Buzz
Prompt: The portrayal of a model funeral procession through the satirical pen of Vũ Trọng Phụng
Response:
Vũ Trọng Phụng stands as one of the most exceptional writers of the 1930-1945 realism literary movement. He was a talented wordsmith who made significant contributions to the robust development of Vietnamese prose literature. Despite his short life, Phụng left behind a rich literary legacy spanning various genres, with his novel 'Dumb Luck' being one of his most successful works. With his masterful satirical pen, 'Dumb Luck' exposed the cunning, opportunistic nature of the urban bourgeoisie. Particularly, the excerpt 'Bliss of a Bereaved Family,' and specifically the portrayal of a model funeral procession, elucidated the deceptive facade of societal norms.
In the excerpt 'Bliss of a Bereaved Family,' author Vũ Trọng Phụng not only depicts the joy and happiness of people before the death of the late Mrs. Hồng but also satirizes a vivid picture, a distinctive tragicomedy, namely the funeral procession. It can be said that hidden beneath this model funeral procession scene lies a contradiction between reality and artifice.
Firstly, it is evident that the funeral is grandly organized, 'larger than life in Hanoi'. It is 'a funeral procession in a mixture of Vietnamese, Chinese, Western styles with eight-urn palanquins, roast pigs on spits, even Chinese operas, and floral wreaths, with three hundred couplets, a few hundred mourners, and Commander Tân leading, photographers rushing around like a fair.' Yes, indeed, a very grand funeral, a funeral that 'can make the deceased in the coffin smile happily, if not nod their heads...!' However, perhaps Vũ Trọng Phụng's pen does not just observe this grand spectacle; rather, he recognizes that behind this grandest funeral in Hanoi lies nothing more than a display, a flaunting of wealth and status in a ridiculous and absurd manner. And perhaps the 'nodding' the author refers to is not a nod of approval but a nod of realization, of understanding everything.
Moreover, the portrayal of the model funeral procession through Vũ Trọng Phụng's pen is also evident in how he describes the people inside and outside the family during the funeral. Take Tuyết, for example, with her 'Innocent costume - a thin chiffon ao dai revealing a hint of armpits and half of her breasts - but with black borders and a cute hat. Seeing the world gossiping about her licentiousness, Tuyết wears the Innocent outfit to show the world that she has not lost her chastity. With her betel nuts and cigarettes, Tuyết quickly invites distinguished guests, with a slightly melancholic yet romantic look, very fashionable for a household with a funeral.' Yes, with Tuyết, although there is a hint of sadness in her appearance, the author's pen manages to detect behind this melancholy a sense of excitement because this is Tuyết's opportunity to prove her innocence. Then there are the close friends of the late Mrs. Hồng turning the funeral into a place to show off medals and beard competitions. It is the sophisticated men and women friends of Tuyết, Mrs. Văn Minh, Ms. Hoàng Hôn, Mrs. Phó Đoan... turning the funeral into a place of 'singing, laughing, praising, criticizing, envying, dating, all with the sad faces of those attending the funeral.' And to describe the true nature of the mourners, the funeral procession is vividly depicted through the refrain 'The procession continues' mentioned repeatedly by Vũ Trọng Phụng. 'The procession continues' is the grand funeral, the crowded line of people following the coffin, with slightly sad faces moving towards the grave. But hidden deep within each person, within every gesture, action, they exhibit, is that this is a procession, lively, and grand...
Especially, the true essence of the model funeral procession is depicted by the author through the scene of the graveside. It is the image of Tú Tân 'harassing each person, either leaning on a stick, bowing their heads, arching their backs, or winking like this, like that... for him to take commemorative photos. Tú Tân's friends excitedly jump on different graves to ensure the photos don't look the same.' The seemingly heartbreaking cry 'Hứt...hứt...hứt...' from Phán, whose horn is growing, but behind it lies a transaction with Xuân with red hair - 'Xuân with red hair wants to slip away, then suddenly Mr. Phán thrusts a silver paper into his hand, a folded five-dong note.' Yes, it seems that the entire funeral and especially the graveside scene is a staged drama, where each person is an actor, embodying the contrast between the inner and outer selves. And above all, in that funeral, we see the essence of a society where money reigns supreme and everything can be bought and sold, exchanged.
In summary, through the excerpt 'Bliss of a Bereaved Family' and especially through the scene of the model funeral procession, Vũ Trọng Phụng has laid bare before us the essence of a 'cunning', 'deceptive' society - a society where money reigns supreme and people live with each other falsely, inadvertently.
