Outline for Analyzing the Character of Dan Thiem in Farewell to the Nine-Fold Tower

Outline for analyzing the character of Dan Thiem in Farewell to the Nine-Fold Tower
 

I. Outline for Analyzing the Character of Dan Thiem in Farewell to the Nine-Fold Tower (Standard)
 

1. Introduction

- Nguyen Huy Tưởng's play, Vũ Như Tô, emerged as an additional voice advocating the concept of 'art for human life.'
- In the excerpt from Farewell to the Nine-Fold Tower, besides the main character Vũ Như Tô, another character appears, representing those who love art, but solely 'art for art's sake,' sacrificing everything for it, only to have their dreams shattered. This portrays the tragedy of those who live apart from life and art.
 

2. Body

* Life Circumstances of Dan Thiem:
- Dan Thiem is the only one who accompanies Vũ Như Tô's ideals.
- A tragic character, her tragedy comes from her own 'forgotten palace maid' life.

* Dan Thiem possesses a 'unique talent, united heart':
- Advises Vũ Như Tô not to flee but to stay, leveraging the power and wealth of Lê Tương Dực to have the opportunity to showcase talent, to build a masterpiece of art.

* Enduring the shared tragedy of shattered dreams with Vũ Như Tô:
- Idealizing a perfect architectural work, a source of eternal pride for the people, yet unaware that the art in her eyes has become a tragedy for countless individuals, countless families including herself and Vũ Như Tô.
- Caught in a whirlpool of gossip, labeled as a 'faithless concubine,' a woman without integrity, while beneath the allure, she is deeply entangled with Vũ Như Tô.
=> Endures unjust death, witnesses the Nine-Fold Tower burned to ashes and Vũ Như Tô, the talent she wholeheartedly protected, brought to trial.
 

3. Conclusion

- Provide personal observations on the character of Dan Thiem.
 

II. Sample Essay Analyzing the Character of Dan Thiem in Farewell to the Nine-Fold Tower (Standard)

In the 1930s, a fervent literary battle unfolded between two schools of thought. One believed in 'art for art's sake,' viewing art purely as art, detached from any worldly concerns, aiming solely for a grand, transcendent beauty, disregarding all the sorrows and hardships of life. In contrast, the 'art for human life' school held the opposite view, asserting that ultimately art must return to serve human life. As Nam Cao stated, 'Art need not be the deceptive moonlight, art should not be the deceptive moonlight, art can only be the cries of pain escaping from life's mistakes. And a writer must not evade art but must stand amidst suffering, opening their soul to embrace life's resonances.' Amidst this fierce struggle, Nguyen Huy Tưởng's play, Vũ Như Tô, emerged as an advocate for the 'art for human life' perspective. Through this play, Tưởng clearly expressed his belief that 'Art disconnected from life is nothing but poisonous flowers.' In the excerpt from Farewell to the Nine-Fold Tower, besides the main character Vũ Như Tô, another character emerges, representing those who love art, but solely 'art for art's sake,' sacrificing everything for it, only to have their dreams shattered. This is the tragedy of those who live apart from life and art.

Dan Thiem is the only one who accompanies Vũ Như Tô's ideals, the ideals of constructing a magnificent castle 'as enduring as the moon and stars,' capable of 'outshining even alchemy' for 'our people to proudly enjoy a thousand times'...(Continued).

>> View the complete sample essay Analyzing the Character of Dan Thiem in Farewell to the Nine-Fold Tower here.