhat reflects the image of a brave and determined girl later on.

Reflecting on my thoughts about the father-child relationship during war through the text 'The Ivory Comb'

The author demonstrates a profound understanding of children's psychology, treating their thoughts and priceless emotions with utmost respect and love. Thu, a strong and rebellious girl, still remains an 8-year-old child with all the innocence, naivety, and loveliness. When scolded by Mr. Six for her stubbornness, it is surprising that she quietly folds the fish eggs into the bowl, then stands up and walks away from the table, seemingly afraid that Mr. Six will see the tears in her heart. 'Down to the river, she jumps into the boat, making the oars rattle, making a lot of noise, then takes a swim across the river with a beam', in a series of actions, there seems to be a contrast between maturity and toughness, yet on the other hand, she wants to be loved and cared for. From this, it is clear that her innocent and childish stubbornness has been realistically and intimately portrayed through many details.

And then, when it realized Mr. Six was its father, recognized its own fault, it's hard for others to deny that it is an emotionally rich little girl. Who would have thought that a child separated from its father since it was less than a year old, then 8 long years passed inadvertently, and yet it always nurtured and harbored an intense love for its dear father. That love defeated time, even the distance between father and child that those years had created. The affection for a father of an 8-year-old child, overflowing and sharp like that! Although the beloved father has not brought to it the tenderness, care, or a warm and loving hand to nurture and protect it. Only those simple things Mr. Six has not been able to do, so dreaming of making a toy for it, telling it a story, or sharing joys and sorrows since it came into this world, all are too distant for it. It seems to have no memories or impressions of its father, but surely, there have been many times it imagined how capable and tall its father was, and how he had wide, warm arms to embrace it. Its intense love prevented it from accepting the man with the scar on his face. Until the day Mr. Six had to leave, the stubborn and tough child of the day before seemed 'abandoned', 'standing in the corner of the house, standing against the wall, just watching everyone surrounding its father.' It was perhaps the moment it longed for the warmth of family, it wanted Mr. Six to recognize its presence at that moment, it wanted to run back and hug its father a lot, but for some reason, something held it back and made it stand still. At the moment of farewell, Mr. Six looked over and greeted it with a soft voice, 'Alright! Listen to Dad!' Strange, why just a mere farewell in those four words? Why didn't he give advice or convey something to it? Perhaps the indifference it showed to Mr. Six made him disappointed and hurt so much? Then when its cry screamed, 'Dad...d...dad!', 'its cry seemed to tear the silence and tear everyone's hearts, sounding so heartbreaking.' By then, everyone realized that it wanted to be called 'dad' so much. The 'dad' it shouted with choked sobs, the 'dad' it suppressed after many years of separation, sounded so sacred! It was a cry that broke out from its heart, 'it ran and hugged its father's neck with two hands,' 'it kissed its father everywhere. It kissed the hair, the neck, the shoulders, and even the long scar on its father's cheek.' All of that demonstrated an intense love to the highest climax of a child for its father, making everyone around unable to hold back tears before such a poignant scene. It further demonstrated Thu's profound love for its father. It only revealed its deep love for its father when it was sure it was him.

3. Reflection on Father-Child Relationship in War through Nguyen Quang Sang's Text 'The Ivory Comb,' Model Number 3:

Nguyen Quang Sang hails from An Giang, and he predominantly writes about life and people in the Southern region. 'The Ivory Comb' stands as one of his exemplary works. Through the artful creation of unexpected yet natural and reasonable situations, the story profoundly depicts the poignant and noble father-child relationship of Mr. Sau amidst the harsh realities of war.

During the war, people endure numerous losses, hardships, and sacrifices in terms of family bonds. Mr. Sau left home to join the resistance when his eldest daughter was just one year old. After eight years of separation, he finally had the chance to return home, but ironically, Thu does not recognize him as her father. In their initial meeting, Thu was suspicious, hesitant, and even scared to the point of considering fleeing because, as she put it, 'the scar on his right cheek would flush every time he got emotional, making it look terrifying.' Throughout Mr. Sau's stay at home, Thu remained adamant in not accepting him as her father, even though he tried every possible way to get closer and show affection to the little girl. There were times when, faced with awkward situations, she would simply say, 'Just eat,' 'The rice is boiled, pour the water for me,' or 'The rice is boiled, eat now.' During a meal, Mr. Sau delicately picked a large piece of fish egg for his daughter, and unexpectedly, she vehemently reacted by 'suddenly spitting the fish egg out of the bowl, splattering it all over the table.' After being spanked by Mr. Sau, Thu went back to her grandparents' house, deliberately 'making the string on the basket buzz loudly.' Thu's stubbornness and obstinacy are not entirely blameworthy, as she is still too young to understand the harshness and hardship of war and the unusual capabilities she possesses. The adults in the family have also not prepared her to accept these extraordinary traits. She does not recognize Mr. Sau as her father because his scar does not match the picture taken together with her mother that she knows. This proves the depth of Thu's affection for her father - she only reveals her profound love when she is certain it is her father.

Reflection on the father-child relationship in war through Nguyen Quang Sang's text 'The Ivory Comb'

On the final morning before Mr. Sau embarked on his journey, Thu's demeanor took an abrupt turn. After returning home to her grandparents' house at night, she was explained about the scar by her grandmother. Understanding it, she felt immense regret and remorse: 'Listening to grandma's story, I lay still, occasionally sighing like an adult.' The farewell moment was poignant, 'her face darkened with sadness, a mournful expression on the innocent face of the little girl looked truly adorable.' As Mr. Sau looked at his daughter to bid farewell, 'the girl's deep eyes suddenly stirred,' and the long-suppressed father-daughter emotions burst forth powerfully, urgently, and vividly. She called him, 'her voice tearing through the silence and tearing through everyone's hearts, sounding truly heartbreaking.' Thu's actions changed, 'she jumped up, both hands tightly hugging her father's neck. She kissed him all over, on the hair, on the neck, on the shoulders, and even on the long scar on his face.' All of Thu's actions and attitudes stem from the love she holds for her father, whom she always respects, admires, and no one can replace. Thu's emotions are intense, profound, decisive, and distinct. Although Thu has a stubborn and obstinate side, she still retains the innocence and naivety of a child. With a sensitive soul, a humane heart, and a loving attitude towards children, Nguyen Quang Sang seems to have sensed the deepest expressions of the character's emotions to vividly and delicately describe them.

The second main character in the work is Mr. Sau. His feelings for his little daughter are somewhat expressed in the visit home. Upon approaching the shore, seeing his daughter, he hastily 'jumped ashore, bent down, arms outstretched forward, and mumbled: Dad is here! Dad is here.' One would expect little Thu to rush forward, embracing her father's neck to satisfy the months of separation. But no, she hesitated, unexpectedly 'the round-eyed girl looked at him and then ran away in fear.' With limited time at home, Mr. Sau did not go far, spending his days trying to get close to and show affection for his daughter, hoping she would call him 'dad' without success. At times, in anger, he even spanked her. The intense love from Thu during the farewell deeply moved him, 'one hand holding his daughter, the other wiping away tears.' Touching and painful is the knowledge that this is the first and last time he hears the endearing term 'dad' from his little daughter because afterward, he can never return! In the days at the base, he regretted hitting his daughter. Remembering her words, when he found an ivory piece, he rejoiced like a child: 'His face lit up like a child receiving a gift.'

In the subsequent days, all the cherished feelings and memories for his daughter were poured into the creation of a comb. He diligently 'sawed each tooth of the comb, carefully, meticulously, and painstakingly like a silversmith' until the comb was complete. He even engraved on it a small line, 'Love, remember to give it to Thu, my daughter.' In moments of longing, he took the comb out to polish his hair: 'That ivory comb couldn't comb his daughter's long hair, but it seemed to untangle some of his emotions.' Perhaps in those moments, he hoped for a chance to visit home so he could personally hold the comb and comb his daughter's hair. Unfortunately, the pain of war meant he could never return to his daughter. Sacrificed in a fierce battle, before his sacrifice, 'it seemed that only the father-daughter bond could not die.' He handed the ivory comb to a friend with the hope that it could never be stored as a word. From that moment, the ivory comb became a relic, a sacred symbol of filial love. The story concludes in profound sorrow but carries a deeply meaningful humanistic message.

The theme of the story is not groundbreaking, but the author succeeds by exploring the father-child relationship in touching and dramatic situations. The choice of the narrative, the creation of unexpected yet natural and reasonable situations, along with the subtle and profound depiction of the psychological developments of the characters, especially the child's psychology, have helped the text secure a special place in the hearts of readers.