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The story of Tấm Cám is not overly long nor does it have too many complicated plot twists, but to analyze thoroughly the issues that this fairy tale conveys, it surely takes more than just a few pages. The essays below will suggest different ways for students to analyze the journey of struggle for and preservation of happiness of the character Tấm.
Compilation of sample essays Analyzing the Struggle for and Maintenance of Happiness of Tấm in the story Tấm Cám
I. Outline of the essay Analyzing the Struggle for and Maintenance of Happiness of Tấm in the story Tấm Cám
1. Introduction
- Introducing the issue needing discussion
2. Body
2.1. Development of conflicts between Tấm and the stepmother Cám
- Stage 1: Tấm's journey to happiness.
+ Cám deceives Tấm, pouring all of Tấm's shrimp into her basket to claim the reward.
Tấm bursts into tears, and suddenly, a deity appears, giving her a carp.
+ Mother and step-sister Cám trick Tấm into herding buffalo in a distant field to kill the carp. Tấm cries. A deity appears, instructing Tấm to place the fish bones in four jars buried at the four corners of her bed.
+ Wicked aunt mixes rice with rice husks, preventing Tấm from attending the festival. Tấm weeps. A deity appears, sending a flock of sparrows to help pick out the rice husks.
+ Tấm lacks fine clothes for the festival. Tấm feels dejected and cries. A deity appears, providing Tấm with clothes, a scarf, shoes, and a horse carriage. Tấm meets the king, loses her slipper, and luckily becomes the queen.
=> In this stage, the conflict mainly revolves around material and spiritual gains. Tấm is robbed blatantly by her step-family of her labor, rewards, and spiritual joy.
=> Tấm remains passive, unable to resolve conflicts on her own and relying on the deity. The timely appearance of the deity demonstrates the support of the people for the weak.
=> The conflict resolution process leans towards good triumphing over evil, and virtue encountering fortune.
=> Tấm emerges as an orphaned, sorrowful, pitiful girl, gentle, only crying when oppressed. Mother and step-sister Cám are lazy, envious, cruel, but at this stage, they only stop at jealousy, envy, without any destructive actions yet.
- Stage 2: The path of struggling for Tấm's happiness.
+ Tấm returns home for her father's death anniversary, tricked by mother and step-sister Cám into climbing a betel tree, then they chop down the tree. Tấm falls and dies, Cám takes her place in the palace.
+ Tấm transforms into a golden bird, signifying her presence in the world. Mother and step-sister Cám kill the bird for meat.
+ Tấm transforms into a peach tree, providing shade for the king. Mother and step-sister Cám chop down the tree, using it for firewood.
+ Tấm transforms into an evil spirit on the firewood, directly declaring war against the enemy. Mother and step-sister Cám burn the firewood.
+ Tấm transforms into a diligent fruit, daily cleaning and cooking for the water seller, then meets the king again and returns to become queen. Mother and step-sister Cám are astonished and die tragically.
=> Stage 2, intense conflicts, one loses and one remains revolving around the throne.
=> Tấm is always proactive, fighting fiercely and resolutely. Tấm no longer cries, no longer receives help from the Deity, the transformations of Tấm show relentless combat, the indomitable vitality of goodness.
=> Conflicts are also resolved in favor of good over evil.
=> Tấm transforms from a timid, weak girl into a strong, brave, and resilient fighter to seize happiness, eradicate evil. Mother and step-sister Cám are greedy, cruel, relentlessly hunting Tấm.
2. 2. The essence of conflict, confrontation
- Stemming from the family conflict: Step-aunt - step-son relationship
+ Tấm and Cám are half-sisters with different mothers
+ Tấm and the step-aunt's son are stepchildren
=> This is a common conflict in society.
- Reflects the social conflict between good and evil.
+ Tấm represents characters on the good side: Kind, gentle, suffering, pitiful always receiving help, daring to stand up against evil
+ Lazy, cruel, and heartless, Mother and daughter Cám
=> Reflecting the people's belief in retribution, evil begets evil, and the dream of a just society.
2.3. Tấm's revenge actions
- Tấm returns to the palace, becomes queen, and becomes even more beautiful
- Cám is astonished, longing to be as beautiful as her sister. Tấm shows Cám how to get down into a pit, pours boiling water to make her skin white, then she dies
- Seeing this, Mother Cám also collapses and dies
=> This action aligns with Tấm's growth process: From gentle and submissive to strong and determined in fighting against evil, ultimately punishing it
=> Consistent with the people's belief: Good begets good, evil begets retribution
2.4. Artistic highlights
- Constructing conflicts and conflicts in a progressive direction
- Clearly delineating two distinct lines of good and evil characters
- Utilizing traditional motifs: the motif of the unique object (the fish, the shoe, the fruit, the brocade), the motif of transformation,...
- Utilizing elements of wonder: mythical characters (Fairy), magical objects (Fish bone, flock of sparrows), Tấm's transformations.
3. Conclusion
- Summarizing the issue
II. Exemplary Essay Depicting the Character of a Prison Guard in 'The Prisoner'
Essay 1
European fairy tales, similar to Vietnam's Tấm Cám, often conclude with the orphan girl marrying the prince and living happily ever after. However, Tấm Cám goes beyond this common ending, adding another chapter to the character's life. Tấm becomes the queen but is still targeted by evil. The virtuous Tấm, who dutifully climbed the areca palm to pick fruit for her father's offering, is killed by Cám and her daughter. Yet, Tấm, gentle and innocent, rises stronger and more determined, publicly opposing evil to pursue happiness. This struggle is challenging and captivating for listeners and readers of fairy tales. Because in life, what the weak and helpless orphan cannot do, Tấm does for them, fulfilling the principle of 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' to the fullest.
Tấm, known for her gentle nature, was ruthlessly attacked by her wicked stepmother who chopped down a tree to kill her. Instead of succumbing to death, she transformed into a golden bird, flew to the king's palace, and signaled her presence with a reminder, 'Wash your husband's clothes thoroughly and dry them on bamboo poles, not on the fence.' However, she met her demise as the golden bird. Tấm then metamorphosed into a apricot tree (the scaffold), declaring war on her enemy more fiercely by saying, 'Take your sister's embroidery frame, gouge her eyes out.' Unfortunately, the scaffold was burned down. From the ashes, Tấm returned to life as a betel nut (the betel), embodying patience and courage. Perhaps within Tấm, the gentle and indomitable character of Vietnamese women from ancient times converged.
Tấm, embodying goodness, refused to die silently under the injustice. She rose up, while evil sought to destroy her by any means necessary. Her numerous deaths and resurrections reflected the fierce nature of the battle between good and evil, demonstrating the resilient vitality of goodness that cannot be extinguished. Could Tấm die and come back to life, could she transform herself to return to the world? It was the compassionate and empathetic common people who could not bear to see a virtuous girl like Tấm unjustly perish silently. They lent elements of wonder, infusing vibrant life into the character, nurturing the latent vitality within her, prompting the character to rise and 'seek vengeance for freedom.' The people imbued Tấm with their intense consciousness to pursue and secure their happiness.
The golden bird, apricot tree (the scaffold), and betel nut (the betel) were the places where Tấm entrusted her soul, also representing simple and beloved objects in the rustic life. They also portrayed the beauty of the countryside, adding aesthetic charm to the story. In the earlier part of the tale, whenever Tấm cried, the Fairy often appeared and bestowed miraculous items. However, in the latter part, although Tấm faced fiercer struggles with evil, she no longer cried, nor did she see the Fairy's presence. Instead, Tấm continued to act relentlessly against her enemies. It was the common laboring people, those with a fate like Tấm's, those who understood and sympathized with her suffering, who infused the character with an intense awareness to fight for and maintain their happiness. Behind the story lies a truth: Happiness endures only when we bravely pursue and protect it. Therefore, here, the golden bird, scaffold, and betel (wondrous elements) did not replace Tấm in the battle but served as places for her transformation, temporarily concealing her to return and fight against evil more fiercely.
After many transformations battling her enemies, Tấm returned to her life, to the simple rural life, still the capable girl deftly weaving the phoenix wing betel piece. Thanks to the betel, the king recognized his capable wife and brought Tấm back to the palace. The betel is a familiar image in Vietnamese cultural life, associated with marriage customs such as 'The betel symbolizes the daughter-in-law's entry into the groom's family,' 'The betel tastes as sweet as sugar, once eaten, it should be cherished.'... The betel symbolizes destiny in this way, appearing in the reunion of the king and Tấm.
After numerous deaths and resurrections in various forms, Tấm seemed to understand that complete happiness could not exist as long as evil persisted, as long as Cám and her mother were present. She deceived Cám into digging her own grave, boiling hot water, and then sought death herself. This ending reflects the folk wisdom of 'evil begets evil,' aligning with the people's desire for thorough punishment of their enemies. Finally, happiness returned to Tấm as a precious gift for her loyalty and courage.
Tấm's multiple transformations and return to her life represent vivid expressions of social justice and happiness. The virtuous must receive happiness, while the wicked must be punished; this is the law of human compassion and love. Laborers do not wait for vague and beautiful happiness in another realm but seek and maintain true happiness right on their familiar land, in the earthly realm. Tấm's transformations embody many profound folk truths about happiness and struggle, as a poet wrote:
Not falling into mud, oh the fruits of our homeland,
To avoid mud and becoming mud for countless lifetimes
Falling into someone's hands is the law,
Of struggle and compassion in Vietnam.
When discussing Tấm's embodiment, some attribute it to the influence of the Buddhist reincarnation theory (reincarnation: continuous cycle. After death, a being will transform into another: Human, object, plant... to repay debts for past transgressions). But if borrowing from the reincarnation theory, the Tấm Cám story merely adopts the form to express dreams, optimism of the laboring people. Because Buddhist reincarnation is to endure suffering for past life's sins, then seek happiness in the distant, blissful Nirvana. Whereas Tấm dies and lives multiple times not to endure suffering, nor to seek vague happiness in Nirvana but to decisively strive for and maintain her true happiness in this world. It's the optimism, love for life, and practical spirit of the laboring people when creating folk tales.
The fierce battle between Tấm and the stepmother and stepsisters was arduous, resolute but ultimately Tấm emerged victorious. It's the inevitable triumph of goodness, of humanitarianism and optimism according to the people's beliefs. The happily-ever-after ending in fairy tales reflects the aspirations of folk authors. Most fairy tales have happy endings: the poor become wealthy, the widowed find love again and live happily, the ugly, deformed become beautiful, the most oppressed rise to the highest position, become king or queen... That ending brings light and romantic beauty to fairy tales, making them exceptionally appealing to every generation, reflecting the optimism, love for life, and desire for goodness of the laboring people of old Vietnam. Poor Tấm, abused, died and lived again, finally destroyed evil, reunited with her husband, returned to become queen alongside kind, benevolent people. That ending also embodies the dreams of poor laborers, a picture of an ideal society with a 'kind king, capable subjects'. In that dream society, kind, virtuous laborers enjoy happiness.
Like many other folk tales, the story of Tấm Cám has various versions. The versions from the medieval era typically end with Tấm killing Cám, sending her head back to the stepmother. The stepmother praises the dish until she finishes eating, only to realize her daughter's head at the bottom of the pot, dead. Some were satisfied with this punishment because Tấm represented goodness in destroying evil, embodying the people's belief in absolute victory, self-eliminating the enemy. However, in modern times, the nature of punishment has changed, making many feel horrified and unimpressed with a less noble Tấm. Thus, the fairy tale of Tấm Cám continues its historical fate through oral tradition, with the narrative adapted to fit modern aesthetic needs and beliefs.
Article Number 2
Fairy tales are one of the genres that have left deep impressions on readers with many profound stories, carrying many humanitarian meanings. Our ancestors used these fairy tales to educate their descendants, to teach them more about the law of cause and effect in life. Alongside folk songs, proverbs, fairy tales are the literary genre that children encounter most before delving into the vast world of literature. Tấm Cám is an extremely familiar story that perhaps everyone has heard or read, offering profound life lessons. The most prominent aspect is the struggle for and preservation of happiness by the character Tấm - an orphaned, gentle girl oppressed by her stepmother.
Usually, in other fairy tales, the gentle girl eventually marries a prince and lives happily ever after in the royal palace. But with Tấm Cám, the story doesn't stop at that common ending but continues with another stage of the character's life. Tấm becomes queen but is still destroyed by the stepmother and stepsisters. A virtuous, filial girl who climbs trees to pick fruits for her father is killed by the stepmother and stepsisters. Tấm, upon falling, rises stronger and more determined, openly opposing evil to demand happiness. That struggle is arduous yet captivating for listeners, readers because in life, what the weak orphan cannot do, Tấm does for them to settle scores to the end.
When the stepmother sent Tấm to fetch shrimp, Cám tricked Tấm into putting all the shrimp in her basket to claim the reward. Tấm cried, and a deity appeared, giving her a carp. But when Cám found out Tấm was raising the carp under the well, she tricked Tấm into herding buffalo in a distant field to slaughter the carp. When Tấm couldn't find the carp, she cried, and the deity told her to put the fish bones in four jars buried at the four bedposts. Not wanting Tấm to attend the festival, the stepmother mixed rice and grain together, letting Tấm pick them out before allowing her to go. Tấm cried, and the deity provided her with clothes, shoes, a horse-drawn carriage. Tấm went to meet the king but accidentally dropped her slipper and luckily became queen. The conflict in this section mainly revolves around envy, material and spiritual gain. Tấm's labor and rewards, joy, and spiritual rewards were blatantly seized by the stepmother and stepsisters. Being a gentle girl, alone, Tấm always remained passive, unable to resolve conflicts herself, relying on the deity. The timely appearance of the deity shows the people's support for the weak. Kindness will surely encounter kindness, those who live only for themselves, devise schemes to harm others will eventually be punished. Tấm emerges as a gentle, orphaned girl, suffering, only crying when oppressed. The stepmother lazy, jealous, cruel, but it stops at jealousy, envy, without actions of destruction.
Upon becoming queen and residing in the palace, on the anniversary of Tấm's father's death, she was lured by the stepmother and Cám to climb a betel nut tree, then they cut down the betel nut tree, causing Tấm to fall to her death, and Cám was brought into the palace as a replacement. Tấm transformed into a golden bird, symbolizing her presence in the world. The stepmother and Cám killed the bird. Tấm transformed into a peach tree, providing shade for the king. The stepmother and Cám immediately cut down the tree, making it into firewood. Tấm transformed into a fruit tree, coming out every day to clean, cook rice for the water seller, then met the king again and returned to become queen. The stepmother and Cám were stunned and died horribly. In this stage, intense conflicts revolve around the queen's position. Tấm is always proactive, fighting fiercely and determinedly. Tấm no longer cries, no longer receives help from the deity, her transformations show uncompromising struggle, the relentless vitality of goodness. Tấm, from a gentle, weak girl, becomes strong, brave, resilient, fighting to gain happiness, eradicate evil. The stepmother and Cám are greedy, cruel, hunting down Tấm to the end.
The essence of conflict and confrontation stems from conflicts within the stepfamily - stepmother and stepchild. This is a common conflict in society. Tấm represents characters on the good, gentle, weak, pitiful line, always receiving help, daring to stand up against evil. The stepmother is lazy, heartless, cruel. Reflecting the people's belief in good encountering good, evil begetting evil, and the dream of a just society. After many transformations to fight the enemy, Tấm returns to life, to the simple countryside, still a capable girl with the betel chew in hand and the phoenix wing broom. Thanks to the betel chew, the king recognizes his worthy wife and brings Tấm back to the palace. The betel chew is a familiar image in Vietnamese cultural life, associated with marriage customs 'The betel chew is the daughter-in-law's entrance to the family,' 'The betel chew, as sweet as sugar, once eaten, is to be cherished.'... The betel chew symbolizes fate, and its presence in the reunion of the king and Tấm.
The multiple transformations and return to Tấm's life vividly express the belief in social justice and happiness. The good always receives happiness, while the evil is sure to be punished, which is the law of humanitarianism, love for humanity. Workers don't wait for beautiful happiness and vague dreams in another realm but seek and maintain true happiness right on their familiar land, in the earthly world. These transformations of Tấm encapsulate many profound folk philosophical principles about happiness.
The battle between Tấm and the stepmother and step-siblings was extremely difficult and determined, but in the end, Tấm also won. It is the inevitable victory of goodness, of humanity and optimism according to the people's belief. A happy ending in fairy tales is a manifestation of the dreams of folk authors. Most fairy tales have happy endings, the poor will become wealthy, the widowed will find happiness again, the ugly and deformed will become beautiful, those most oppressed will rise to the highest position, become king or queen... Such endings bring light and romantic beauty to fairy tales, making them especially attractive to every generation, reflecting the optimistic spirit, love of life, and the longing for beauty, goodness of the Vietnamese working people of the past. Cinderella, poor and abused, died and resurrected many times, finally destroyed evil, reunited with her husband, returned to become queen among kind-hearted, good-natured people. That ending also carries the dream of changing the lives of poor workers, a picture of an ideal society with 'a kind king, competent I'. In that dream society, kind, virtuous workers deserve happiness.
The story constructs conflicts, escalates conflicts, building two clear good-evil character lines. Using miraculous elements: divine characters (the Deity), divine objects (fish bones, flock of sparrows), Tấm's transformations. Through the work, folk authors convey profound beliefs: Good encounters good, evil begets evil. At the same time, the story also reflects the conflicts within the ancient family. From an orphaned girl being persecuted to death and resurrection many times, in the end, Tấm still holds onto the queen's throne, demonstrating the power of goodness against evil.
Article Number 3
Among the spiritual values nurturing and refreshing the childhood of every Vietnamese, the fairy tale world has always been seen as a magical cradle containing profound lessons and meanings. One of the familiar stories that illustrates this is the fairy tale 'Tấm Cám'. By highlighting the fate and journey to happiness of the character Tấm, folk authors have conveyed to readers across generations beliefs about the triumph of goodness over evil.
Through the pages of the story, readers can see Tấm appearing with an unfortunate fate. First and foremost, she is an orphaned girl whose mother passed away, then her father also died. Living with the stepmother and Cám, Tấm had to endure great bitterness and hardship. Placing Tấm's fate in the relationship of 'stepmother - stepson,' we can see all the disadvantages and misfortunes. Our ancestors once said:
'For generations, dumplings have bones
For generations, stepmothers still love their stepsons'
The verse clearly illustrates the contradiction in the relationship of 'stepmother - stepson' existing in society at that time. Therefore, while Cám enjoyed good things, receiving love and care, Tấm had to endure the bitterness and coldness of the stepmother. Tấm had to work hard day and night, being exploited both physically and mentally. To prevent Tấm from attending the festival, Cám and her mother plotted to mix rice and rice grains. When they saw Tấm caring for the fish every day as a consolation, Cám and her mother killed the fish, even ruthlessly cut down the betel nut tree, to achieve their own evil ambitions by depriving Tấm of her life.
Tấm's fate also clearly shows the contradiction between good and evil existing in society at that time. Not only exploiting Tấm's labor, but Cám and her mother also took away small spiritual comforts such as killing the fish - the friend that the Deity gave Tấm, and even ruthlessly cutting down the betel nut tree to harm Tấm in order to deprive the orphan girl of her personal happiness.
But in the end, Tấm reclaimed and safeguarded her own happiness. So how did Tấm's path to happiness unfold? First and foremost, happiness came to Tấm because of her kindness, goodness, and diligence, so she received help from the Deity. When being mistreated by Cám and her mother, Tấm could only cry and show her weakness and vulnerability in the face of evil and cruelty. At such times, the Deity suddenly appeared, bringing magical help to the kind and unfortunate orphan girl, summoning sparrows to help and giving Tấm beautiful gifts like clothes to attend the festival...
But then, Tấm rose up to fight for her personal happiness actively through multiple transformations. Tấm successively transformed into a golden bird - a peach tree - a wooden frame - a persimmon. The once tearful Tấm, who only knew how to 'cry with her face buried,' with her passive endurance and waiting for help from divine and supernatural forces, boldly stepped forward to expose the wrongdoing of those who harmed her. When transformed into a golden bird, Tấm sang:
'Wash my husband's clothes
Hang them out to dry
But don't hang them on the fence
Or tear my husband's clothes'
The verses above depict Tấm's awareness of her stolen happiness. And when she was further harmed twice, when transformed into a wooden frame, Tấm boldly declared: 'Take the painting, sister - Dig your eyes out'. Finally, after all, Tấm returned to her human form intact and enjoyed her deserved happiness. Although the transformations still carried a strong element of fantasy, through that process, we see the latent vitality awakening. The once passive Tấm became stronger, realizing the wicked schemes and cruel intentions of Cám and her mother and fought more fiercely.
Through the relationship between Tấm's unfortunate fate and her path to happiness, the story has demonstrated profound lessons. First and foremost, the journey has clearly shown our people's dream of a just and beautiful society. It is the realization, the actualization of the working people's dream of the triumph of good over evil. At the same time, the happy ending of the story also clearly reflects the characteristic mindset of fairy tales about the belief in 'Good begets good', 'You reap what you sow'.
Although the era of legends and fairy tales has long passed, the educational lessons it embodies remain valuable. While the storylines have been folded, Tấm's journey from passive endurance to actively standing up to struggle still captivates readers of all generations, leaving behind deeply profound meanings.
Article 4
Being Vietnamese, in our childhood, who hasn't heard the story of Tấm Cám and the image of Tấm, the orphan girl, yearning for a peach blossom bodice, sitting by the well crying for the lost bird, pitied and touched many kind hearts. The story of the Orphan Girl is very familiar in Vietnamese and foreign fairy tales, where Tấm Cám is a popular story. In France, there's Cinderella, in Germany, there's Cinderella, in China, there's Maid of the Butterfly, in Thailand, there's the Golden Fish, in Myanmar, there's the Turtle Story, in Cambodia, there's Neang-Cantóc... Many ethnic minorities in Vietnam also have similar stories to Tấm Cám: Tua Gia Tua Nhi (Tày), Ý Ưởi Ý Noọng (Thai), Gầu Nà - Gầu Rềnh (Mông), Đôi giày vàng (Cham), Ứ and Cao (H're), Gơ liu- Gơ lát (Xơ Đăng)... different from similar stories to Tấm Cám in the West, often about unfortunate orphan girls, diligent and kind, who enter the palace, marry the prince and end there. The story of Tấm Cám also has a second part, reflecting the difficult and fierce struggle to gain and keep Tấm's happiness. Both parts of the story reflect the people's dream of good overcoming evil and the people's dream of happiness of the Vietnamese working people of the past. The fate and path to happiness of the orphan girl.
The story tells that Tấm's mother died when she was just learning to walk, the narrative has defined Tấm's orphaned status. In the midst of the sadness of a child, perhaps the most painful deprivation is the lack of a mother. There is a saying 'Father died eating fish and rice, mother died licking hair' to summarize the extreme pain and suffering of a motherless orphan. Being fatherless is already hard, being motherless is even more disadvantaged, much more painful. All of Tấm's pain stems from her relationship with her mother and her stepmother. The lonely Tấm only knows how to cry whenever she is mistreated. Being deceived by Cám, losing the basket of shrimp, losing hope of having a peach blossom bodice, Tấm cries. The peach blossom bodice is just a small gift, but for poor, orphaned Tấm, at the age of blossoming, never receiving any gifts, it is truly precious. Therefore, it seems that Tấm cries not only because she lost the peach blossom bodice but also because the little hope of receiving love also disappeared. Being deceived into herding distant buffalo while Cám's mother stayed home to cook the little shrimp, Tấm cries again. The little shrimp, cared for and cherished by her, shared in the humble meal, is a tender need, a need for care and sharing for the orphan girl. Therefore, killing the shrimp was not to satisfy the greed of Cám's mother but to torture Tấm, to destroy the emotional support of the orphan girl. The lump of blood on the well's surface is silent evidence of the cruelty, the brutality of the act of killing the shrimp. The third time Tấm cries is when she is not allowed to attend the village festival. The stepmother mixes rice with rice husks and makes Tấm pick them out. Here, the abuse doesn't need to be concealed like before. The village festival is the happiest day of the year. Everyone from old to young, rich to poor gets to go to the festival and share in the collective joy, yet Tấm alone is forced to stay home, making her even more isolated. Tấm cries again, and it seems like her cries once again elevate her pain.
Tấm's poignant plight in the ancient fairy tale reflects the common destiny of the poor and virtuous orphans in society. The conflict between Tấm and her wicked stepmother and stepsisters is not merely a familial discord but a vivid portrayal of the struggle between good and evil in life. Tấm embodies the diligent, virtuous, and compassionate character, undertaking tasks such as gathering baskets of shrimp, tending distant herds of buffalo, and sacrificing her own meals to nourish her pet... Evil manifests through the actions of her stepmother and stepsisters: deceitfully depriving Tấm of her cherished dream of a peach blossom bodice, covertly murdering her pet bird, and sabotaging her joy of attending village festivals. Tấm's pitiful cries in the face of oppression and coercion resonate deeply with kind-hearted individuals, evoking empathy and solidarity.
The more goodness is suppressed and oppressed, the more rampant evil becomes, exacerbating the profound conflict between good and evil, rendering reconciliation impossible and necessitating change.
Magical fairy tales typically resolve such conflicts by ensuring that goodness ultimately triumphs over evil and that the most virtuous individuals find happiness. The path to happiness for the protagonist embodies the distinctive trend of conflict resolution in fairy tales. To address these conflicts, fairy tales often employ elements of fantasy.
Truyện Tấm Cám, giải quyết mối xung đột thiện - ác cũng theo hướng thiện thắng ác và nhờ sự giúp sức của nhân vật Bụt. Bụt thường xuất hiện đúng lúc mỗi khi Tấm khóc, an ủi, nâng đỡ cô mỗi khi Tấm gặp khó khăn hay đau khổ. Tấm mất yếm đào - Bụt cho cá bống. Tấm mất bống - Bụt cho hi vọng đổi đời. Tấm không được đi hội - Bụt cho chim sẻ đến giúp Tấm, đưa Tấm đến hội, gặp nhà vua, được làm hoàng hậu và đạt đến đỉnh cao hạnh phúc. Bụt (tên gọi dân gian của Phật) vốn là nhân vật của Phật giáo, đã được dân gian hóa, trở thành ông lão hiền lành, tốt bụng, nhiều quyền năng, xuất hiện đúng lúc để nâng đỡ mơ ước, chữa lại số phận hẩm hiu cho người nghèo. Cùng với Bụt, con gà biết cảm thông với Tâm, chim sẻ biết giúp Tấm nhặt thóc ra thóc, gạo ra gạo, cũng là yếu tố kì ảo, trợ giúp Tâm trên đường tới hạnh phúc. Hoàng hậu Tấm là hình ảnh cao nhất về hạnh phúc mà nhân dân có thể mơ ước cho cô gái mồ côi nghèo, cô đơn trong xã hội xưa.
The suffering of orphans is indeed real and widespread, while the happiness they experience is often elusive, mostly confined to dreams. To convey the aspiration for happiness through orphaned characters, fairy tales 'remedy' their unfortunate fates. This reflects the optimistic spirit, the zest for life, and the hope for a future of justice and democracy for the working people.
In the tale of Tấm Cám in Vietnam and similar stories from abroad, orphaned girls find happiness through enchanted shoes, treasures that bring direct fortune. A lost shoe enables kings or princes to recognize the beauty within and marry them. The symbolism of shoes in various cultures signifies destiny and serves as a token of trust exchanged between couples before marriage. German grooms traditionally gift their fiancées a pair of shoes during engagement ceremonies. In China, even before knowing their future husbands, girls stitch fabric or weave straw shoes as their first gift. In Vietnam, while shoes lack a specific meaning of destiny, upon hearing that whoever fits the shoes will become queen, 'women and girls at festivals jostle to try them on'. Trying on shoes symbolizes testing one's luck! Who doesn't dream of happiness, and who would forego the chance to seek it? By trying on shoes, they hope for serendipitous fortune to lead them to a brighter future. However, fairy tales never rely on chance for the unfortunate. Only the most deserving receive the happiness bestowed by fate. Behind the tranquil village facade lies a wealth of romantic and miraculous dreams harbored by the impoverished, brought to vivid life through storytelling.
Through diligence and kindness, Tấm receives assistance from the Fairy, transforming from a poor orphan girl into a queen. This path to happiness mirrors that of virtuous characters like Tấm in European and global fairy tales. On one hand, it reflects the dream of good overcoming evil; on the other hand, it illustrates the principle of 'good begets good,' a common theme in fairy tales.
