Reflecting on the Short Story Ben Countryside

2 Essays Reflecting on the Short Story Ben Countryside

Truyện Bến quê captures what Nhĩ sees, hears, reflects upon, and dreams of, as well as his relationships while lying in bed, through 4 scenes: Nhĩ being cared for by Liên; Nhĩ sending Tuấn across the river; Nhĩ being tenderly attended to by the young ones (Huệ, Vân, Tam, Hùng...), who come to tuck him in, lay blankets, and place pillows for him; Teacher Khuyến leaning on his cane walking by, stopping to inquire about Nhĩ.

The plot of Bến quê is very simple, yet it carries profound philosophical implications. Through the character Nhĩ, a patient 'about to bid farewell to life', Nguyễn Minh Châu speaks of reflections on humanity, life, and ways of living, awakening, urging others to cherish and appreciate the simplicity, familiarity, and values of life and homeland.

The best short story impressions of Bến quê

Nhĩ is a well-traveled and knowledgeable individual: 'Throughout his life, Nhĩ has traveled to every nook and cranny on Earth'; 'he has left footprints in every corner of the globe... just two years ago, he was on a business trip to a country in Latin America. It can be said that he has experienced the beauty of bustling cities, the delicious cuisines of foreign lands, but it's only in the beauty of familiarity, the bonds of kinship and love in the homeland, even during the painful days lying in bed, nearing the end of life, that he truly feels deeply moved and touched.

What's beautiful about the wild daisies in the countryside? When just blossoming, they're 'faint in color'. The sky and the Red River, the banks, the ferry landing... nothing unfamiliar to many of us, especially Nhĩ, as his home is near that river. This morning, as Nhĩ sat while his wife fertilized each plant, he thought: He feels the wild daisies in the autumn setting are more beautiful, 'richer in color'. The Red River is 'pale red, the surface seeming to expand'. The long-standing silt banks on the other side of the Red River under the early autumn sunbeams are displaying 'a mix of golden hues with the lush green - colors so familiar, like flesh, the breath of rich soil'. And the sky, the hometown sky, 'seems higher'.

Looking through the window of his house, Nhĩ is moved by the simple beauty of his homeland. Why did he see and feel so little before? Is it because of the busy hustle and bustle of life? Or is it due to indifference? Through the description of nature in the beginning of the story, Nguyễn Minh Châu gently reminds everyone not to be indifferent, but to cherish and appreciate the landscapes of the homeland because they are the blood and soul of each of us. One must recognize the simple, familiar beauty of the homeland to nurture and love it. Being bedridden for a long time, cared for by his wife and children, Nhĩ's heart is filled with thoughts and emotions, deeply profound and sincere. Hearing Liên say, 'You can rest assured. No matter how much effort and expense it takes, the children and I will take care of you,' Nhĩ 'noticed for the first time that Liên was wearing a patched shirt'. The image of his wife, simple and sacrificial, makes Nhĩ moved, somewhat regretful for his own indifference: 'All my life, I've caused you distress... and you've always endured it quietly'.

Never before has Nhĩ clearly heard these simple, endearing sounds: the sound of his wife moving about tidying up and instructing the children..., Liên grinding medicine and the sound of water pouring into the house, 'the familiar soft footsteps' of his gentle wife on 'the worn, sunken wooden boards'. These are the sounds of the heart, of affection, not always heard by Nhĩ, not always felt by Nhĩ!

Tuấn is the second son of Nhĩ and Liên. He's been away from home for a year. Tuấn attends school far away, in a city to the south, and just returned last night. With his father seriously ill, Tuấn came home to visit his father, his mother, and his home? Lying on his sickbed, Nhĩ gazes at his son Tuấn, moved 'seeing how much his son resembles him as he grows older'. Nhĩ sends his son across the river 'by ferry, stepping onto the other bank, wandering around for a bit, then returning'. To Tuấn, it's 'a strange task' that his father asked him to do while he was engrossed in reading a translated book. The son hasn't understood 'his father's ultimate desire for the essence of life', which Nhĩ wants to express. Nhĩ wants his beloved son to, on his behalf, stroll across the river, to admire the familiar, simple landscapes, which Nhĩ has almost forgotten throughout his life.

Through the window frame of his house, Nhĩ watches the figure of his son wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, dressed in a checkered shirt, carrying a book under his arm 'joining a group of people playing chess on the sidewalk'. His son's enthusiasm now resembles his father's past enthusiasm: 'Throughout his life, Nhĩ has also played chess on many sidewalks, never able to stop'. Nhĩ ponders, worriedly lost in thought 'What if his son misses the ferry today?'. Such chess games, such trivial activities, will waste so much time, so much mental energy, so much physical strength... Those games, those activities will make the youth of many people 'miss the ferry in the day', will slow their steps, will miss the rhythm of youth. With his own hard-earned experience, 'Nhĩ sadly thinks, people on the path of life find it difficult to avoid the twists and turns, and yet what's so appealing on the other side of the river?' That thought carries profound existential meaning about the journey of life and life's goals. The ancients said: 'The path is difficult' (Lý Bạch), 'one walks forever but never reaches the end of the road' (Lỗ Tấn), etc... Nhĩ's path in his consciousness is 'twists and turns', 'challenges', because many people get lost, lose their way, lack wisdom, lack determination, or lose heart. Youth and time are wasted. With a shallow soul, living without ideals, lacking a narrow vision, how can one escape the twists and turns, challenges, and never see the 'appeal' ahead on the road of life.

Life and scenery around us, in our homeland, are very beautiful and lovely, it is 'rich in all beauties', even 'the simplest features', but one must experience, must live fully to be able to explore, to discover, to find. And one must have an attachment of love. Some people succeed because of talent, timing, luck. Some people discover their misdirection, their lost path early and adjust, overcome. Many people, so many people go through their life journey only to realize their twist and turns, their misdirection, late, but the time has been wasted, has been near and far from the ground... Life is full of tragedies, therefore, a person like Nhĩ 'has left footprints in every corner of the globe', until lying on a sickbed, in the 'private discoveries', he feels 'like a mix of passion with painful regret' that 'words never fully explain'. Life is a mystery, the road of life is a difficult equation, so 'words never fully explain'. The difficult path, the narrow road is like that. Therefore, one must have wisdom, determination, rich patience, live with beautiful ideals, to reduce risks, to avoid twists and turns, failure.

Nhĩ's feelings, Nhĩ's thoughts about Liên are profound, full of affection and gratitude. From a countryside girl 'wearing a worn brown dress, a quail-patterned scarf' then became 'a woman of the city'. However, 'Liên's soul still retains the simplicity and enduring sacrifice from generations past'. Nhĩ has gone through days of 'wandering, searching', tasted many ups and downs, bitter and sweet, Nhĩ 'has found a place of refuge, his family', his wife and children. For Nhĩ, family is a harbor, a harbor of love, a harbor of happiness.

The scene of the children (Huệ, Vân, Tam, Hùng) being cheerful, obedient, hearing Nhĩ calling, they run up, crowd around, gently help him move from the edge of the mattress to the edge of the mat, take a pillow and place it behind Nhĩ's back, making him feel young again 'smiling widely at everyone, enjoying being cared for and playing with'. Happiness is not something lofty, but very simple, very small, sometimes just a glance, a child's smile, a small hand 'smelling of cucumber water',...

The image of Mr. Khuyến, the teacher, visiting Nhĩ every morning is a nurturing image of kindness and compassion. A question about health, a comforting word, gentle encouragement: 'Mr. Nhĩ seems healthier today, doesn't he?'. What could be more noble, more warm, more affectionate? Living in the love of fellow beings is true happiness. And that is the flavor in the life of each of us, the 'hometown' of our souls.

Mr. Khuyến panicked when he noticed Nhĩ's face 'unusually flushed', his eyes 'sparkling with intoxication and pain', and Nhĩ's ten fingers 'clinging tightly to the window sill, trembling and shaking'... It was 'the last bit of strength left...' of Nhĩ. Nhĩ is about to depart. The passenger ferry on the Red River docks, carrying symbolic meaning, the ferry will take Nhĩ to the realm of emptiness of a human life...

Bến quê is a short story imbued with philosophical insights about human nature and life. In the last years of his life, Nguyễn Minh Châu has endured many days of illness. Bến quê somewhat autobiographical and prophetic, so it feels very sincere. The lesson about love and the principles of living are touchingly presented. What could be happier than living in love with family, homeland. One must cherish, appreciate the simple beauty and values of life, of the homeland. That's when true happiness is attained. That is the heartfelt sentiment of Nguyễn Minh Châu.

Check out more about the essay on the work Bến Quê by Mytour

- Prepare the essay Bến quê, Vietnamese Literature 9

2. Review of the short story Bến quê, sample 2:

Nguyễn Minh Châu is an outstanding prose writer in modern Vietnamese literature. Before 1975, with works like Footprints of Soldiers, The Last Moon in the Forest, The Mouth of the River bearing epic characteristics, Nguyễn Minh Châu portrayed images of people brimming with romantic, fresh, youthful inspirations. But as the war passed, he saw the changes in people, the heavily burdened lives still rich with vitality. The writer explored the inner world of each individual in situations full of paradoxes. Bến quê - a short story in the collection of the same name published in 1985 reflects that.

This is a remarkable work in which Nguyễn Minh Châu interwoven profound reflections, experiences about human life, awakening in everyone the appreciation for the simple, intimate beauty of family, of homeland.

The narrative revolves around Nhĩ, a man who had traveled extensively, 'seen every nook and cranny on earth,' yet forgot the simple beauty closest to him: the sandbank across the river in front of his house, a place he had never set foot on. When Nhĩ became paralyzed, facing death, he found meaning in that sandbank. One autumn morning, gazing into the distance, he longed to cross over to the other side where he spotted the sandbank across the Red River. But illness bound him to the tiny bed, making moving to the window seem as arduous as circling the globe. It's a sad irony. The sandbank in his wife's homeland was so close, yet he couldn't reach it. He missed the chance of a lifetime, only to realize it too late. Longing remained just longing. Nhĩ only hoped his son would cross over for him, but the son lacked empathy, engrossed in a chess game and missing the only ferry of the day. Only in his final days did he truly appreciate the sandbank in his homeland, feeling the beauty of the winding Red River, the vast sky, the flat sandy beach, and the rows of elegant purple lilies in bloom. These were familiar yet new scenes to Nhĩ, the beauty of life, the simple beauty of his homeland that Nhĩ felt he had forgotten in his lifetime. When he realized that beauty, he could do nothing more. He only knew longing.

Reflection on the short story Homeland Wharf by Nguyễn Minh Châu

It can be said that the artistic construction of symbolic imagery by the writer has helped us understand the character's psyche more deeply, uncovering many aspects of the soul of a person suffering from illness. Also, in these final days, Nhĩ only recognized his wife's simplicity. For the first time, Nhĩ noticed Liền wearing a wrap-around shirt, feeling her thin fingers gently caress his shoulders, and Nhĩ recognized all the love, the silent affection of his wife. Nhĩ truly appreciated his wife, understood her sincerity, but when he understood, his life was almost over. Nhĩ felt he had been too indifferent to his wife, just as he had unwittingly forgotten the beauty of the sandbank in his homeland. Perhaps in his youth, Nhĩ had plunged into distant desires, experienced joys and sorrows in his life so deeply. What's even more paradoxical is Nhĩ's image of despair. His only hope is that his son will fulfill his last wish, but the son does so reluctantly and is drawn into a chess game on the street. Perhaps the son could not see the beauty of the sandbank across the river, could not see the loveliness of the homeland, so he stumbled and hesitated. Was the son's action perhaps the same as Nhĩ's in his youth? That's why Nhĩ reflected, conceived a profound philosophy. Nhĩ experienced the common law of human life: People on the path of life find it difficult to avoid pitfalls or twists.

He doesn't blame his son because he resembles him in his youth. He only feels regret, sorrow, and despair. Regret for not being attached to his homeland, to his family when young, to realize when it's too late how important his homeland and family are to him. He understands the enduring values, the simple beauty of life that he had forgotten. He should have discovered it earlier to bond with his homeland, family, and loved ones, to give Nhĩ's life more meaning. Nhĩ needed to see the lovely sandbank earlier in life so that he wouldn't regret it in his final days.