Top 5 Best "Homecoming" Analyses

Question 1: The story's structure can be divided into three parts:

Question 2:

- Characters in the story: The mother, the narrator, young Hoang, Nhuan Tho, Aunt Hai Phuong, Thuy Sinh.

- The protagonist: The narrator and Nhuan Tho.

- Central character: Nhuan Tho, as through him the author depicts the changes in the village.

Question 3:

Question 4:

a. This section primarily uses a narrative method combined with expressive language to highlight the deep bond between two childhood friends (also reflecting the change in Nhuan Tho's attitude toward the current narrator).

b. This section uses description mixed with flashbacks and juxtaposition to highlight the physical transformation of Nhuan Tho, shedding light on his dire living conditions and the struggles of farmers in coastal areas.

c. This section mainly employs argumentative techniques.

Exercise:

Students are encouraged to fill in the table: The Transformation of Nhuan Tho.

Nhuan Tho as a child (20 years ago):
+ Appearance: Round face, tan skin, tiny fur cap, shiny silver necklace. Healthy and strong.

+ Actions: Firmly holding a trident while stabbing a fish on the sand dunes under the moonlight.

+ Voice: Carefree and innocent.

+ Attitude: Close and familiar, calling Tan 'bro' with a pure friendship.

+ Personality: Quick-witted, skilled in strange tasks like bird trapping and fish hunting.
Nhuan Tho as an adult (when the narrator returns):

+ Appearance: Taller than before, dark, with deep wrinkles and tired eyes. Wears a worn fur cap, a thin quilted jacket. His hands are rough and cracked like tree bark.

+ Actions: Hunched over, holding a small piece of paper and a long cigarette holder.

+ Voice: Polite and respectful.

+ Attitude: Distant and formal.

+ Personality: Submissive, hesitant, withdrawn.

Question 1 (page 218, Literature 9, Volume 1):

- Part 1 (from the beginning to "currently working and living"): The narrator's feelings as they journey home.
- Part 2 (up to "completely clean as if swept"): The narrator’s thoughts while staying in the village.
- Part 3 (remaining): The narrator’s reflections on leaving the village.

Question 2 (page 218, Literature 9, Volume 1):

The story features two main characters: the narrator and Nhuan Tho. The narrator is the story's protagonist. Through direct observation, the narrator vividly re-creates a nostalgic portrait of their homeland. The narrator's experiences are contrasted with Nhuan Tho’s, emphasizing the gap between past and present, and reflecting on the causes of poverty in early 20th-century China.

Question 3 (page 218, Literature 9, Volume 1):

* The author uses comparison, contrast, and blending past memories with present moments to highlight the changes in Nhuan Tho.
- In the past, Nhuan Tho was a bright, healthy, agile boy who had a warm and close friendship with the narrator.
- In the present, Nhuan Tho is an old, poor, weary peasant, unrecognizable and resigned to his fate, which causes both frustration and pity in the narrator.
⇒ Nhuan Tho symbolizes the impoverished, resigned peasant in early 20th-century China.
* Besides Nhuan Tho's transformation, the author also portrays the changes in the people and scenery of the village:
- The desolate landscape: "dry thatched roofs…" evoking a sense of abandonment.
- The people: Aunt Hai Duong has become harsh, selfish, and unattractive, while the mother’s face reveals a deep sadness…
* The author’s emotions: sorrowful over the decay of both people and place, yet feeling helpless, the author leaves the village.

Question 4 (page 218, Literature 9, Volume 1):

- Section A primarily uses descriptive methods to highlight Nhuan Tho's physical transformation.
- Section B uses narrative mixed with emotional expression to describe the deep bond between the narrator and Nhuan Tho from childhood.
- Section C uses argumentative methods, where the closing image of a road represents a hopeful vision for the future of the nation.

Exercise:

Students are encouraged to complete the table: The Transformation of Nhuan Tho.


When Nhuan Tho was young (20 years ago):

+ Appearance: A round face, tan skin, a tiny fur hat, and a shiny silver necklace. Handsome and strong.
+ Actions: Holding a trident, hunting crabs in the melon field under the moonlight.
+ Voice: Carefree and innocent.
+ Attitude: Called Tan "brother" with closeness, embodying a pure and innocent friendship.
+ Personality: Brave, heroic, knowledgeable about various skills, like trapping birds and hunting crabs...

Nhuan Tho in adulthood (when I returned):

+ Appearance: Taller, skin much darker, a face with deep wrinkles, swollen eyes. He wears a ragged fur hat, a thin cotton jacket. His hands are rough, cracked like pine bark.
+ Actions: His body hunched, holding a small piece of paper and a long cigarette holder.
+ Voice: Mumbles, barely audible.
+ Attitude: Politely greets, but distant, saying "Sir!"
+ Personality: Dull, no longer quick-witted or lively.

1. Identify the structure of the story:

Answer:

Story structure: The story is divided into 3 parts:

- From the beginning to "currently working and living": The narrator’s journey back to their hometown.

- "Early the next morning...completely swept clean": The narrator's time spent in the village.

- The remaining part: The narrator’s journey away from the village.

2. How many main characters are there in the story? Which character is the central one, and why?

Answer:

- The story features two main characters: "I" and "Nhuan Tho".

- Central character: "I". Because "I" appears in all three sections of the story, while Nhuan Tho only appears in the narrator’s thoughts. The changes in Nhuan Tho reflect the changes in the hometown, Aunt Hai Duong, and the narrator's family. Although Nhuan Tho represents the change, the narrator is the core character who drives the story and expresses the central themes throughout, from the opening to the conclusion.

3. What literary techniques does the author use to highlight Nhuan Tho's transformation? Apart from Nhuan Tho's change, what other transformations in people and the landscape are described? How does the author express feelings and attitudes through these descriptions?

Answer:

- The two main literary techniques used to emphasize Nhuan Tho’s change are “flashbacks” and “contrast”.

- The author also describes the economic decline and poverty of the village, stemming from heavy corruption. However, the focus is on the spiritual changes (such as Aunt Hai Duong’s transformation, the behavior of guests using the pretext of seeing off "I" to take their belongings, and especially Nhuan Tho’s character). The most heartbreaking part of the story for Lu Xun is the relationship between Nhuan Tho and "I".

- Through this, the author conveys a sense of sorrow over the human changes and criticizes feudalism.

4. Which passage mainly uses description, and what does the author aim to express through it? Which section uses narration, and what other methods of expression does the author incorporate? How does the combination of these methods highlight the character’s traits? Which part is argumentative, and what does it convey?

Answer:

- Passage A primarily uses narration (with emotional elements) to highlight the close bond between the childhood friends, emphasizing Nhuan Tho’s shift in attitude toward "I" now.

- Passage B mainly uses description, combined with flashbacks and contrast, to highlight Nhuan Tho’s physical transformation, which symbolizes the dire living conditions of both him and other peasants in the coastal area.

- Passage C primarily uses argumentative techniques to explore the themes mentioned earlier.

Exercise:

Suggested activity for students: Complete the table below:

Young Nhuan Tho:

+ Appearance: Tan skin, round face, silver necklace around the neck.

+ Actions: Holding a trident, desperately stabbing at a crab.

+ Voice: Fluent, innocent.

+ Attitude: Warm and friendly.

+ Personality: Innocent, quick-witted.

Middle-aged Nhuan Tho:

+ Appearance: Twice as tall as before, dark yellow skin, round face with deep wrinkles, wearing a tattered fur hat...

+ Actions: Lips moving without sound, displaying a respectful demeanor.

+ Voice: Respectful, polite.

+ Attitude: Distant, formal.

+ Personality: Submissive, cautious, reserved.

Question 1: The story can be divided into three parts:

Answer:

- The first part is the narrator's (Tấn) journey back to the village (from the beginning to "currently working and living").

- The second part describes the narrator's stay in the village to say goodbye (from "Early the next morning" to "completely swept clean").

- The final part is the narrator and their family leaving the village (from "Our boat sailed straight ahead" to the end).

Question 2:
- The characters in the story are: the mother, the narrator, Hoàng’s child, Nhuận Thổ, Aunt Hai Phương, and Thủy Sinh.

- The main characters are the narrator and Nhuận Thổ.

- The central character is Nhuận Thổ because through him, the author illustrates the changes in the village.

Question 3:
The two primary literary techniques used are “flashbacks” and “contrast”. These techniques are effectively combined to highlight the transformation of both people and the landscape, especially in the character of Nhuận Thổ.

Twenty years ago, Nhuận Thổ was a child with a "round face, tan skin, a tiny fur cap, and a shiny silver necklace…". But twenty years later, "Though I recognized him immediately as Nhuận Thổ, he was no longer the Nhuận Thổ I remembered. His round face and tan skin had changed to a yellowish hue, with deep wrinkles and eyes just like his father’s. He wore a tattered fur hat, a thin cotton coat, hunched over, holding a paper bag and a long cigarette pipe. His hands were no longer the nimble, plump, rosy ones I remembered; they were rough, heavy, cracked like tree bark."

In addition to Nhuận Thổ’s transformation, the author also discusses the economic decline and poverty of the people due to heavy corruption. However, the focus is on the spiritual transformation of people, as seen in Aunt Hai Dương, the guests who took advantage of the situation, and especially in Nhuận Thổ’s character.

The most heartbreaking aspect for the author, the part that causes "numbness", is the relationship between Nhuận Thổ and the narrator.

Question 4:

a. This passage primarily uses narration combined with emotional elements to highlight the close bond between the childhood friends, which also serves to emphasize the change in Nhuận Thổ's attitude towards the narrator.

b. This passage mainly uses description, combined with flashbacks and contrast, to highlight Nhuận Thổ’s physical transformation, reflecting the dire living conditions of both him and the coastal peasants.

c. This passage primarily uses an argumentative method.

Exercise:
Suggestion: Complete the table below:

Young Nhuận Thổ:

+ Appearance: Round face, tan skin, tiny fur cap, shiny silver necklace, rosy and nimble hands.

+ Actions: Holding a trident, trying hard to stab a crab.

+ Voice: Fluent, innocent, clear.

+ Attitude: Loving and attached. He cried in the kitchen and refused to leave.

+ Personality: Quick-witted and resourceful, knowledgeable about many things like bird trapping and fishing.

Middle-aged Nhuận Thổ:

+ Appearance: Twice as tall as before, yellowish skin, round face with deep wrinkles, tattered fur hat, thin cotton coat, rough and cracked hands like tree bark.

+ Actions: Bent over, holding a paper bag and a long cigarette pipe.

+ Voice: Polite, respectful.

+ Attitude: Distant, respectful.

+ Personality: Submissive, timid, reserved.

1 - Page 218: Identify the structure of the story.

Answer:

The short story "Homecoming" is divided into three parts:

- Part 1 (from the beginning to "currently working and living"): The journey to the village.
- Part 2 (from "Early the next morning" to "completely swept clean"): The days spent in the village.
- Part 3 (remaining section): The departure and reflections on the present and future.

2 - Page 218: How many main characters are there in the story? Which character is the central one? Why?

Answer:

There are two main characters: the narrator ("I") and Nhuận Thổ.
- Nhuận Thổ plays an important role in the story, as all the changes in the village are reflected through his character. Furthermore, the special relationship between Nhuận Thổ and "I" strongly influences the narrator's thoughts and emotions.
- However, since Nhuận Thổ only appears in Part 2 (in sections 1, 2, and 4), he cannot be considered the central character, while the narrator ("I") is.

3 - Page 218: What artistic techniques does the author use to highlight Nhuận Thổ's transformation? Besides Nhuận Thổ's change, what other transformations of people and the village are described? How does the author express emotions and attitudes through these descriptions?

Answer:

- The author combines flashbacks and contrasts with the present to emphasize Nhuận Thổ's physical and emotional changes after twenty years.
+ Nhuận Thổ has changed so much... Although I recognize him, he is not the same Nhuận Thổ from my memory.
+ The clever, agile Nhuận Thổ from my childhood now seems like a statue, sitting deep in thought.
His demeanor is respectful, his actions careful, polite, with a hesitant, quiet tone (shaking his head... deep in thought... silently smoking a pipe). His body language is timid and awkward.

- The author uses comparison to contrast Nhuận Thổ's youthful image—healthy, confident, intelligent, and quicker than "I"—to the alienating distance now between them, which exposes societal issues in China.
+ My mother was happy, but her face still concealed a deep sadness.
+ Aunt Hai Dương, the beauty of the past, now looks ugly and harsh, with prominent cheekbones, thin lips, hands on her hips, and a coarse, uncaring attitude.

- In response to these changes, "I" feel a thick wall between me and Nhuận Thổ, as well as the villagers. The memories of the old village and its people have become faded, distant. I feel lonely, suffocated, and desolate.
- Despite this, "I" still hope for a better future for the village. I think about the two children, Hoàng and Thủy Sinh: They need to live a new life, a life we never had.
- In the end, the image of the road we travel, which gradually forms a path, offers hope for the future, showing that one can find a way to overcome stagnation and build a better life.

4 - Pages 218, 219: Carefully read the three excerpts [...] and answer the questions.
- Which excerpt primarily uses description and what does the author want to express through it?
- Which excerpt primarily uses narration? Besides narration, what other forms of expression does the author use, and what is the effect of combining these to reveal the character's traits?
- Which excerpt primarily uses argumentation and what does the author want to convey through it?

Answer:

- Excerpt a: Primarily uses narration to highlight the bond between childhood friends.
- Excerpt b: Primarily uses description to highlight the physical transformation of Nhuận Thổ.
- Excerpt c: Primarily uses argumentation to convey a philosophical view of hope.

Exercise:

Suggestion: Fill out the table below:
Younger Nhuận Thổ:
+ Appearance: Round face, tan skin, silver necklace, fur cap, rosy, chubby hands.
+ Actions: Holding a trident, struggling to catch a crab.
+ Voice: Fluent, innocent, clear, decisive.
+ Attitude: Shy, calling him "I" and "you" → Crying at goodbye, leaving a seashell.
+ Personality: Talented, knows many things.

Middle-aged Nhuận Thổ:
+ Appearance: Tall, yellowish skin, wrinkled face, cracked hands, torn fur hat, thin coat, hands like tree bark, looks hesitant.
+ Actions: Bent over, holding a piece of paper and a long cigarette pipe.
+ Voice: Polite, respectful.
+ Attitude: Timid, hands clasped.
+ Personality: Submissive, shy, reserved.