Reflection on the Short Story Vi Hành by Nguyễn Ái Quốc

Prompt: Reflection on the Short Story Vi Hành by Nguyễn Ái Quốc

Outline and Sample Writing: Appreciation of the Short Story Vi Hành by Nguyễn Ái Quốc, Engaging and Captivating

I. Outline Appreciation of the Short Story Vi Hành by Nguyễn Ái Quốc

1. Introduction

Introducing the author and the work.

2. The Royal Odyssey

a. The Royal Quest:
- The term 'Royal Odyssey' denotes a positive endeavor where the monarch willingly departs from the confines of the palace to immerse in the lives of commoners, seeking to understand their injustices and hardships.
- In Khai Dinh's case, however, his 'Royal Odyssey' to France unveils a deeply satirical undertone. He ventures to France not to empathize but to indulge, in a manner deemed disgraceful and contemptible.
- The French translation of the title, meaning 'a secret, unknown to all', exposes the king's folly and humiliation abroad. Despite his airs of grandeur, he's merely a jest for foreign lands.

b. Khai Dinh's Persona in the Eyes of the French Citizens:
- The narrative commences with a rather comical scenario: A young French couple mistakes the author for King Khai Dinh, proceeding to offer blunt and somewhat malicious remarks, presuming the 'I' character to be ignorant of French.
- Khai Dinh cuts a peculiar and amusing figure:
+ He adorns his head with a 'lampshade-like hat wrapped in a scarf' and fingers adorned with numerous rings, reminiscent of rustic charm.

c. Khai Dinh's Persona from the Author's Perspective:
- Contrasted with renowned Eastern monarchs who embarked on Western journeys, such as Thuận and Pi-e, the author ironically compares Khai Dinh's 'Royal Odyssey'.
- This king embarks on a journey not on native soil but in France, perhaps to witness if the 'model country' enjoys the same luxuries of alcohol and opium as his subjects in the southern lands, under his rule.
- Khai Dinh's folly and ineptitude lie in his naive, feeble attempts to cling to power out of fear of losing his throne, forsaking his people to suffer under the weight of alcohol, opium, and heavy taxation.
- Oblivious to his status as a captive in need of supervision, he remains unaware of the covert surveillance, panicking at the slightest threat to his 'golden skin', while his subjects fret over his 'safety'.

3. Conclusion

Expressing overall impressions.

II. Sample Essay: Reflection on Vi Hành Short Story by Nguyen Ai Quoc

In addition to a illustrious political and military career, Ho Chi Minh also cultivated a diverse and rich literary career spanning various genres. Throughout President Ho's life, his literary endeavors actively and effectively served the arduous revolutionary cause. During the early revolutionary years, President Ho spent significant time abroad, assuming the persona of Nguyen Ai Quoc, leaving behind notable works primarily characterized by satire, critique, and vehement condemnation of the French colonial regime and corrupt feudal authorities. Vi Hành short story stands out as a quintessential piece within this theme, delicately satirizing the weakness and cowardice of King Khai Dinh with a humorous yet profound narrative tone. Simultaneously, it reflects the attitude and vision of Ho Chi Minh during that period.

The mockery begins with the title 'Royal Odyssey', chosen by the publisher, which originally signifies a noble endeavor of the monarch departing from the palace and lavish lifestyle to immerse in the lives of the common people, to observe, understand their injustices, and seek ways to improve them. It can be said that 'royal odyssey' is the act of a wise and compassionate leader. However, upon scrutinizing Khai Dinh's 'royal odyssey' in the work, we discover a profound mockery. Khai Dinh's journey to France is not to understand the lives of the people but clearly to revel and indulge, hardly befitting the term 'royal odyssey'. The mockery extends beyond the Vietnamese title; it is evident through the French title, which translates to 'secret, unknown', exposing the king's folly and disgrace on French soil, where he may appear grand but is merely a spectacle for foreign nations.

The story unfolds with a humorous scenario, as the author presents a vivid and objective portrait of the main character of the short story - King Khai Dinh. The story takes place on an electric train, where a young French couple mistakes the author for King Khai Dinh. They clandestinely observe the An Nam guest with 'hostile' gazes and 'sinister and curious' eyes, offering unabashed remarks, even with a hint of malice, presuming the character 'I' is ignorant of French. Consequently, the character Khai Dinh emerges with a very objective and fresh perspective, the perspective of the French people. He is depicted as a person with a truly peculiar and humorous demeanor in the young couple's discussion, imagined with a head adorned with a 'lampshade-like hat wrapped in a scarf, fingers adorned with numerous rings', a rustic appearance. His face is far from refined with a 'flat nose', 'crossed eyes', and a 'puffy face like a lemon peel'. His behavior and gestures are clumsy, timid, 'shy', 'clumsy', appearing no different from a thief with ill intentions. Even the witty young couple make a humorous deduction about the guest they are covertly observing, assuming that today the An Nam king is not bedecked in gold and silver, jewelry, and even the lampshade because he must have pawned them all at the pawnshop due to poverty. Especially, the girl humorously remarks that 'he made me laugh even more when he put on the whole silk costume, complete with pearl beads'. Clearly, in the eyes of the two foreign guests, representing the whole French nation, the An Nam king is no different or noteworthy compared to other An Nam people, and perhaps he only becomes more eye-catching in his guise of a clown, a third-rate circus performer in the streets of Paris. Khai Dinh stands on French soil as a king, but evidently in the conversation of the young couple, the French do not see him as a king; instead, he resembles a clown, a person sought after by journalists to find absurdities to report. Ironically, King Khai Dinh in France is not even worth as much as a clown from Saigon, as to watch a Saigon clown's performance, one must pay, whereas Khai Dinh freely performs comedic, absurd plays for the French people, without any contribution. A king in the eyes of the 'model country', yet he becomes cheap, feeble, no different from a puppet being manipulated, what's more humiliating and sorrowful for the people of An Nam.