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Discover the artistic essence of Thach Lam's work through the short story 'Two Kids'.
Unlock the artistic brilliance of Thach Lam's 'Two Kids' through insightful exploration.
Emerging and thriving during the 1930-1945 literary period, the 'Self-Reliance Literary Group' incubated numerous veteran writers, significantly influencing contemporary literary trends. Renowned figures like Huy Can, Xuan Dieu, Che Lan Vien, among others, hailed from this illustrious group. Among them stands Thach Lam, the mastermind behind iconic essay collections and short stories such as 'Early Season Wind' and 'Hanoi's Six Streets'. His short story 'Two Kids' marks a significant turning point, elevating Thach Lam's reputation to new heights. Moreover, it epitomizes his distinctive artistic style, setting a benchmark for his narrative prowess.
Mentioning Thach Lam evokes images of uniquely crafted short stories, often devoid of explicit plots. His tales resemble whispered confessions about parental love, simple life, and innocence. 'Two Kids' is no exception; devoid of a clear beginning, climax, or resolution, it paints a picture of sibling anticipation on the eve of a train journey from Hanoi to Hai Phong. The artistic excellence of a short story lies in its plot, characters, situations, narrative tone, and the author's ability to exploit character imagery. Thach Lam's artistic brilliance lies in his unconventional descriptions, language usage, and real-life materials. Here, artistic sensibilities manifest through the metaphorical train, symbolizing dreams, aspirations, and deep-rooted nostalgia within the innocent souls of the two children. The profound artistic details, layered meanings, and intricate exploration of characters' inner worlds underscore Lam's acute storytelling finesse.
Artistic brilliance in 'Two Kids' primarily resides in its invaluable, multi-layered details. From the outset, Thach Lam paints a vivid picture of dusk in the rural town, with the slow, heavy evening marked by ominous sounds signaling the day's twilight: 'The autumn evening drummed on the small town pavilion, each beat calling out the evening. The west glowed red like a burning fire, and the clouds shimmered pink like dying embers. The bamboo grove in front stood dark against the sky.' Or 'Evening, it's evening. An evening as gentle as a lullaby, echoing the sound of frogs croaking outside, carried into the darkening fields by the gentle breeze. In the dimly lit shop, mosquitoes had begun to buzz.' A somber atmosphere, melancholic scenes, and the phrase 'slowly fading' evoke a sense of melancholy. The sound of 'croaking frogs' outside and the buzzing of mosquitoes inside the house vividly depict a poor countryside scene engulfed in darkness. Within this setting, human figures emerge, like older sister Lien 'sitting quietly, her eyes gradually filling with darkness.' One might think that gaze belongs to an adult, seasoned by experience, with a soul weathered by trials and tribulations. However, within the innocence of that girl lies a wealth of experiences, hardships, and burdens, akin to the darkening sky beyond. Granny Thi is portrayed as a madwoman, addicted to alcohol with a terrifyingly raucous laugh. Uncle Xam with his melancholic dan bau melodies, mother and sister Tí with their modest tea stall, all emanate a sense of suffering, toil, and poverty in the self-reliant village where they struggle to survive day by day. Without explicitly mentioning hunger or poverty, through descriptions and character threads, Thach Lam paints a picture of dilapidated houses, shabby stalls, and people devoid of vitality..., a bleak portrayal of the existence of those in the self-reliant rural community, where they cling to life amidst meaninglessness. The small, desolate rural town with its tiny ramshackle huts amid the crimson twilight sky, the sound of frogs and the mournful hum of mosquitoes. This painting exudes the dullness of a countryside, the destitution of those suffering in the village. The profound sadness seeps into people's hearts, into the distant gaze of Sister Lien. Sitting amidst the simple village, that straightforward soul finds no peace, no tranquility.
Not only delicate in landscape description, the artistic uniqueness in 'Two Kids' is manifested through the exploration of characters' psychology and inner world. With the characteristic of short stories lacking situations or plots, Thach Lam communicates with readers mostly through the characters' thoughts and emotions to highlight the humanistic inspiration and ideological content of the work. Writing about Liên's emotional fluctuations in chronological order, beginning from the afternoon when dusk gradually descends, the scenery directly impacts the character's emotions and contemplations. She sinks into a melancholic sadness upon hearing sounds and seeing scenes of desolation and poverty in her surroundings. Under her gaze, there is only sadness among similarly afflicted individuals. The evening scene, the market's desolation, the decay of a long weary day. Amidst the desolate market, where 'a few late vendors are arranging their goods', 'chatting a little', children 'quickly collect leaves, bamboo', in Liên's eyes, it's poverty and helplessness. Exploring Liên's emotions as she feels pity, heaviness before the desolate evening scene is to reveal the pure heart of a sympathetic, sensitive child, vividly depicting the resignation, desolation of this marketplace.
Nightfall is also when the dim lights in the rural town begin to illuminate, some faint and ethereal, some unable to penetrate the darkness, the faint light from lanterns, kerosene lamps, the light of stars twinkling in the night sky. For Liên, these sources of light are both familiar and nostalgic about the old days when she lived in the luxurious city. Here, what she finds familiar are the images of mother and sister Tí with their livelihood water stall, 'making little profit, but every evening, she rearranges her goods', Uncle Sam's family with melancholic dan bau tunes on a tattered mat, carrying soup on Mr. Sieu's shoulder with the scent of 'soup wafting 'back to where the two sisters are'', and even Granny Thi, half crazy, half sober, always buys wine from Liên. Perhaps, in her humble heart, she also feels pity, feels moved for those worn lives still struggling to cling to life, trying to worry, comfort, and feed themselves. Liên herself is impoverished, a child far from the affluent city life to cling to, yet she knows to think for herself, for life, to sympathize and share with unfortunate lives like hers.
The highlight of Thach Lam's descriptive art in 'Two Kids' is the scene of the night train passing through the small rural town. The train journey is a symbol of life for the people here, the longing of Liên and her sister, the magical time machine taking the two sisters back to the carefree days by the lakeside, 'drinking the colorful waters' that were so attractive. The train brings light, new and vibrant light sources from the luxurious streets they have never set foot on. The train carries memories, childhood joys that Liên and her sister used to enjoy, completely contrasting the difficulties they face every day. As the train arrives, Liên quickly wakes up her younger brother to admire the lights on the train, dreaming of the lively, bustling Hanoi of their childhood. That light is like a precious treasure chest, the longing of simple, innocent children. Memories of peaceful childhood of the two sisters 'while dad is still working', 'mom still has a lot of money' or even the author's reminiscence. Borrowing the characters' emotions to express his own feelings, borrowing the image of the night train to reveal the desire to live, to immerse himself in the prosperity of urbanization, Thach Lam's pen brings readers sympathy, emotion, and empathy with the unfortunate lives, trapped in their own destinies.
Thạch Lam employs contrasting artistic techniques as a form of artistic beauty in his work. From beginning to end, the story is filled with contrasting images and moods. The rural town immersed in darkness - flickering lights, the quietness of the rural town at night - the train's bright, bustling light, the sounds of passengers, the sound of wheels, the whistle - the deserted sound of the returning town. These contrasting pairs of images highlight the character's mood changes in particular, while also embellishing contrasting light - darkness shades for the author's artistic portrait.
Rich in imagery and sensual description of dusk and evening scenes, with haunting sounds, Thach Lam's artistic uniqueness lies in the creative utilization and exploration of existing materials in a clever, subtle manner. Labeled as a story without a plot, that uniqueness is further adorned by details with multiple layers of meaning. The train is not just a train but also a source of motivation, light, exploring characters' psychology subtly through the sequence of events, characteristic of a romantic, realistic breath, all contributing to a work rich in humanity, compassion yet equally unique, idealistic in terms of art.
'Art for art's sake' or 'art for human life', with 'Two Kids', Thach Lam has fully realized the roles of both elements. The brilliance lies not only in the language, writing style, or symbolically charged imagery, but also in the beauty of human emotions, of a hidden heart, knowing love, knowing how to resonate, thereby expressing reverence for those who always strive to overcome difficulties towards a bright future. It's not difficult to understand why, after more than half a century of existence, Thach Lam's literature still captivates those who love literature.
'Two Kids' short story is a famous work by Thach Lam, alongside the essay 'Two Kids' short story is a representative work for Thach Lam's artistic style. Present the distinctive artistic features of the work, students and teachers can also refer to many other essays. Sample essays such as, Contrastive Description Art in Two Kids, Analysis of Artistic Nature in Two Kids, Impression of Liên character in Two Kids, Poetic Quality in Two Kids by Thach Lam, Analysis of the Two Kids' Waiting Scene for the Train, The Image of the Train in Two Kids, Analysis of Two Kids or even sections like Summary of Two Kids, Composing Two Kids.
