The 7 Most Iconic Works of the Author Nam Cao

*Lão Hạc* is a short story written by Nam Cao in 1943. It is considered one of the most representative works of realist literature, reflecting the social realities of Vietnam before the August Revolution. The protagonist is Lão Hạc.

*Lão Hạc* is a poor, kind-hearted, and simple old farmer. His wife passed away early, and he had a son whom he couldn’t marry off due to financial struggles. Later, his son’s beloved, a girl from a wealthier family, marries the son of a deputy official. Heartbroken, the son leaves for a rubber plantation to work and make money. Lão Hạc also has a dog named Vàng, which his son had left behind before departing. Lão Hạc treats it as part of the family. However, due to his extreme poverty and a serious illness, he is left destitute and unable to care for himself, let alone the dog. In order to keep his small plot of land for his son, Lão Hạc reluctantly decides to sell Vàng. The old man suffers immensely for betraying the dog, feeling as though he has committed a sin by 'deceiving a dog.' This story provides a deep insight into the plight of poor farmers under a colonial, semi-feudal society.

The short story poignantly portrays the tragic fate of farmers and their noble, hidden qualities. It also reveals the author's deep compassion for the farmers and his masterful ability to depict characters’ inner emotions.

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*Đời thừa* is regarded as a fine thread in the fabric of Vietnamese literature in the years leading up to the August Revolution. This work is a tragic ode to the unfortunate fate of intellectuals in the old society. Written in 1943, it tells the story of a poor writer named Hộ. Through the life of Hộ, the author illustrates the mental tragedy of the petty-bourgeois intellectual, with the root cause of this tragedy being the constant struggle to make ends meet.

With a sharp and bitter tone, Nam Cao masterfully portrays Hộ as a character crushed by poverty, yet never losing his conscience or his ideals. Hộ is caught in two tragic dilemmas: the tragedy of an artist forced to compromise his artistic principles, and the tragedy of a father and husband who must betray the principles of love he once held dear. Through Hộ’s tragedy, Nam Cao expresses a beautiful humanistic philosophy: denouncing reality, condemning moral corruption, sympathizing with the downtrodden, and asserting the importance of true artistic values.

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Giăng sáng, created in 1943, is a story about a teacher named Điền, who is struggling with unemployment. On nights of the full moon, he would take the wicker chairs, a substitute for his unpaid teaching wages, and sit outside to admire the moon and lose himself in literary dreams. Điền longs to write a kind of literature that is as magical and dreamy as the moonlight itself, believing that art should beautify even the most mundane and unpleasant scenes. He is disillusioned, exhausted by his wife’s constant complaints due to their poverty, and the sickly condition of his children.

But in the end, the “sounds of life’s struggles” become too loud and forceful, making it impossible for Điền to continue pursuing a form of escapist literature meant only for the privileged. He comes to realize deeply that: “Art does not need to be the deceptive moonlight; it could just be the pain that comes from lives of suffering.”

Once again, with his sharp psychological insights, Nam Cao weaves stories that seem to lack a plot in Giăng sáng, reaffirming his commitment to the path of realistic art that serves humanity, a path he has always championed.

The Story A Full Meal is an excerpt from the collection of Nam Cao, published by the Time Publishing House in 1943. This was a period before the revolution, when the country was facing numerous hardships. It was not only plagued by foreign invaders but also suffering from famine and illiteracy. People often died of hunger, but rarely from overeating! However, in the short story A Full Meal, Nam Cao presents a heart-wrenching tale of an elderly woman who, after enduring starvation, dies after partaking in a meal offered by a wealthy family in the province.

A Full Meal tells the story of an old woman, whose husband passed away early, and who spent her life laboring to support her child. She had hoped that as the child grew, they would be her support, but instead, the child abandoned her. After her son’s death, her daughter-in-law also left, leaving the frail old woman with only her granddaughter. The two lived together for seven years, but poverty eventually forced the old woman to sell her granddaughter to a wealthy family. Even after the sale, life did not become any easier. Of the ten coins she had, eight were used to bury her son, and the remaining two were saved as capital. Yet fate was unkind to her—she fell seriously ill the previous year and was on the brink of death. Now, her health could no longer allow her to work as a wet nurse. One day, she visited her adopted daughter, only to be humiliated by her. That final meal, which was the fullest meal of her life, also became the last meal she would ever have.

Each line and word trembles like the old woman’s hunger, reflecting Nam Cao’s deep sympathy for people who, despite knowing that “a meal is a shameful thing,” still yearn to live and survive. How can the existence of a person be in harmony with the preservation of their dignity? This is a significant question that echoes through A Full Meal, as well as many other works of Nam Cao.

The Novel A Wasted Life was written in 1944 and is one of Nam Cao’s most prominent works. It addresses a painful issue faced by intellectuals in the old society—artists and writers full of aspirations and ideals, yet their lives slowly diminish due to their poverty. The life of Giáo Thứ, the protagonist of the novel, is not only a tragedy for intellectuals over half a century ago, but also a source of anguish for those who refuse to accept a meaningless existence, striving to live “with the full value of life.”

These individuals were originally simple, honest farmers who followed the path of true art, but due to societal constraints, they found themselves in their current predicament. It reflects the inner struggle of those fully dedicated to art, who cannot accept a trivial life, but must live according to their own values. The novel was originally titled “A Dying Life” and was completed in 1944, but it wasn’t published until 1956.

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The Short Story The Eyes is one of Nam Cao’s most successful works after the August Revolution. In this story, through the creation of two writers, Hoàng and Độ, with their contrasting lifestyles and views on farmers and resistance, Nam Cao presents a deeply meaningful issue, one that was relevant at the time and still holds significance today – the issue of “how we perceive life.”

In The Eyes, through his detailed depiction of the characters’ physical appearance, gestures, and dialogue, Nam Cao brings Hoàng and Độ to life. Hoàng has a one-dimensional view, seeing only the negative traits of the farmers and perceiving their lives as “bitter.” Độ, on the other hand, has a multifaceted perspective. He acknowledges the flaws of the farmers but also sees the beauty hidden within them. It is through the differing viewpoints of Hoàng and Độ that each character chooses a path and a place for themselves in the face of the changing world.

Reading The Eyes, we are transported to the time when the entire nation united in the struggle to expel French colonizers. Through it, we gain a glimpse into the rural life of post-revolutionary Vietnam. More importantly, The Eyes teaches us a valuable lesson on how we look at life. Why is it that even though the country has gained independence, freedom, and material living conditions have improved, many of us still do not feel truly happy? Is it the pressures of modern life that prevent us from finding happiness, or is it our perspective on life that holds us back from true joy? The answer lies within each individual’s thoughts and worldview.

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This is a famous short story by Nam Cao, written in 1941, and is considered his most outstanding work about the peasantry before the revolution. Chí Phèo is an exceptional piece that showcases Nam Cao’s unique storytelling style, while also being a tragic tale of a poor farmer who becomes dehumanized in society. Chí Phèo is also the name of the protagonist in the story.

The entire story paints a grim picture of society, filled with intense class conflicts. The character of Chí Phèo symbolizes the typical Vietnamese farmer before the revolution. It also portrays the plight of good-hearted peasants who are pushed into poverty and criminality, destroying both their bodies and souls, and denying them their human dignity. Through this, Nam Cao’s compassionate and humanistic pen shines through. Moreover, Nam Cao elevates and affirms the noble and admirable qualities of Chí Phèo and Thị Nở. This story highlights the fierce social conflicts within the feudal class structure.

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