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Prompt: How has the issue of population been depicted in Thái An's Population Problem document
Three compositions elucidate how the issue of population is depicted in Thái An's Population Problem document
1. How has the issue of population been depicted in Thái An's Population Problem document, sample 1:
The peril of rapid population growth—a topic both challenging and dry—has been ingeniously tackled in 'Population Problem,' where the author opted for an engaging and persuasive approach. From the tale of the choosy bridegroom to 64 squares of wheat 'enough to cover the entire surface of the Earth,' readers can vividly envision the staggering pace of population increase in today's world.
The primary concern raised by the author in this document is: Humanity is multiplying exponentially. If the increase in population is not curbed, humans will self-inflict harm.
What astounds the author is: It's surprising how a very modern issue recently brought up (the issue of planned population and family planning) seems to have been addressed since ancient times.
Exemplary essay: Population Issue in Thái An's Population Problem document
Crafted in the form of an ancient problem, narrating the saga of the discerning groom's selection, the storyteller has not only aroused readers' curiosity but also delivered a highly surprising conclusion at the tale's end. Using this story as a premise, the author promptly compares it to the population explosion and growth (both increasing exponentially). Such a comparison vividly illustrates the alarming rate of population growth. And this is precisely the focal point that the article aims to address.
The disclosure of birth rates of women in some countries according to the Cairo Conference announcement is highly significant. Firstly, it provides insights into women's capability of bearing many children (such as Vietnam with an average of 3.7; or Rwanda with as many as 8.1). Hence, it's evident that the two-child per family target is quite challenging. Secondly, the statistical figures also indicate that less developed countries tend to have higher birth rates.
The countries mentioned in the document belong to two groups:
- Africa: Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Madagascar.
- Asia: India and Vietnam.
One can draw the conclusion: The less developed countries in the two mentioned continents are experiencing rapid population growth. Population explosion is accompanied by widespread poverty, slow economic development, low levels of culture, and education... Conversely, weaker economies, cultures, and education systems are less capable of controlling population growth. In other words, these two issues are closely interrelated and deeply impactful on each other.
2. How has the issue of population been depicted in Thái An's Population Problem document, sample 2:
The past intertwines with the present, yesterday with today, observing the continuous evolution of time, involving inheritance and upgrades. This is the objective law for human survival. Thus, denying the past is a grave mistake. However, the bridge between today and yesterday takes two forms: either as ghosts (such as the Tale of Nam Xương Girl by Nguyễn Dữ, The Tale of Kiều by Nguyễn Du...) or as prophecies of the wise. If the first form leans towards emotional perception like a vague obsession, then the second form is more rational, objective, almost like a law. Therefore, the way they are received differs. In the first form, it is immediate communication in the form of a dream, while the second form is discovered by humans in the form of implicit texts, sometimes from seemingly insignificant objects, sometimes from the allegorical meanings of stories. The random coincidences from these seemingly insignificant objects or stories, only through human's modern experiences or thinking processes, can one discover the eternal truth. The author's perception in the essay is from an unexpected, sudden perspective. The ambivalence here is real. Because how does today's population story (in recent decades) relate to a bridegroom selection story from 'seven thousand years ago'? 'I don't believe...', 'who would believe...'—a hesitant way of speaking when humans approach a glow of intelligence. The story makes the essay author 'enlightened' no different from the story of Christopher Columbus discovering America in the past, although it is not without basis. It's just that this basis does not come from the abstract theoretical propositions of thought. The association, therefore, is truly intriguing. The argument is surprisingly convincing and rich, fundamentally based on two stories with similar dynamics and followed by reference materials for readers to complete the final section: Turning possibility into reality. That reality is an unforeseen consequence.
1. The dual stories between an ancient problem and a modern problem: the population issue. The essence of both stories is similar despite different topics: the journey of humans seeking happiness.
Discussing the population issue in the Population Problem document
a) In the first story: to become the son-in-law of a wise man, young men had to have a tremendous amount of wheat to spread across 64 squares on a chessboard. The requirement seemed not so difficult, 'everyone thought they had enough,' but in the end, everyone was astonished (to cover all 64 squares, the selected young men had to have enough wheat to cover the Earth's surface). Truly a puzzle of a 'wise man'! But that mathematical problem would not be so significant if it were not related to another problem, the problem of human population.
b) The human population problem is both similar to and different from the ancient bridegroom selection story. The similarity lies in the exponential growth rate with a common ratio of 2, while the difference lies in the direction of that growth. In the first story: the faster, the better, whereas in the second story: the slower, the better. The problem is: both targets here are difficult. The human population problem is not easier than becoming a son-in-law of a wise man due to its dual nature, the irreconcilable conflict between the natural development rate and human will to suppress it. It seems that due to natural development trends and existing controls, the human population from a couple (an Adam and an Eve - according to the Bible), by 1995, had risen to 5.63 billion, meaning it had reached square 30 on the chessboard. That's perilous. This doesn't even include the risk of a population explosion that could occur at any time, especially in less developed countries in Asia and Africa. From 3.7 children to 2 children per couple in Vietnam is a striving goal that is 'very difficult.' In African countries, from 5.8 children to 2 children, the difficulty becomes even more multiplied.
2. If the body of the essay consists of logical reasoning and calculations, the conclusion is still about worrisome statistics. When land is limited and people are numerous, it will self-destruct. When the land allotted for each person is only the size of a grain of wheat (the 64th square on the chessboard), the earth will burst, and the fuse is the population increase that humans cannot restrain. Don't let a disaster happen, that's a warning for all humanity, sparing no one. It's as stern and admonishing as fate.
3. Essentially, this is a persuasive essay. But its persuasion doesn't lean towards theory; its arguments are simple and gentle, yet the emotional impact of the essay is significant. From objective and silent numbers - sometimes from thousands of years, for the first time, they are awakened to tell us crucial things about our own loss, the issue of 'to exist or not to exist' as the tragedy of Hamlet by Shakespeare during the Renaissance posed in a different context, about a different issue equally important about humans and human life on a global scale.
3. How has the issue of population been depicted in Thái An's Population Problem document, sample 3:
The population problem essay is written in a persuasive narrative form (with argumentation as the main focus). The author begins by recounting a story about an ancient problem, so the presentation of the issue is gentle and captivating.
It can be said that the overarching theme the author wants to highlight is the world facing the risk of rapid population explosion and growth. It is a danger that must be alarmed and a question of 'to exist or not to exist' for humanity itself.
To clarify the main theme mentioned, the author argues with the following logic: If a chessboard has 64 squares, and the number of grains in each square increases exponentially, with a common ratio of two, then the total number of grains becomes so vast that it can cover the Earth's surface.
Earth started with only 2 people, yet by 1995, there were 5.63 billion people. According to the ancient problem, if humans increase exponentially with a common ratio of 2, then the total population by 1995 would have reached square 30. That's without accounting for mortality rates.
The issues regarding population depicted in Thái An's Population Problem text
In reality, fertility rates in women, especially in Asia and Africa, are remarkably high, making the effort to limit each family to one or two children very challenging. If the world's population increases annually by a ratio of 1.73 or 1.57 as in 1900 (meaning less than two), by 2015, the total human population exceeded 7 billion. 'That population has already spilled over to square 31 of the chessboard.'
If population continues to explode and increase at this rate, it won't take long for the 64 squares of the chessboard to be filled up, and then each person will only have a place the size of a grain of wheat on Earth. This also means that for humanity to survive, population explosion and growth must be curtailed.
Thus, it's evident that this pragmatic essay serves not only the population theme but also addresses the future of nations and mankind. So, to answer which path is the best to curb population growth? We can promptly respond: Only through an educational path that helps people understand the risk of population explosion; the population issue is closely linked with poverty or prosperity, happiness. But childbearing is a women's right, cannot be prohibited by decree or violent measures, so promoting education for women is key to reducing fertility rates and mortality rates.
