The Destiny of Women in 'The Tale of the Southern Girl' and Excerpts from 'The Tale of Kieu'

Topic: The Destiny of Women in 'The Tale of the Southern Girl' and Excerpts from 'The Tale of Kieu'

The Fate of Women in 'The Tale of the Southern Girl' and Excerpts from 'The Tale of Kieu'
 

I. Outline of The Fate of Women in 'The Tale of the Southern Girl' and Excerpts from 'The Tale of Kieu'

1. Introduction

Introduce the analyzed issue.

2. Body

a. The Fate of Women in 'The Tale of the Southern Girl.'

* Admirable Qualities:
- Despite poverty, she possesses exquisite beauty and noble character.
- When her husband goes to war far from home, the mother-in-law, out of love for her son, takes care of her as if she were her own daughter. When the mother-in-law passes away, she diligently organizes the funeral.
- Alone, she gives birth and wholeheartedly cares for her young son, remaining faithful while waiting for her husband's return.

* Unfortunate Fate:
- Despite her efforts to fulfill her duties at her husband's home, she still has to be cautious due to the husband's jealousy.
- After enduring hardship waiting for her husband's return, a thoughtless remark by her son leads to false accusations, and she, to protect her honor, chooses to end her life.
- Lack of trust from her husband, societal prejudices, and the constrained role of women in feudal society lead to their easy victimization and significant disadvantages.

b. The Fate of Women in 'The Tale of Kieu:'

* Circumstances of Thuy Kieu:
- Thuy Kieu is the daughter of a wealthy family, blessed with exquisite beauty, exceptional literary talent, and musical proficiency. She is a well-rounded and absolute epitome of femininity in Vietnamese literature.
- Thuy Kieu has the freedom to choose a beautiful love with Kim Trong, and both even engage in an engagement.

* Fragile Fate, the Beautiful but Ill-fated Beauty:
- The Kieu family faces a great calamity, Thuy Kieu's father and brother are captured, and she is forced to sacrifice her love for Kim Trong to redeem her father and brother. She is betrayed by Kim Trong, and her younger sister Thuy Van repays the debt on her behalf.
- The fate of women in the feudal system is indeed fragile and insignificant. One day, she was a noble young lady, and the next day, she became a commodity, sold as a concubine to Ma Giam Sinh, a man old enough to be her father, enduring the pain of leaving her family and abandoning her first love.

3. Conclusion

1. Overview of the Values of Two Works

II. Sample Essay The Fate of Women in 'The Tale of the Southern Girl' and excerpts from 'The Tale of Kieu'

Medieval literature from the 16th century onwards marked a new trend in the perception of women's status under the feudal system. Despite living in different eras, Nguyen Du and Nguyen Du share a commonality in their works: a compassionate understanding for the humble and vulnerable fate of women under the ancient and outdated feudal system. This sentiment is evident in their renowned works, such as 'The Tale of the Girl from Nam Xương' (part of Nguyen Du's Miscellaneous Records) and excerpts from 'The Tale of Kieu' (Nguyen Du).

Firstly, let's talk about the fate of women in 'The Tale of the Girl from Nam Xương' by Nguyen Du. First, we discuss the admirable qualities of Vu Nuong. Though born into a poor family, she is a beautiful woman with noble character. Truong Sinh, the son of a wealthy family, pursues her, spending a considerable sum to marry her. However, the tranquil married life is short-lived as her husband is drafted to fight a distant war, leaving her pregnant and her elderly mother-in-law behind. Despite being a virtuous daughter-in-law, Vu Nuong has to be cautious due to her husband's jealousy.

Two hundred years later, Nguyen Du emerged as a bright star in the medieval literature of Vietnam, with most of his works carrying profound humanitarian ideas, primarily focusing on women of talent and beauty facing unfortunate lives. This highlights a clear truth that, after more than two centuries, the fate, role, and value of women under the feudal system have remained unchanged. They continue to endure injustice, pain, and resentment, often unnoticed and uncompassionate to their lives, except by a few intellectuals and poets with enlightened views like Nguyen Du, Nguyen Gia Thieu, Dang Tran Con, and deeply conscious female poets such as Ho Xuan Huong and Doan Thi Diem.

Through two representative works depicting the fate of women in the old regime, 'The Tale of the Southern Girl' and 'The Tale of Kieu,' we observe that ancient women suffered too much injustice and hardship in their lives. They had no freedom, no right to pursue happiness, and were not valued. Whether beautiful or ugly, rich or poor, their lives were tied to the words 'fragile' and 'drifting,' not knowing where they would end up. Today, in a changed society, revisiting these stories makes us appreciate, love, and empathize even more with the pitiful, heart-wrenching fate of countless women in bygone eras.

The article 'The Fate of Women in the Stories of the Southern Girl and Excerpts from The Tale of Kieu' provides fundamental analyses of the fate of women in two renowned works, 'The Tale of the Southern Girl' and 'The Tale of Kieu.' For a deeper understanding of these two works, I invite you to explore additional articles such as 'Appreciation of The Tale of the Southern Girl', 'Analysis of The Tale of the Southern Girl,' 'Excerpt Analysis: Mã Giám Sinh buying Kieu,' and 'Analysis of Thuy Kieu's Emotions in the excerpt Mã Giám Sinh buying Kieu.'