Reflection on the character of Old Hawk in the short story Old Hawk

Prompt: Reflection on the character of Old Hawk in the short story Old Hawk

Reflection on the character of Old Hawk in the short story Old Hawk

I. Outline for Reflecting on the character of Old Hawk in the short story Old Hawk (Standard)

1. Introduction:

Introduction to the author Nam Cao, the work 'Old Hawk', and the character Old Hawk

2. Main Body:

a. General Overview:
- The short story Old Hawk was penned in 1943, set in the Vietnamese countryside under the semi-feudal colonial regime.
- The work portrays the dire situation of peasants at that time while also shedding light on their noble character.

b. Circumstances of Old Hawk:
- Old Hawk is a poor elderly farmer, widowed early, raising his grown son alone.
- Facing poverty, unable to afford a bride → Son frustratedly leaves for the rubber plantation.
- Old Hawk lives in misery with Yellow - the dog his son brought home.
- Extreme poverty drives Old Hawk to a dead end, compelling him to sell Yellow and decide on suicide by hanging.

c. The Noble Character of Old Hawk:

- The old man is a father with deep compassion for his son:
+ Suffering, self-blame for not providing enough money for his son's marriage.
+ Out of love for his son, despite poverty, the old man firmly refuses to touch the garden and the money saved for his son.
+ Decides to commit suicide by hanging to preserve the garden - the last asset for his son.

- Old Hawk is a kind-hearted farmer, living in camaraderie and self-respect:
+ Loves Yellow like 'a mother loves her own child', feeds Yellow in a bowl 'like a rich person', spoils and cares for Yellow as if it were his own grandchild.
+ Feels remorse, tormented by guilt after selling Yellow.
+ Demonstrates his self-respect by rejecting the 'silent' and 'secret' help from Mr. Giáo.
+ Doesn't want to burden the neighbors so he prepares to commit suicide by hanging; sets aside money to take care of his own funeral expenses.

d. Evaluation of content and artistic aspect:

- Content: Old Hawk epitomizes the fate of farmers in the old society with noble qualities such as parental love, self-respect, and kindness, camaraderie.

- Artistry:
+ Storytelling and character portrayal are excellent.
+ The language in the story is very familiar, simple, and rustic, suitable for peasants.

3. Conclusion:

Thoughts on the character. Affirming the value of the short story.

II. Sample essay Reflecting on the character of Old Hawk in the short story Old Hawk (Standard)

Nam Cao is an exceptional realistic writer known for his authentic short stories depicting the lives of poor peasants and intellectuals struggling in the old society. 'Old Hawk' is an outstanding short story by him, portraying the life of Old Hawk, a poor farmer in pre-Revolution Vietnam. The work revolves around the hardships faced by Old Hawk, revealing his noble qualities and hidden virtues.

'Old Hawk' is a short story written by writer Nam Cao in 1943, set in the Vietnamese countryside in the years before the August Revolution. The work vividly portrays the plight of farmers and their noble character. Through the story of Old Hawk's life, we deeply feel the compassion, appreciation, and love that Nam Cao has for the poor farmers.

Old Hawk is a poor farmer with a tragic fate. His wife passed away early, leaving him to raise his son alone. When his son reached marrying age, the family's poverty prevented him from finding a suitable bride. Frustrated, his son left for a rubber plantation with dreams of making a fortune. From then on, Old Hawk lived in loneliness with his faithful dog, Yellow, his son's only legacy. However, poverty continued to haunt Old Hawk, forcing him to sell Yellow, whom he treated like family. Ultimately, to preserve his dignity and the last piece of property for his son, Old Hawk chose to end his life by hanging himself. Old Hawk's life is a tale of struggle against hunger, poverty, and solitude. Nam Cao uses Old Hawk's life to denounce the semi-feudal, semi-colonial society that pushes people to their limits, while also expressing sympathy and compassion for their plight.

Despite living in a society full of injustices and surrounded by poverty, Old Hawk still embodies noble qualities. He is a compassionate father who deeply loves his son. Despite feeling remorse and self-blame for not having enough money for his son's marriage, causing his son to leave for a distant place, Old Hawk never stops loving his son. Therefore, after a severe illness that seemed fatal, when hunger and poverty pushed him to the brink, Old Hawk made a crucial decision. He chose to commit suicide to avoid touching the garden reserved for his son, to preserve the last piece of property that he could leave for his son. While others might do anything to survive when hunger corners them, Old Hawk is different. He would rather die than sell the garden that he dedicated his life to for his son. Old Hawk's love for his son is an infinitely noble and precious fatherly love.

Furthermore, in Old Hawk, one can observe other highly noble qualities, such as kindness, a lifestyle of camaraderie, and self-respect. Old Hawk regards Yellow as his own, cherishing it like 'a rare mother loving her own child'. He pampers and cares for Yellow as if it were his own grandchild. Moreover, he feeds it 'in a bowl like a wealthy person', scolds and embraces it. To him, Yellow is a friend, a confidant, allowing Old Hawk to unload all his worries. Yellow is also a gift, a memory of the only son Old Hawk left behind. Perhaps that's why all the affection Old Hawk feels for his son is bestowed upon Yellow.

This kindness and camaraderie become even more apparent when Old Hawk has to sell Yellow. For poor farmers of the past, dogs were just livestock kept at home for the purpose of slaughter, and Yellow, purchased by Old Hawk's son, serves the same purpose. Yet when Old Hawk finishes selling Yellow, he cries, 'his head tilts to one side and his mouth mumbles like a child. Old Hawk weeps'. Because Old Hawk, with a heavy heart, deceived Yellow, it is this deceit that causes him anguish, remorse, and the painful realization that 'at my age, I deceived a dog'. Few would care about deceiving a dog, especially when hunger is rampant. Old Hawk is different; his kindness is evident in every action, every word. When he accidentally deceives a dog, he deeply regrets and torments himself. Old Hawk's kindness is so great that even neighbors like Binh Tu - a thief - complain that 'he doesn't like Old Hawk because he's too kind'.

Finally, we see in Old Hawk an incredibly high level of self-respect. Old Hawk respects the teacher, the neighbors, his son, and himself. When hunger and illness rob him of all the savings he has accumulated for so long, pushing him to the brink of death, he arranges for himself a good future. On one hand, he asks the teacher to 'watch over the garden' until his son returns and passes it on to him. On the other hand, he 'gathers' all that can be eaten like 'sweet potatoes, bananas, boiled mung beans, pennywort' in the garden until there is nothing left to eat, then asks Binh Tu for some dog meat. Old Hawk doesn't touch the garden he has set aside for his son, even though selling that garden could provide him with the means to continue living. Old Hawk respects the teacher, the village when he doesn't ask anyone for food, knowing that they, like him, are all struggling in hunger and poverty. Although the teacher has 'secretly helped' Old Hawk a few times, Old Hawk rejects the teacher 'almost rudely'. It is because of Old Hawk's self-respect that he doesn't want to receive help, to owe gratitude to anyone. Old Hawk's self-respect even leads him, an old farmer, to arrange his own future. 'Thirty silver coins plus five silver coins from selling the dog equals thirty dong', Old Hawk asks the teacher, if he 'accidentally dies', to consider it 'a little bit of mine' for relatives to use for funeral expenses. Oh, how can one's life be so well arranged to the point of planning one's own future? Isn't that because of self-respect, not wanting to bother anyone?

Old Hawk is a prime example, a testament to poor farmers who harbor noble qualities. Those farmers live a life of love for their children, kindness, purity, and self-respect, even though their lives are filled with suffering and poverty.