Top 10 Best Summaries of Pham Duy Tôn's 'Sống Chết Mặc Bay'

It was nearly midnight, and the rain was pouring heavily, causing the Nhị Hà River to rise quickly. The dike of the village X was at risk of breaking. While hundreds of workers and villagers struggled against the flood, mobilizing all their resources to protect the dike, the local official, responsible for overseeing the dike's safety, sat in a nearby sturdy pavilion, playing cards with his subordinates. He had brought valuable items and delicious food with him for the occasion. Despite reports of the dike's imminent collapse, he remained indifferent, absorbed in the game, and even yelled at those who tried to alert him. Just as he won a big hand of cards, the dike broke, flooding the area, destroying homes, and sweeping away possessions. 'The living had no place to stay, and the dead had no place to be buried.'

Pham Duy Tôn (1883 – February 25, 1924) was a pioneering social writer in early 20th-century Vietnamese literature. Before pursuing a career as a writer and journalist, he worked as an interpreter at the Northern Vietnam Governor's Office. His short story 'Sống Chết Mặc Bay' is regarded as the first Western-style short story in Vietnamese literature. Besides his real name, Pham Duy Tôn also wrote under several pen names, including Ưu Thời Mẫn, Đông Phương Sóc, and Thọ An. One of his children, the renowned composer Pham Duy, followed in his artistic footsteps. 'Sống Chết Mặc Bay' was published in the December 1918 issue of the Nam Phong magazine, becoming one of his most famous works. The story critiques the Vietnamese feudal system, represented by an indifferent official who disregarded the lives of villagers struggling against the floods.

It was nearly midnight, and the rain poured relentlessly, causing the water level of the Nhị Hà river to rise rapidly. The embankment in the village of X was at risk of breaking. Hundreds, even thousands, of villagers fought against the rushing water. Meanwhile, in a nearby temple situated on a stable section of the embankment, the local official and his aides were leisurely playing cards. When someone warned of the embankment's failure, the official calmly scolded them. Just as the official won a big hand, the embankment broke, flooding the entire area. The waters submerged homes, crops, and the living had no place to shelter, while the dead had no place to be buried.

The rain continued to pour, and the water level in the Nhị Hà river rose rapidly. Close to midnight, several sections of the embankment in the village of X were beginning to leak, threatening to collapse. Hundreds of villagers were working frantically, drenched in the downpour, as they tried to reinforce the embankment with soil and timber. The sound of drums, conch shells, and cries for help echoed as the floodwaters surged higher.

Meanwhile, about four or five hundred meters away, in a solidly built temple, the local official sat comfortably on a large couch. The bright lights illuminated the room, where expensive goods like silver pipes, gold watches, and ivory-handled knives were displayed. A servant attended to the surroundings while the official and his aides played a game of cards. The game involved the local teachers, the chief, and the village head. The guards stood respectfully around the area, their posture formal, as the laughter and soft conversation filled the air. The official appeared completely at ease.

Despite the chaos outside, the official paid no attention. He was more concerned with his game, savoring a dish of bird’s nest soup. As he sat back, adjusting his mustache and stroking his legs, the sounds of alarm from the village grew louder. The official calmly waited for the next card hand. A servant quietly approached him and said, 'Sir, the embankment may have broken.' The official snapped, 'Let it break.' He impatiently urged for the cards to be dealt. Suddenly, a powerful rush of water flooded the area, drowning the sounds of laughter with the wailing of animals and cries of distress. Inside the temple, a farm worker, drenched and muddy, burst in, shouting that the embankment had indeed collapsed. The official turned red with anger and shouted, 'If the embankment has broken, I’ll have you all imprisoned.' He ordered the servant to throw the worker out. The card game continued, with the official clapping and shouting, 'I win, I win!' as the floodwaters swept across the land, destroying everything. Houses, crops, and fields were consumed by the floods, leaving the living without shelter and the dead without proper burial.

At midnight, in Village X of District X, the Nhị Hà river had risen dangerously, threatening to breach the embankment. While the villagers worked tirelessly to reinforce it, the local official, who had been appointed to oversee the flood defenses, was inside the temple playing a game of cards with his subordinates. He sat comfortably, surrounded by servants and valuable belongings, completely engrossed in the game. He paid no attention to the distant cries or the sound of horns from the villagers struggling to protect the embankment. Even when someone rushed in to inform him that the embankment had broken, he scolded them and continued his leisurely game. In the end, when the embankment finally collapsed and the floodwaters wreaked havoc, destroying homes and drowning crops, the official's only concern was celebrating his big win in the card game.

At nearly one o'clock in the morning, the Nhị Hà river in Village X, District X, was rising dangerously due to heavy rain. The villagers struggled to reinforce the embankment, which was on the brink of collapse. Meanwhile, inside the temple, the local official, responsible for overseeing the flood defenses, was calmly enjoying a game of cards with his subordinates, the temple lit up with bright lights. When someone entered to report the impending breach of the embankment, the official not only ignored the warning but also shouted angrily, shifting the blame to his subordinates. As the official celebrated his victory in the card game, the embankment finally gave way, and the villagers were left in despair as their homes and livelihoods were destroyed.

At nearly 1 AM, in Village X of District X, the Nhị Hà river had swollen dangerously, and the embankment seemed on the verge of collapsing. Hundreds of villagers had been working tirelessly since the afternoon to reinforce it, but nature's power was overwhelming. Meanwhile, the local official responsible for overseeing the flood protection was comfortably seated in a well-lit temple, enjoying luxurious food and drink, and engrossed in a game of cards. When someone rushed in to inform him that the embankment had breached, he remained indifferent, arrogantly dismissing the warnings. As he reveled in his victory of a large hand of cards, the embankment finally gave way, and the villagers were left in despair, suffering from the consequences.

The night had fallen, and the weakened embankment, with several sections already breached, could no longer withstand the rising waters, while the rain continued to pour relentlessly. The villagers, in their perilous situation, exerted all their strength in a frantic effort to save their homes and farmland. Meanwhile, the so-called 'parents' of the people – the officials – were in a state of bliss, playing cards with luxurious food and indulgent luxuries surrounding them. As the threat of a breach grew closer, the soldiers and villagers came to deliver warnings, but the official was absorbed in his card game, paying no attention. When the official finally won a big hand, it was the same moment that the embankment collapsed, and the villagers were left in an unimaginable catastrophe: "everywhere in the region, the water surged, swirling into deep whirlpools, houses were swept away, crops were submerged, the living had no shelter, and the dead had no place to be buried."

The phrase 'live or die, it doesn't matter' tells the tragic tale of the negligence of the district official of Village X, in District X, which led to the deaths of countless people. Homes were swept away, crops drowned, the living had nowhere to shelter, and the dead had no place to be buried. While the villagers toiled relentlessly, struggling to secure the embankment from the rising floodwaters of the Nhị Hà River, the official, unconcerned with the fate of the people, spent his time immersed in a game of cards within the sturdy temple, indifferent to the suffering outside.

Close to 1 AM, in Village X, District X, the waters of the Nhị Hà River had risen so high that the embankment seemed on the brink of collapse. For hours, hundreds of villagers had been struggling to reinforce the dyke, but no human effort could withstand nature’s force—truly a tragic scene. Meanwhile, the official assigned to oversee the embankment sat comfortably inside the sturdy temple, indulging in food, drink, and a game of cards. Even when someone rushed in with the news that the embankment had broken, he ignored the warning, displaying arrogance. As he reveled in the joy of winning a big hand, the embankment collapsed, and the people fell into a disastrous situation.