The Significance of Chí Phèo's Profanity

Prompt: The Meaning of Chí Phèo's Profanity

Exploring the Essence of Chí Phèo's Profanity through 3 Sample Essays

Sample Essay #1: The Meaning of Chí Phèo's Profanity

'He cursed while walking. Always the same, after drinking, he would start cursing. Initially, he cursed the heavens. What's the fuss? Does the heavens belong to any particular house? Then he cursed life. That's fine too: life is everything, yet it belongs to no one. In his anger, he cursed the entire village of Vũ Đại. But everyone in Vũ Đại silently thought, 'He must be excluding himself!' No one spoke up...'

Nam Cao vividly depicted Chí Phèo's initial image in the short story bearing his name - constantly cursing. Throughout the narrative, Chí Phèo is compelled by Nam Cao to incessantly unleash curses, words pouring out ceaselessly from his mouth:

'He cursed the heavens and life. He cursed the entire village of Vũ Đại. He cursed anyone who didn't curse with him. Yet, ironically, anyone who dared to respond, infuriating him, he cursed as if they were responsible for his own existence, only to be met with indifference! And he took that to heart; because one cannot curse alone; what's the point of cursing alone if it lacks eloquence!'...

However, from the beginning to the end of the short story 'Chí Phèo,' except for the phrase 'Mẹ kiếp!' mentioned a couple of times when Chí Phèo cursed indiscriminately (cursing without targeting anyone specifically), Nam Cao always used indirect speech whenever referring to Chí's cursing. As a result, readers only knew that Chí cursed a lot but had no specifics about the nature of his curses.

If someone has watched the movie 'Làng Vũ Đại ngày ấy,' they may have heard Chí Phèo cursing: 'Mẹ cha con đĩ dại! Mẹ cha thằng dê già! Cha mấy đời con đĩ Nở... and so on.' However, 'Làng Vũ Đại ngày ấy' is not 'Chí Phèo,' and the scriptwriter for 'Làng Vũ Đại ngày ấy' is not Nam Cao. Therefore, those curses cannot be reliable (or relevant) for discussion here. In this article, we only examine the original character's curses in Nam Cao's work. Besides, the curses by Chí Phèo in 'Làng Vũ Đại ngày ấy' are illogical and absurd, making them unfit for solving the problem posed in the article's title.

But let's set that aside for later discussion; for now, let's explore how Chí Phèo cursed. Taking the example of Chí Phèo cursing the village of Vũ Đại, people say, how would Chí Phèo curse Vũ Đại? 'Mẹ cha làng Vũ Đại,' 'Tiên sư làng Vũ Đại' (or something similar)? That's impossible because:

After delving into the analysis of The Significance of Chí Phèo's Profanity, you can refer to the article Titles Chí Phèo Had: What's the Significance? or explore Examination of the Tragic Comedy Defiance as Chí Phèo's Character Building Tool to review and reinforce your knowledge of 11th-grade Literature.

Sample Article 2: The Meaning of Chí Phèo's Profanity

In the landscape of Vietnamese literature, some authors have asserted their position through extensive works of great human value, such as the literary giant Nguyễn Du with 'The Tale of Kieu' or by reflecting national events like Tố Hữu and Nguyễn Tuân. Others have marked their presence through artistic declarations like Vũ Trọng Phụng, Thạch Lam... However, some authors have left an everlasting impression with just a small detail in their entire work, including Nam Cao. And as Maxim Gorky affirmed: 'Small details make great writers.'

People often think that to create a great work, one must seek grandeur from distant places, detach from painful reality to reach the realm of imagination. Not necessarily so. A writer - the creator of beauty - can find noble artistry in the most ordinary, humble things that express greatness. 'Small details' are the normal events in a work, seemingly initially reflecting objective reality, but upon closer inspection, reveal a great ideological value with high educational and aesthetic significance. 'Small details' carry exceptional artistic value, contributing to affirm the stance and talent of a 'great writer.'

Chí Phèo stands as an artistic representation of a virtuous peasant descending into degradation, transforming into a malevolent force, and ultimately being cast out of human society. He spirals back into the tragedy of aspiring to be a 'virtuous human.' The forsaken tragedy and isolation before his own kind, expressed through a tiny, seemingly ordinary detail at the story's beginning, unfold deeper layers of meaning regarding both ideology and artistry in the work. This detail is none other than Chí Phèo's profanity.

In a drunken stupor, he takes staggering steps and curses. Initially, he curses the heavens for creating an imperfect human being. Then, he 'curses life' for being deceitful, cradling him and then discarding him. Enraged, he 'curses the entire Vũ Đại village,' plunging himself into the tragic degradation. The loneliness reaches its peak as he 'curses anyone who doesn't curse him back'! Most agonizingly, Chí Phèo curses 'whoever gave birth to him,' leading him to the profound tragedies of life. Despite his curses, Chí Phèo's words fall into a chilling silence. No one responds to him. He curses, yet inside, it harbors a desire for communication, for resonance, even if only answered with another curse. Sadly, the entire Vũ Đại village turns its back on him, leading him to quarrel with three fierce dogs: 'A drunkard and three vicious dogs making a ruckus throughout the village.' Chí Phèo is truly cast away from human society.

Nam Cao's artistic brilliance is immediately evident in the opening paragraph of the short story. The author successfully employs a semi-direct language style to create a multi-layered phenomenon for the storytelling tone. The passage combines objective narration with the author's commentary and the silent whispers of the villagers: 'Surely he excludes himself.' Thus, even though the people of Vũ Đại village don't appear, we still perceive the image of the crowd and their attitude towards Chí Phèo's curses. Standing out is Chí Phèo's voice, both resentful and lonely among his kind: 'Outrageous! Yes! That's how it is! Outrageous! It makes one die of anger! ... Mother fate! Is this wasted alcohol?' Whether it's the author's narrative or the character's thoughts and emotions, a voice is rising.

The multi-tonal storytelling style leads to another distinctive feature of the passage: its multi-meaning nature. The profanity is not just a longing for communication but also a product of a person who has fallen into the tragedy of degradation, no longer living as a true human being. Externally, it's the curses of a drunkard, but internally, he is very much awake. The profanity is vague, doesn't target anyone directly, a normal drunkard's curses. However, he is awake, insightful; within the profanity, the space narrows gradually from high to low, from broad to narrow, from location-less to specific. From the multitude, he curses one person: 'he curses whoever gave birth to him, giving birth to that Chí Phèo.' Giving birth to Chí Phèo, 'the entire Vũ Đại village knows nothing,' but we, the readers, know: A society without humanity gave birth to Chí Phèo - the demonic creation of Vũ Đại village, giving rise to the phenomenon 'Chí Phèo.' Thus, he utilizes curses to react to an entirely inhumane society. Each bitter word escaping signifies his mad, desperate heart, cursing to satisfy the fiery longing when the entire Vũ Đại village refuses to listen. They harbor prejudice against him. Chí Phèo's curses express both a sense of dissatisfaction and a deep indictment of a heartless society that robbed him of the right to be human and cast him away. The curses are essentially a desperate plea for help from a pitiful human being, abandoned in both body and spirit, clinging to the lifebuoy of existence. We have felt sympathy for the impoverished, dark fate of Sister Dậu; Sister Dậu was so impoverished that she had to sell her child, sell her dog, sell milk, but Ngô Tất Tố did not allow her to sell her dignity. In contrast, Chí Phèo sold his very soul to the devil at a meager price and, in the end, was forsaken, lonely in human society. In the passage, just after an objective narration with the characteristics of an announcement, there is a comment from the author. Thus, through the multi-meaning phenomenon of the tone, we not only see the character's attitude and emotions but also sense the author's heart speaking out. Behind the seemingly cold and almost frigid words is a deeply compassionate heart for the character and a profound disgust for the inhumane society that birthed the phenomenon Chí Phèo.

In conclusion, the opening passage, initiated by Chí Phèo's profanity, not only showcases an easily recognizable artistic flair and structural finesse but also embodies the ideological and artistic values of Nam Cao's pen, steeped in spirit. Delving deeper and contemplating further, readers will discover profound reflections on the masterpiece 'Chí Phèo.'

'Small details make a great writer.' The 'profanity' detail of Chí Phèo significantly contributed to the success of the esteemed writer Nam Cao. It succinctly encapsulates an artistic truth: authentic art not only finds the ordinary in the extraordinary but also uncovers the extraordinary in the ordinary, even the mundane. Only a great writer with a large mind and heart can achieve such a feat.

Sample 3: The Significance of Chí Phèo's Profanity

Nam Cao is highly praised as a realistic writer. Alongside works by Ngô Tất Tố and Vũ Trọng Phụng, Nam Cao's creations played a vital role in shaping the critical realist literary trend (1930-1945).

Cursing is one of the verbal behaviors exhibited by humans. Verbal expression is just one aspect of human behavior, encompassing various actions such as cursing, greeting, advising, apologizing, making requests, or giving commands. This article seeks to provide a more nuanced understanding of the linguistic behavior of profanity as depicted by Chí Phèo in Nam Cao's short story, offering insights from a linguistic perspective and, more specifically, the theory of language behavior.

According to the Vietnamese dictionary, cursing involves uttering offensive and malicious words to humiliate [1].

Phạm Văn Tình argues, 'When reaching the peak of anger, people often utter a curse, a profanity (accompanied by vulgar words)' [2].

Another perspective from Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Ngân states, 'Cursing is a cultural linguistic phenomenon that deviates from norms, actively expressing reactive dissatisfaction to reduce the emotional tension of the curser and undermine the credibility of the target' [3].

In reality, is cursing merely an outlet for frustration? Examining Chí Phèo's use of language in the literary work, we believe it holds more nuanced meanings.

Analyzing the entire work 'Chí Phèo,' we find no direct instances of 'cursing' or 'verbal altercations.' That is, there is no instance of SP1 (speaker) cursing SP2 (listener) [4]. Mostly, we learn about Chí Phèo's cursing through the author's narrative. When threatening the liquor seller, Chí only 'shouts' (You better pay up tonight. Your family has died already, or what?). When causing trouble at Bá Kiến's house, Chí remains 'gentle' (Yes, sir. If not, I'll stab a dozen or so, then you can handle the district). Even when going to Đội Tảo's house to collect debts on behalf of Bá Kiến, we only know that Chí 'utters curses right at the entrance of the alley.' We don't know the specifics of how Chí curses someone who neither owes him nor holds any grudge against him!

Language behavior is always connected to the speaker and the listener, alternating roles. Even in the act of cursing, this holds true. Chí Phèo himself said: 'Cursing alone lacks refinement!'. With alternating roles, the act of 'cursing' may become more 'enticing.' In the short story Chí Phèo, Nam Cao rarely directly narrates Chí's cursing. Cursing indirectly significantly reduces the sharpness and offense towards the one being cursed. In contrast, in other works, Nam Cao often narrates this behavior directly and not without its 'horrifying' aspects. For example:

- You traitor! Unjust scoundrel! Husband-killer!

(Midnight; page 449)

Alternatively:

- Madam, your child is absent!

- Absent! Stay absent forever! Tell your mother tomorrow, if she doesn't pay me, I'll dig up her grave.

That breed only knows how to eat!

(Poverty; page 10)

Therefore, we believe that in Chí's cursing behavior, there is more hidden pain than meets the eye.

In reality, up to that point in life with countless beatings both in the soul and the body, to the extent of being 'imprisoned,' to the point where 'his face is no longer human.' And to survive, there's only the profession of 'making a spectacle of oneself.' To be able to make a spectacle of oneself, 'cursing,' 'intimidating' must involve alcohol, must involve being drunk! Moreover, 'he never sobered up...', so is that cursing behavior just a reaction 'when reaching the peak of anger' or not?

Firstly, cursing is indeed meant to 'express a proactive reaction of dissatisfaction.' Throughout Nam Cao's short stories, verbal abuse occurs at a relatively high rate (91 times [5]). Many times Nam Cao has his characters 'utter curses' and 'accompanied by vulgar words.' For example:

- Robber! Murderer! If you want to go to jail, provoke the authorities!

(Midnight; page 449)

Or:

- Even a dog wouldn't sniff it!...

(Building a Nest; page 326)

But for Chí Phèo, the peak of anger leading to swearing perhaps happened only a few times, after Chí 'returned from prison'... Nam Cao wrote: 'At twenty, he came to live with Lí Kiến...'. Then after some time, 'Chí was sent to prison'; 'he wandered for seven or eight years before returning'; 'the day after he returned, he sat drinking dog meat wine, then went to Bá Kiến's gate calling out and cursing.' That was the first time Chí Phèo swore. 'It was really noisy!' Chí Phèo had started swearing. And it probably had to include 'vulgar words' because Nam Cao made it clear: 'Swearing is only satisfying when it's harsh and coarse!' Swearing to the extent that the villagers said to each other: 'From now on, Bá Kiến's son won't dare to show his face anywhere! His ancestors are completely disgraced!', then it must have been 'words of bitter insult'!

Language behavior is not only linked to the speaker and the listener but also tightly connected to the context. In the broad context of Vietnamese society in the long years before the Revolution, the reaction to venting anger in the face of oppression and injustice was inevitable. Going deep into the context of the work Chí Phèo, it's clear that silence is not an option; resistance, vigorous resistance to injustice is necessary when Chí Phèo is pushed to the brink, with only the option of performing antics, fighting to survive. Therefore, swearing is perhaps an inevitable reaction. Hence, when Chí Phèo swears, the entire village of Vũ Đại - they cheered immensely... Clearly, the act of swearing has contributed significantly to shaping the character's portrait as well as conveying the depth of the author's thoughts and artistic intentions!

Secondly, swearing is a way for Chí to demonstrate his existence, his presence within the community of Vũ Đại village.

After the 'noisy and bustling like a market' swearing incident, Chí Phèo became Bá Kiến's right-hand. 'Back then, he was only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old'...

'Now he has become ageless...'. 'So many oppressive deeds, disruptions, stabbings, and schemes were assigned to him.' 'He vaguely remembers that he was twenty when he went to prison, and since then, he has always been drunk.' 'He doesn't know that he is the evil demon of Vũ Đại village.' 'Everyone in the village is afraid of him, avoiding him every time he passes by...'. 'Therefore, he swears for whatever reason, maybe because Chí is too lonely in his struggle to survive. Chí drinks alcohol, breaks things, and swears, but it seems like Chí is alone. And only swearing, because Chí doesn't know how to sing ('if he knew how to sing, maybe he wouldn't need to swear'). Whether singing or swearing for Chí is the same - both are the painful cries of loneliness! So, swearing here is not about rage; it's about proving existence, the presence of Chí in this life, with Vũ Đại village giving birth to Chí!

Thirdly, Chí Phèo swears not only to assert his existence but also to affirm his social status. In Vietnamese culture, only those in high social positions (high-ranking officials, elders, parents, grandparents, etc.) have the 'right' to swear. And those who are sworn at are often people with lower social status (employees, children, grandchildren, etc.). Swearing is a way to express oneself, to assert oneself. Our ancestors had a saying, 'If you want to scold without doing anything, scold your husband; if you want to scold loudly, scold your father.' According to the understanding of the Vietnamese, saying something negative or bragging about someone is a way of degrading their reputation and honor (that is, swearing at them). Even if it's undeserved, those with more power can still swear. Therefore, Chí Phèo's swearing ('he feels proud and bold because he dares to cause trouble with the four-generation head of the Bá Kiến family...'; and because he 'has destroyed so many businesses, shattered so many scenes of joy, and trampled on so much happiness...', to the point that 'everyone in the village is afraid of him...') may be a way to establish his 'superior' position?