Reflection on the Character Chí Phèo in Nam Cao's Short Story

Essay Prompt: Reflect on the character Chí Phèo in Nam Cao's short story

Reflection on the Character Chí Phèo in Nam Cao's Short Story

I. Outline: Reflection on the Character Chí Phèo in Nam Cao's Short Story

1. Introduction 

- Brief words about the author Nam Cao
- Introduction to the character Chí Phèo in the eponymous work.

2. Body

a. Background and Upbringing:
- Born as an abandoned child, nurtured in the love of Vu Dai village.
- Grows up with goodness, simplicity, self-respect, and lofty aspirations.

b. Tragedy leading to Roguish Transformation:
- Maintains self-respect in the face of promiscuous women, then victimized by Ba Kien, a representative of the oppressive ruling class, pushed into colonial prison for 7-8 years => Transforms into a rogue.

- Unusual appearance: Illustrated with examples.
- Distorted personality, becomes extreme and daring: Develops a liking for alcohol, eats dog meat, engages in vulgar behavior, etc.
=> Completely transformed into a rogue, adopting a fierce, daring persona; the inherently good nature seems to have been extinguished during years of imprisonment.

c. Tragedy Evolving into the Evil Demon of Vu Dai:
- The appearance of the 'strange creature'.
- Personality:
+ Chí's naive fascination leads him to sell his character, working as a hired thug for Ba Kien to earn a few pieces of silver for survival, without realizing the consequences.
+ Desires communication with the community through profanity, but receives no response => Fails in communication, ostracized from the community.

d. Revival and the Tragedy of Denied Humanity.
- The encounter and love with Thị Nở awaken Chí Phèo from over 15 years of drunken stupor and haze.
- Chí Phèo reminisces about youthful dreams, aspiring to return to a life of virtue by marrying Thị Nở.
- Thị Nở's rejection and the words of her grandmother awaken Chí Phèo to his tragedy, the tragedy of denied humanity, realizing he can never go back.
- Chí chooses death for liberation => Manifestation of the enduring goodness within Chí's soul; now, only through ending his life can he completely abandon the existence of a demon, a rogue, shunned by society.

3. Conclusion

- Provide an assessment of the character.

II. Sample Essay: Reflection on the Character Chí Phèo in Nam Cao's Short Story

1. Reflection on the Character Chí Phèo in the Short Story 'Chí Phèo, Model 1 (Standard)':

Nam Cao stands as a brilliant figure in modern Vietnamese literature, leaving behind a plethora of valuable works. 'Chí Phèo' is among Nam Cao's finest short stories, portraying the lives of farmers before the revolution. The narrative serves as both the voice of the farmers and a social indictment of the time, exposing the oppression of human rights.

The introduction of the character is striking: 'He curses while walking. Always the same, cursing after drinking.' Chí's profanity becomes a curious element for readers. What bitter experiences has Chí endured to utter such unique curses?

Chí Phèo, an abandoned child without parents, rejected from birth, left at an old brick kiln. Passed from one caregiver to another, starting with someone who found him alongside a bamboo grove, then a widow, and later the assistant to the mortar pounder. Eventually, Chí becomes a child with no place to call home after the assistant to the mortar pounder passes away. Chí's life somewhat reflects the hardships of those who lived as wanderers, laborers, and struggled before the August Revolution. At the age of eighteen, Chí starts working at Bá Kiến's house, hoping to secure a meal for survival. Chí is inherently sincere and simple, but his goodness is eroded by the society he lives in. Bá Kiến sends Chí to prison due to the old man's jealousy, seeing Chí massaging his wife's legs every day. Similar to Sister Dậu throwing a pile of silver paper into the face of corrupt officials, like Old Hạc choosing death for his dignity, Chí is not subdued by the sweet words of the old lady. However, that society has no place for the virtuous. Colonial prison unwittingly aids Bá Kiến in robbing Chí of his goodness.

Top Essays: Reflection on the Character Chí Phèo, the Best Ones

Seven, eight years later, released from prison, Chí returns to the village of Vu Dai. At this point, Chí is no longer the honest, simple farmer he once was; he has become the evil demon of Vu Dai with a 'shaved bald head,' 'gleaming white teeth,' and a 'frightening appearance,' adorned with bizarre tattoos. Nam Cao uses the term 'terrifying' to depict Chí's current demeanor. Even the roguish temperament is vividly expressed in Chí's actions, from slashing his face to feigning illness, to burning a shop when unable to buy alcohol, and reaching its peak when Chí becomes a henchman, a tool of Ba Kien. With just a few coins provided by Ba Kien, Chí sinks deeper into criminal activities. The novelty of 'Chí Phèo' lies here. Instead of analyzing and depicting the hardships of farmers, Nam Cao explores, discovers, and delves into the path of roguishness for once simple farmers turned cruel by society. Through Chí's transformation, the process from a virtuous person to a rogue, Nam Cao indirectly exposes the cruel, vile nature of the society of that time.

Then Chí meets Nở. The encounter between Chí Phèo and Thị Nở changes Chí's life. Thị Nở is likened to a gentle moon in Chí's life. Thị's care and love awaken in Chí the desire to be a virtuous person. That morning, like any other normal morning, but it was the first time Chí heard the everyday sounds, from the singing of birds to the market chatter of the women returning. Chí recalls dreams of a small family, raising chickens, planting a tree... living happily day by day. It turns out Chí also has moments of being 'human'! The pinnacle is Thị Nở's onion porridge, making Chí's eyes moist and him 'genuinely smiling.' Thị makes Chí—a being surviving day by day—think about the future, hope for a happy family. Then Chí cries. The tears of a demonic being surprise Thị, quietly thinking: 'there are times he is as kind as the earth.' Then Chí expresses his desire for Thị to live with him. Thanks to Thị, Chí yearns to return to the virtuous life he once had, nurturing happiness with Thị.

These pages are considered to illuminate Chí's life. Every thought, every action, and every word of Chí evoke profound emotions in readers. Chí's simple wish comes from the very woman shunned by society, making readers pause and appreciate the happiness they currently possess.

We thought Chí's life might take a different turn here, but the tragedy doesn't stop there. Thị rejects Chí because Thị's aunt refuses to let her marry a man who only knows how to 'slash his face and act sick,' a man who is a 'debt collector.' The aunt's view of Chí mirrors the feudal society's perception of him. No one sees Chí's transformation; no one accepts him. For the second time, Chí cries—cries for the continuing return to tragic days. Chí returns to alcohol and curses. Chí's life is once again days without an exit. Then Chí goes to find Bá Kiến. In a semi-conscious state, Chí visits Bá Kiến's house, always cursing and threatening to kill Thị's 'old worm' but realizing that he came to Bá Kiến's to demand to be a 'virtuous person.' After all, Chí recognizes the deadlock and desperation of his life. 'Who will allow me to be a virtuous person?'—a question with no answer, a question no one can answer. Then he kills Bá Kiến and ends his own life.

Chí's question, his death, and the unborn child in Nở's womb conclude the story in the sorrow of everyone. Chí's death is the clearest indictment of the corrupt society at that time. Chí chooses death as a release for himself because it is the only way out for him in that society. Chí's death is also Nam Cao's belief in his character, in the difficult people of that time. Thus, through every detail of the story, Nam Cao has revealed the reasons pushing Chí onto the path of transformation. Chí falls into the rogue's path with no way out partly because the society then deprived Chí of the right to be a human, partly because the fellow farmers facing the same fate rejected him, denying Chí the path back.

'Chí Phèo' concludes, but the character of Chí Phèo lives on forever in the readers' minds. It has created a unique color in the treasury of stories about farmers.

2. Reflection on the Character Chí Phèo in the Short Story of the Same Name by Nam Cao, Model 2:

When discussing Vietnamese literature from 1930 to 1945, one cannot omit Nam Cao's 'Chí Phèo.' Under Nam Cao's authentic and sharp pen, 'Chí Phèo' has become a work that can 'overshadow all others of its time.' In this timeless masterpiece, Nam Cao successfully crafted the character of Chí Phèo—a quintessential figure, conveying profound human values and stark realities.

The portrayal of Chí Phèo is constructed with a destiny laden with tragedy. Despite being degraded and transformed, he retains the beauty of his soul and an aspiration to live as a virtuous person. Chí Phèo's life is a series of prolonged tragedies and suffering—a life of a destitute and oppressed farmer forced onto the path of rogue and crime. The tragedy reaches the point where being born as a human, yet denied the right to live as one.

The tragedy begins the moment Chí Phèo comes into existence. Without parents, he is born 'bare and gray, next to the brick kiln, abandoned.' Raised by a woman who is blind, he later becomes a commodity sold to the assistant village head. From the very start of life, Chí is left alone—with no family, no kin, no place to call home—struggling through the challenges of growing up. For nearly twenty years, Chí Phèo wanders, going from one place to another. At the age of 20, he becomes a farmhand for Lí Kiến.

As a landless farmer, eking out a living as a hired hand in the rice fields, tragedy continues to haunt the unfortunate Chí. Due to an irrational fit of jealousy, Chí Phèo is imprisoned by Lí Kiến. This time, he endures a full 8 years behind bars. Eventually released, the colonial prison system transforms a gentle and simple farmhand into a rogue, a malevolent demon for the village of Vũ Đại.

The ominous prison darkness destroyed the very essence of a human being. Emerging from prison, Chí Phèo transformed from being 'discreet' to having a 'bald head, shaved teeth, and a dark yet rugged face, with piercing, terrifying eyes.' Clad in black silk pants and a yellow Western-style shirt adorned with dragon and phoenix motifs, Chí Phèo emerged with a grotesque appearance. Beyond the exterior, his actions and demeanor underwent a metamorphosis. From drinking dog meat wine at the market from noon until evening, getting intoxicated, to storming Bá Kiến's house, cursing the 'ancestors turning in their graves,' smashing a bottle against the gate, slashing his face, and lamenting fate. This unexpected transformation shook the entire village of Vũ Đại, intense and surreal.

Perception of the character Chí Phèo reveals the tragic metamorphosis of the impoverished farmer.

In the subsequent days, Chí Phèo remained fiercely rebellious. He recognized Bá Kiến as the one who pushed him down this path. However, before long, the tactics of the self-proclaimed 'Bá Kiến' changed Chí Phèo. A feast of alcohol, a few flattering words, and some silver coins generously offered by old Bá, made 'Chí Phèo extremely pleased.' Through alcohol, meat, and money, Bá Kiến lulled Chí Phèo's hatred to sleep. From then on, Chí Phèo fell into a state of confusion, continuing to stumble into the traps set by Bá Kiến, becoming the henchman for his own enemy. Chí transformed into the malevolent demon of Vũ Đại.

Bá Kiến turned Chí Phèo into a formidable tool for his ruthless debt collection. Chí Phèo once again slipped into tragedy, selling himself to the demon. 'All the intimidation, destruction, stabbing, and chopping, people entrusted to him.' No longer a simple farmer, he became a hired thug, immersed in bouts of intoxication. Humanity within Chí faded away, and he turned into the malevolent demon of Vũ Đại: 'He knew not how many enterprises he had ruined, how many scenes of joy he had shattered, how much happiness he had destroyed, making the blood and tears flow from many virtuous people.'

Chí's life seems to drift away, his humanity destroyed, and his character distorted. Society abandoned him; the entire village feared him. They 'averted their gaze every time he passed by.' When Chí Phèo cursed, everyone thought 'he's talking nonsense,' and no one bothered to listen. Cursing life and people, Chí was like 'drunk singers,' receiving no responses, no listeners. Year ten calamity arrived with 'three fierce dogs against a drunken guy.' Such a person suddenly became invisible in the village of Vũ Đại. The society decisively dismissed Chí as a human being. Even when the story concluded, the image of Chí Phèo 'walking and cursing' remains a haunting portrayal of the human tragedy consumed by loneliness and despair.

It seemed Chí Phèo's life would flow in solitude. However, an unexpected figure appeared in his dark and intoxicated existence. It was the encounter between the 'evil demon' and the woman 'uglier than a demon' of Vũ Đại village. Chí met Thị Nở. After a night together, Chí Phèo fell ill. It was then that the ugly woman brought warmth and sincerity to Chí. Thị Nở took care of Chí, cooked him a bowl of onion porridge. Just a simple bowl of onion porridge brought about a profound change in Chí Phèo.

In a life full of resentment and tragedy, for the first time, he had a woman caring for him. The first time he received 'from a woman,' not by force, not by threats. Also not by slashing his face or playing the victim. It was the ugly woman who recognized the buried goodness in him. In Thị's eyes, Chí Phèo eating porridge was so gentle. 'Oh, how kind he is…' 'He laughs so gently...'. Perhaps Thị Nở is the only one who sensed the gentleness of Chí Phèo beneath his destroyed appearance.

Also, it was after the encounter with Thị Nở that Chí Phèo's psyche underwent a surprising transformation. The soul of someone who had sold himself to the devil awakened. That morning, Chí Phèo woke up and heard the sounds of life. The joyful chirping of birds, the laughter and chatter of people going to the market, the sound of oars hitting the boat chasing fish... His heart was filled with a melancholic sadness, 'so sad!'

The conscience of someone who once left countless homes in ruins stirred. Memories of the past resurfaced in his mind. He recalled a simple dream from long ago about 'a small family, a husband renting a plow, a wife weaving fabric,' raising pigs for extra income, and, if prosperous, buying a few acres of farmland. The more he remembered, the more anxious and melancholic he became. In those years, perhaps for the first time, he felt fear, fear of 'hunger, cold, illness, and loneliness, which is even more frightening than hunger and illness.' A person who once disregarded self-inflicted harm suddenly knew fear and anxiety. While sipping onion porridge and looking at Thị Nở, he daydreamed.

Here, the reader discovers that deep within Chí Phèo's humanity, the inherently good nature had been buried. Thanks to the love, acceptance, and care from Thị Nở, that nature was reawakened. This is Nam Cao's profound and humane perspective on poor, virtuous farmers pushed into the path of banditry and degradation.

Then, when the soul truly awoke, Chí Phèo suddenly felt a 'craving for goodness, a desire to reconcile with everyone!' He longed to reintegrate into life, to be 'accepted back into the flat, friendly society of virtuous people.' The statement to Thị Nở, 'Or should I move in with me to have fun,' not only expressed the desire for a family but also the yearning to become a person, to live as a normal human being. Thị Nở's response was the decision to agree to let him become a person.

However, tragedy once again dragged Chí into agony. Due to the harsh, bitter words of the aunt, Thị Nở pushed Chí away. He fell into a deep abyss, writhing in the mental torment of immense suffering. He was 'stunned' listening to Thị's words. 'Surprised,' he stood up, called Thị, chased her, 'grabbed her hand,' but was pushed away and added to the misery, 'rolling down to the yard.' He tried everything to hold on to Thị Nở, as if clutching the only thread connecting him to human life. But he failed.

Chí Phèo struggles in despair. He smashes his head against bricks in frustration, drinks, 'the more he drinks, the clearer he becomes,' absorbing the poignant pain that pierces his battered soul. He decisively faces rejection. Then he 'bursts into tears.' No longer wet with tears of happiness from Thị Nở's care, these are tears of extreme agony. Chí Phèo makes a decision.

Chí carries a knife at his waist, for the third time, to Bá Kiến's house. Without cutting his face for sympathy, without demanding money, he demands goodness, the right to 'be a virtuous person!' At the very place where the deep scars on his face originated, he says: '... Who gives me kindness? How can I get rid of all the fragments on this face? I can no longer be a virtuous person. Understand!...' These words conceal deep suppressed pain, as well as sharp words exposing the heinous crimes of the cunning Bá Kiến. It encapsulates the desperate and heartbreaking suffering of a tormented life! Chí Phèo kills Bá Kiến and then commits suicide. Chí takes his own life to end the one who destroyed his life. Simultaneously, he ends his own existence. He doesn't want to be a devil, doesn't want to continue a life full of tragedy and sins. Chí Phèo died in torment. He died in the sound of resentment, full of bitterness and haunting, died at the threshold to return to life.

Researcher Nguyễn Đăng Mạnh once said, 'When Chí Phèo steps out of Nam Cao's pages, one realizes this is the most complete embodiment of what is called the common suffering of peasant people in a colonial society: being oppressed, scratched, and destroyed from humanity to appearance.' Chí Phèo is the representative character that Nam Cao constructed. He is the epitome of the farmers in contemporary society, pushed to the extreme by society, becoming a bandit, degraded. The tragedy of Chí Phèo's life is a steel verdict, a condemnation of the ruthless society that heartlessly pushed impoverished farmers into a dark, obscure life. It ruthlessly robbed them of both appearance and soul.

The image of Chí Phèo and the eponymous short story officially brought Tran Huu Tri's name to become Nam Cao. With a profound humanitarian spirit and a unique literary style, Nam Cao left a lasting impression on readers. Until the closing pages, people still vividly remember the image of Chí Phèo walking and cursing, a poignant and haunting scene.
 

3. Impressions on the character Chí Phèo in the short story Chí Phèo, model 3:

In the morning glow, Nam Cao wrote a profound literary philosophy, 'Oh, art doesn't need to be a deceiving moonlight, it shouldn't be a deceiving moonlight; art can only be the cry of suffering, escaping from the mistakes and writers must not avoid art but stand in hardship to embrace the echoes of life.' With this precious artistic philosophy, Nam Cao boldly stood among the suffering people, the poor peasants, and intellectuals who were broken by a decaying society to write genuine literary works. His works not only expose the cruel reality of society but also empathize and sympathize with the unfortunate lives before the Revolution. Besides 'Excess Life,' 'Wife Picker,' 'Eroded Life,' Chí Phèo is one of Nam Cao's outstanding works on the theme of farmers. Here, a feudal-colonial society emerges - half cruel, gradually pushing honest people like Chí Phèo into the tragic path of painfully and extremely being denied the right to be human.

Perhaps everyone has a deep impression of a Chí Phèo addicted to alcohol, often cutting his face for sympathy and cursing, but did Chí become so devastated and frightening from the beginning? The answer is absolutely not. Nam Cao thoroughly describes both the root of the character's personality and the noble soul initially, making the impression of the character's tragedy even deeper and having a clear origin. Chí Phèo is an abandoned child, passed from one person to another, and finally grows up in the loving arms of Vũ Đại village. It can be said that from the moment Chí Phèo was conceived, he encountered the great tragedy of life - the tragedy of being abandoned. However, fortunately, although Chí grew up lacking family affection, living a hard life without land, he is gentle and virtuous. His kindness is evident in his determination to work honestly, to be a field guard for Bá Kiến, sweating to earn a living. Furthermore, the impression of the virtuous soul of this character is also shown in a deep sense of self-respect in the face of the scorn of Bá Kiến's wife. Chí feels ashamed, 'only feels disgrace, not love,' or 'At twenty years old, one is not stone, but not entirely flesh. One does not like anything one despises.' Chí's internal struggle about himself makes people love and appreciate a pure, understanding, and extremely moral heart. At the age of 20, Chí Phèo also had a simple, ordinary but beautiful dream: a dream of having a warm family, a husband renting a plow, a wife weaving fabric, raising pigs, saving to buy land, and so on, living steadily day by day. It can be said that Chí Phèo's dream is a realistic one, a dream that can be realized by virtuous and diligent people, not a distant and vague dream like 'a canvas tent with two golden hearts.' Unfortunately, if nothing unexpected happens, Chí Phèo might have realized his small dream already. It's a pity that life is full of twists, especially twists for the virtuous and gentle.

Impressions on the character Chí Phèo in the eponymous short story by Nam Cao

It's truly intriguing how a person, inherently kind and virtuous like Chi, can end up on a tragic path of dehumanization, stripped of the very essence of humanity. Chi Pho maintains his dignity, staying pure amidst the chaotic and promiscuous behavior of that woman. However, Bá Kiến, a jealous and malicious figure representing the oppressive feudal system, fails to perceive it. Perhaps he knows, but his envy prevents him from forgiving Chi Pho, pushing him into years of miserable imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. The prison of the old regime must be something dreadful; it molded Chi from an upright farmer with self-respect into a genuine rogue, losing touch with the meaning of dignity. When Chi returns, the transformation in appearance is not enough to prove him as a scoundrel. It's only when the changes in his character are revealed that one realizes Chi is no longer the diligent field worker but Chi Pho, a person with a distorted personality. On the first day of his release, he sits in the marketplace, drinking and feasting on dog meat from noon till evening, then drinking excessively, carrying a bottle to Bá Kiến's house, openly calling him names. This escalates into a fight with Ly Cuong, followed by a dramatic act of self-harm. Chi Pho smashes a bottle and uses a shard to cut his face, blood flowing, turning the initially entertained audience into horrified spectators. After the dramatic performance, Chi Pho challenges Bá Kiến, displaying a fearless attitude, saying, 'I'm ready to die right here, with you and your family.' It can be said that Chi Pho, after serving time in prison, has completely transformed into a ruffian, a person now fierce and daring, with the fundamentally good nature seemingly extinguished during those 7, 8 years of imprisonment.

However, Chí Phèo's degradation doesn't stop there. He continues to slide down the path of roguery, losing his humanity to become the demonic scourge of Vũ Đại village. This transformation is partly due to Bá Kiến's cunning manipulation and also stems from Chí's life of abandonment—no family, no education—making him susceptible to Bá Kiến's exploitation, reaching a point beyond salvation. Chí's naive and intoxicated nature leads him to sell his own character, taking up hired violence for Bá Kiến to earn some silver without realizing the consequences. Nam Cao vividly paints the portrait of this character, not as the portrait of a person with former humanity but that of a strange creature—a face 'yellowish yet desiring to flaunt colors; lined with scars in disarray, without order.' Though few in words, it's enough to evoke pain and sorrow for a life that has deviated from being human to becoming an unfamiliar 'creature' of unknown identity. Not only the physical appearance but also Chí Phèo's character undergoes a complete transformation, deviating from a mere drinker to an incessantly intoxicated individual. 'His drunkenness flows from one episode to another, forming a continuous, vast intoxication. He eats while drunk, sleeps while drunk, wakes up still drunk, curses and threatens while drunk, drinks more, and stays in a perpetual state of intoxication,' a state lasting 15 years. This drunkenness turns Chí Phèo's life into a tragedy; he becomes a pawn for Bá Kiến, committing all kinds of atrocities at his behest—'all the acts of intimidation, destruction, stabbing, plotting; they were assigned to him!' What's even more heartbreaking is that 'These actions define his life.' Chí Phèo sells his soul, trading his entire life for alcohol and hired violence. His life falls apart, and he becomes a perpetual insulter, cursing life and everyone in it—'Who gave birth to him? Who gave birth to this Chí Phèo?'—making him suffer for over 40 years. Yet, even in Chí Phèo's curses, one can discern a longing for communication, a desire to interact with the community of a miserable soul. He hopes someone will curse or talk to him, but the more he curses, the more people fear him, avoiding him. Despite his constant insults, no one pays attention. In this way, Chí Phèo fails in communication, gets pushed out of the community, isolated, denied the right to be human, truly becoming a demonic figure, akin to a dog, 'only three fierce dogs with a drunken guy!' Behind Chí Phèo's painful tragedy, Nam Cao delivers a message, exposing and condemning the unjust and oppressive old society, where the ruling class wielded ultimate power, causing immense suffering and tragedy for the peasant class, exemplified by Chí Phèo and his degraded fate.

Chí Phèo stands as a pivotal piece in the 11th-grade Literature curriculum. To solidify knowledge and hone writing skills, alongside crafting an analysis of the character Chí Phèo in Nam Cao's eponymous short story, consider exploring: The saying goes, 'Do not recount Thúy Vân, Thúy Kiều.' Share your perspective on this age-old notion. Delve into Chí Phèo's path of transformation, Analyze Huấn Cao's attitude towards the prison warden in Nguyễn Tuân's 'Chữ người tử tù', and Reflect on the poignant image of Chí Phèo shedding tears in the short story Chí Phèo.