What are your thoughts on the death of Lão Hạc in the short story of the same name?

Prompt: What are your thoughts on the death of Lão Hạc in the short story of the same name?

What are your thoughts on Lão Hạc's death in the short story of the same name?

Sample Essay 1: What are your thoughts on Lão Hạc's death in the short story of the same name?

Lão Hạc's death is not an act of aggression or negativity. He endured and tried to live: 'Every few days, I see Lão Hạc only eating sweet potatoes. Then the sweet potatoes are gone. Starting from there, he eats whatever he can find. Sometimes he eats bananas, sometimes boiled peanuts, sometimes pennywort, with occasional radishes or a meal of snails.' It wasn't as easy as it sounds. If he didn't want to live, he wouldn't have tried so hard to stay alive. He could have committed suicide right after entrusting the garden and funeral money to the teacher. It seems that, in his exhaustion, he still tried to wait for something... Waiting for his son to return. Unable to wait any longer, in the end (until the very end), Lão Hạc had to accept a truth of his own, so that he wouldn't violate his own principles of life: wanting to live but still dying by his own hand. Why did he value his dignity so much? He could have relied on others to get by, as the folk saying goes, 'Neighbors rely on each other like a lamp in the dark.' Even the money for his funeral he didn't touch is relying on others! That's Lão Hạc for you. Cậu Vàng died to add another 5 coins to the 25 coins Lão Hạc sent to the teacher for the funeral if he had any fate. 'There's nothing to it' is that bitter? When the dog had to die, Lão Hạc hoped to transform it; when Lão Hạc died, the dog was still there with 5 coins to send off his soul. That's how dire it is. Nothing else, the colonial half-feudal dark society has pushed the lives of farmers to the brink; poverty and hardship have pushed Lão Hạc to a painful, harsh choice.

In addition to What are your thoughts on Lão Hạc's death in the short story of the same name, students need to explore other topics such as Reflections on the character of the teacher in the story Lão Hạc or Reflections on the character of cậu Vàng in the short story Lão Hạc to reinforce their knowledge.

Sample Essay 2: What do you think about Lão Hạc's death in the short story of the same name?

Lão Hạc is the short story that most truthfully reflects the most miserable and bitter aspects of farmers' lives before the August Revolution. It can be said that this society is full of injustices, pushing farmers into deadlock, despair, with no way out. Nam Cao successfully portrayed Lão Hạc with all the good qualities of a farmer but ultimately a tragic fate. The death of Lão Hạc at the end of the story always haunts readers, because of the profound message it wants to convey.

It's not just out of the blue that Lão Hạc wants to seek death, because no one wants to die. Only when one is extremely impoverished, desperate, and sees no other way out, death is the gentlest release. After selling Cậu Vàng for 5 coins, feeling remorseful, feeling very miserable with himself, Lão Hạc reconsidered and finally saved up 30 coins to send to Mr. Giáo, whenever his son comes back, he'll ask Mr. Giáo to send him back.

Right from the beginning of the story, Nam Cao introduced the extremely difficult, harsh, and lonely situation of Lão Hạc. His son went to work in the rubber plantation and hasn't returned, the old man is weak, only living with Cậu Vàng and the small garden. Lão Hạc loves his son and hopes he'll come back. That heartfelt sentiment of Lão is truly admirable and deserves respect.

Despite increasingly scarce resources and persistent illness, Lão didn't want to burden Mr. Giáo or inconvenience his neighbors, so he asked Binh Tư for a little rice to feed the dog. Lão claimed he needed the rice to trap a stray dog, but in reality, it was to free himself and leave money for his son, not burdening anyone else.

Lão Hạc's death leaves many haunting impressions on readers. His death holds humanitarian value and reflects the true state of Vietnamese society at that time, which was in dire straits.

Due to dire circumstances, poverty, and self-respect, death became the ultimate choice, albeit involuntary, and could end peacefully. Vietnamese society at that time was rampant with poverty and hunger, and the colonial feudal system had pushed farmers to such a dead-end.

Lão Hạc was inherently a person of very high self-respect, so no matter how difficult the situation, he didn't want to rely on anyone. It was precisely that self-respect that forced him to contemplate death, even though he truly wanted to live and yearned for life fiercely. Such a poignant contradiction.

In death, Lão's boundless love for his son is revealed at its highest. He didn't want to burden his son in the future; he wanted to save all his money for his son, not spending a single penny. That sentiment is truly noble and beyond human imagination.

Lão Hạc's death reflects the deadlock of the era and of human beings; at the same time, it liberates Lão Hạc himself when he wants to bring good things to his child.

Indeed, the short story 'Lão Hạc' ends with a tragic and deadlock-filled death that makes readers contemplate a lot about humanity, compassion, hunger, poverty, and self-respect.

Model 3: What are your thoughts on Lão Hạc's death in the short story of the same name?

After reading Nam Cao's short story 'Lão Hạc,' many people are left feeling distraught, tormented, and contemplating the old man's death. Never before have we seen the line between good and evil, between worldly interests and ethics, so blurred and tangled as now. Lão Hạc's death speaks volumes about his character and integrity.

Lão Hạc, a poor farmer, left with a small plot of land by his deceased wife, his son reached the age to marry but was too poor to afford a bride. His son left to work in a rubber plantation and hasn't returned in five or six years. Lão Hạc sought death. His death left everyone shocked and saddened. It can be said that he died because he deceived a dog? 'So, I'm old enough now, yet still capable of deceiving a dog. It didn't expect me to be so heartless.' That dog was bought by his son, left for Lão Hạc to care for while his son was away. Lão Hạc regarded it as a close friend, a spiritual child, a cherished memory left by his son. Whenever he talked to it, he called his son 'your father,' so he named it 'Cậu Vàng.' He shared everything with it, whatever he ate, it ate too, sometimes even more than him. Yet, he decided to sell it. But the decision to sell his Cậu Vàng wasn't easy. He had mentioned it many times before, to the point where the teacher found it 'boring.' However, this time he did it for real. Shortly after selling Cậu Vàng, he sent the piece of land and money for his funeral to the teacher. He sought death. His death was painful and horrifying. 'Lão Hạc struggled on the bed, his hair unkempt, clothes disheveled, his eyes rolling. He convulsed, froth foaming from his lips. They had to sit on him to hold him down. He struggled for two hours before finally dying.' Lão Hạc died as if to repay his debt to Cậu Vàng, for he had the heart to deceive it. He didn't choose an easy or painless death, but rather one filled with struggle. It seems he wanted forgiveness from Cậu Vàng. Because to him, Cậu Vàng was like a child, a close friend, a memory left by his son. Right after selling the dog, he went straight to the teacher's house and said, 'Cậu Vàng is gone, teacher!' The statement was sober, devoid of any pity or regret; instead, it seemed boastful. Yet, just a moment later, Nam Cao vividly describes, 'Lão tried to put on a happy face. But he looked like he was smiling through tears.' And with just a drop of water, a small impact, all emotions, all restraints will burst forth. 'Lão's face suddenly contorted. The wrinkles pressed together, forcing the tears out. His head turned to one side, and his mouth mumbled like a child's. He sobbed ...' just after a question from the teacher. And after selling the dog, Lão Hạc's soul seemed hollow. He died as if to answer the reproach of the dog he imagined.

However, it's not just that. Lão Hạc died because of the immense love he had for his son, which nothing could replace. And his death was also to show the society at that time how they pushed poor laboring farmers into such extreme poverty and desperation. His son fell in love with a girl and wanted to marry her, but her family demanded a high bride price, which Lão couldn't afford. So, his son insisted on selling the piece of land that his mother had 'saved up for so long,' but Lão disagreed. Despite Lão's repeated advice against it, his son eventually agreed to sell. Due to extreme poverty, his son was determined to work on a rubber plantation in hopes of escaping the harsh and humiliating life back then. Lão stayed home with Cậu Vàng. With immense love for his son, Lão worked as a day laborer to make ends meet, while saving the profits from the land for his son's marriage or business capital. But alas, life had other plans. 'Well now, it's all gone. I was only sick once. A sickness that lasted two months, eighteen days, sir!' All the money he had saved up for so long was spent on medicine and food. Lão was heartbroken, deeply pained. He worried about his son, fearing he would become a burden. 'I squandered everything from his garden. Now it's all gone. He doesn't even have a wife or child yet. If he doesn't take care of himself, and then sells the garden, what then? ...' Lão always put his son first, above all else, always trying to do what's best for him without considering himself. He agonized, contemplated, and decided. He entrusted the piece of land to the teacher, to be returned to his son when he returned, along with twenty-five silver coins and the five coins from selling the dog, totaling thirty coins, all saved up, sent to the teacher to cover funeral expenses so as not to burden the neighbors. From then on, 'Every few days, I saw Lão Hạc eating only sweet potatoes. Then the sweet potatoes ran out. From then on, Lão made whatever he could eat. One day he ate bananas, the next day he had boiled cassava, then he had pennywort, with occasional radishes, or a meal of snails.' Lão lived however he could, as long as he didn't bother anyone, didn't burden his son, he was content. That's a father's heart, giving everything to his children. In the end, unable to endure anymore, Lão sought death to free himself, to free his son, and also to free the impoverished society of the time that he lived in. He planned everything, did everything just for his son to have a better life.

Turning the page, we see Lão Hạc as a poor laboring farmer near the mud but not smelling of it; instead, he was an extremely devoted father, caring deeply for his children. He was kind-hearted, loving towards animals, such as Cậu Vàng. Lão Hạc's death serves as a wake-up call, awakening those who are lost and misguided, selling their souls, personalities, and dignity for immediate gain.

Sample Essay 4: What are your thoughts on the death of Lão Hạc in the short story of the same name

Nam Cao is a representative writer of modern Vietnamese literature before and after the August Revolution in 1945. His works are closely tied to the fate and image of impoverished farmers.

The work 'Lão Hạc' is a masterpiece that portrays the humanistic and compassionate view of author Nam Cao towards his characters, the impoverished peasants of feudal society.

After reading this short story, many people are haunted by the painful death, the many haunting aspects of the main character. The thoughts of the old man have made many readers cry with sympathy for a loving father, living a morally upright life untainted by evil, which tarnishes his honor and dignity.

Lão Hạc is a poor peasant, at the bottom of society, widowed early with a son who is taken to work at the enemy's rubber plantation. A place known for its cruelty: 'Rubber work is easy to go but hard to return. When you leave, you are robust; when you return, you are emaciated.'

Lão owns a small garden, the only inheritance left by his ancestors for generations, the only asset he can save for his son when he comes of age to start a family and settle down. Lão has nothing else but a dog, a close companion sharing all joys and sorrows with him. Lão regards the dog as his own son, thus naming him 'Vàng'.

Lão lived a peaceful life, harming no one, but those with money and power in that society didn't allow him to live in peace with his poverty. When the Bá Kiến family constantly coveted his garden.

A possession more precious to him than his own life. Time and again they tried to tempt him, failing which they resorted to schemes to harm him in order to seize his garden.

With no other way out, lão thought of death. Only death could release him from this lonely, impoverished, miserable life. Only death could help him keep this ancestral land safe for his son.

Thinking so, he decided to take action. First, lão had to sell his beloved dog Vàng, because when he died, who would take care of it? It would either starve to death or be stolen by thieves to be eaten.

Selling Vàng felt like selling a part of his soul, causing lão immense pain. Then lão went to Binh Tư to ask for a dog. Binh Tư was a notorious thief in the village, often catching other people's dogs to sell for money, so he always had this available at his house.

When Binh Tư saw Lão Hạc asking for a dog, he thought he had found a new accomplice in his unethical profession, so he laughed and teased lão about sharing any good opportunities with him.

But he never expected that Lão Hạc was asking for a dog for himself.

Before dying, lão was also very meticulous. He went to Teacher Thứ's house and asked him to keep the house papers, send money to cover funeral expenses, buy a coffin, because lão knew that in a poor, hungry country, bothering neighbors was also a sin. Lão also didn't want to be left unburied after his death.

A farmer with little education but abundant culture, lão conducted himself with integrity and righteousness, surpassing many educated and powerful individuals in society who lacked morals and fairness.

Then lão returned home to eat the dog's meat, seeking death. A painful death that made readers feel choked up with every written page.

Nam Cao was incredibly successful in portraying the character of Lão Hạc as extremely virtuous, pure-hearted, a poor farmer but morally upright, a father overflowing with boundless love for his child.