Top 6 Best Essays on "Descriptive and Expressive Writing in Narrative Texts"

I. THE COMBINATION OF NARRATIVE, DESCRIPTIVE, AND EXPRESSIVE ELEMENTS

Read the passage by Nguyên Hồng and answer the following questions:

1. Identify the descriptive and expressive elements in the above passage (be sure to point out the words, sentences, images, and details that represent the descriptive and expressive elements). Are these elements separate or intertwined?

- Narrative: focuses on stating events, actions, or characters.

- Descriptive: focuses on indicating the qualities, colors, and degrees of events, characters, or actions.

- Expressive: often reveals the writer's feelings and attitudes towards the events, characters, or actions.

The passage tells about the emotional reunion between the narrator (I) and his mother after a long separation. This event is depicted through the following details:

- Mother waves at me.

- I run towards the vehicle carrying my mother.

- Mother pulls me onto the vehicle.

- I burst into tears.

- My mother also sobs along.

- I sit beside my mother, resting my head on her arm, observing her face.

Descriptive elements:

- I am panting, my forehead drenched in sweat, my legs weak.

- My mother is not frail.

- Her face remains bright, with clear eyes and smooth skin, accentuating the pink of her cheeks.

Expressive elements:

- Is it because of the joy of finally being able to see and embrace my flesh and blood that my mother seems so beautiful, as in her prosperous days? (thought)

- I feel a warmth, long lost, suddenly spreading over my skin. The smell of my mother's clothes and the breath from her mouth, chewing betel, is unexpectedly fragrant. (sensation)

- To become small again, to fall into the arms of a mother, pressing my face against her warm breast, and let her hands gently stroke from my forehead down to my chin, scratching my back, only then does one realize the infinite tenderness of a mother. (sensation)

The narrative, descriptive, and expressive elements are intertwined.

Example: I sit on the vehicle's cushion, my thigh pressed against my mother's, my head leaning on her arm, feeling warmth spreading over my skin. The scent of her clothes and her breath, coming from her mouth as she chews betel, is unusually fragrant.

- Narrative: I sit on the vehicle, next to my mother.

- Descriptive: My thigh pressed against my mother's, my head leaning on her arm, her mouth chewing betel.

- Expressive: The warmth I had long lost suddenly caresses my skin, smelling strangely sweet.

2. Remove all descriptive and expressive elements from the passage above and rewrite only the narrative sentences. Compare this rewritten passage to the original and draw conclusions:

Without the descriptive and expressive elements, how would the storytelling in this passage be affected? What conclusion can you draw about the role and effect of descriptive and expressive elements in storytelling?

The rewritten passage is:

“My mother waved at me. I ran towards the vehicle carrying my mother. She pulled me onto the vehicle. I burst into tears. My mother also cried along. I sat next to her, resting my head on her arm, watching her face.”

Comparing this with the original passage, we see that:

The descriptive elements make the reunion between the narrator and his mother more vivid with colors, scents, and shapes of the events, characters, and actions. Everything becomes clear and tangible to the reader. Coupled with the expressive elements, the author conveys a deeper and more profound sense of motherhood. The reader is compelled to reflect on the events and characters.

The meaning of the story becomes deeper because of this. The descriptive and expressive elements also help the author express his respect, admiration, and love for the characters and the events.

3. Remove all the narrative elements from the passage above, keeping only the descriptive and expressive sentences. How would the passage be affected? Would it still constitute a “story”? Why or why not? Draw conclusions about the role of narrative elements in a narrative text.

If all the narrative elements were removed and only the descriptive and expressive sentences were kept, the passage would not be a “story.” This is because a story requires events, characters, and actions. Descriptive and expressive elements must be tied to events and characters to develop the narrative.

Remember:

In a narrative text, it is rare for the author to only narrate the characters and events (storytelling) without intertwining descriptive, expressive, and evaluative elements.

The descriptive, expressive, and evaluative elements make storytelling more vivid and meaningful.

II. PRACTICE

♦ Exercise 1

Students practice according to the suggestions:

- Where to begin?

- From afar, how does your grandmother appear? (describe her hunched figure, hair turning white).

- Feelings when getting closer. Narrate your actions and describe details of her face, clothing...

- Emotional expressions (how do you feel, what are your gestures, words, and facial expressions like?)

♦ Exercise 2

Find a passage of narration that uses expressive and descriptive elements in works already studied, such as “Tắt đèn” by Ngô Tất Tố, “Tôi đi học” by Thanh Tịnh, or “Lão Hạc” by Nam Cao.

Example: The old man’s face suddenly scrunches up. His wrinkles gather and press together, forcing tears to flow. His head tilts to one side, and his mouth curls like a child’s. The old man sobs...

(Nam Cao)

The sentence contains vivid imagery and sound, depicting the old man's immense pain and suffering. In his old age, tears barely escape, as his face scrunches to release them.

I. THE COMBINATION OF NARRATIVE, DESCRIPTIVE, AND EMOTIVE ELEMENTS IN NARRATIVE TEXTS.

Read the excerpt from Nguyen Hong and answer the questions:

1. Identify and point out the descriptive and emotive elements in the text above (pay attention to words, sentences, images, and details that represent descriptive and emotive elements). Do these elements stand alone or are they intertwined?

Advertisement

Narration generally focuses on events, actions, and characters. Descriptive elements often highlight qualities, colors, and the degree of these events, actions, and characters. Emotive elements are shown through details expressing the writer's emotions or attitudes toward the events, actions, or characters. The passage above recounts an emotional meeting between the narrator and his mother after a long separation. This event is depicted through the following details: - My mother waved at me. - I ran after the car carrying my mother. - She pulled me onto the car. - I burst into tears. - My mother also sobbed. - I sat beside her, resting my head on her arm, observing her face. Descriptive elements: - I was panting, sweating on my forehead, and my legs felt weak. - My mother wasn't frail. - Her face was still bright with clear eyes and smooth skin, making the pink on her cheeks stand out. Emotive elements: - Perhaps the joy of finally seeing and hugging my own flesh and blood made my mother look as youthful as when we were wealthy (thought). - I felt warm sensations long gone spreading across my skin. The scent of my mother's clothes and the breath from her mouth as she chewed betel nut seemed unusually fragrant at that moment (feeling). - When I left her and pressed my face against her warm body, feeling her hand gently brushing my forehead down to my chin and scratching my back, I experienced an overwhelming tenderness (feeling). Narration, description, and emotion are intertwined in the passage. For example: I sat on the car, my thigh against my mother's, my head leaning on her arm, and I felt the warmth that had been absent for so long spreading across my skin. The smell of my mother's clothes and her breath from her beautiful mouth as she chewed betel nut was extraordinarily fragrant. - Narration: I sat on the car next to my mother. - Description: My thigh against my mother's, my head resting on her arm, her mouth chewing betel nut. - Emotive: The warm feelings that had been lost for so long were now spreading across my skin, and the fragrance was extraordinary.

2. Remove all descriptive and emotive elements from the above passage, then rewrite the sentences that narrate the people and events as a new paragraph. Compare this new passage with the original one and draw conclusions:

If descriptive and emotive elements are removed, how will the narrative be affected? Conclude about the role and effect of descriptive and emotive elements in storytelling. The rewritten passage would be: "My mother waved at me. I ran after the car carrying my mother. She pulled me into the car. I cried. My mother cried too. I sat beside her, resting my head on her arm, and observed her face." Comparing this with the original passage, we see that the descriptive elements make the meeting between the narrator and his mother more vivid, with color, scent, and the appearance of the event, characters, and actions. Everything becomes clear before the reader's eyes. Moreover, the emotive elements deepen the portrayal of the motherly love, making the reader ponder over the events and characters. As a result, the story's meaning becomes more profound. Descriptive and emotive elements also help the writer express their affection and admiration for the characters and the event.

3. If all the narrative elements are removed and only the descriptive and emotive sentences remain, how will the passage be affected? Would it still tell a story? Why? Draw conclusions about the role of narrative elements in a narrative text.

If all the narrative elements are removed and only the descriptive and emotive sentences remain, the passage would no longer tell a story. This is because a story is created through events and characters, along with their actions. Descriptive and emotive elements must be linked to the events and characters for the narrative to unfold.

• Remember:

– In narrative texts, authors rarely use only narration (telling the story); instead, they often interweave descriptive, emotive, and evaluative elements.

– Descriptive and emotive elements, along with evaluation, make storytelling more dynamic and profound.

II. EXERCISES

Question 1: Find narrative excerpts that use descriptive and emotive elements from texts such as 'I Go to School' (Thanh Tinh), 'When the Water Breaks' (Ngo Tat To), 'Old Hac' (Nam Cao)... Analyze the value of these elements.
Answer:
Descriptive elements:
After a long drumbeat echoed in my heart, some old classmates lined up under the porch and walked into the classroom.
They walked... guided the others ahead... their legs dragging on the ground... stretching out as strong as imagined stone balls.
Emotive elements:
Grandchild begs: "Please, grandpa... please forgive..."
"The miserable old teacher... A! That terrible old man... I lived this way..."

Question 2: Write a paragraph about the first moments you meet a family member (grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother, sister...) after being apart for a while (be sure to use descriptive and emotive elements while narrating).
Answer:
My brother has been in the military for over a year now. So, when he came home, our entire family was overjoyed and excited. I still remember that day, as we were preparing dinner, we were all stunned by the unexpected appearance of a tall, muscular navy soldier, with skin as dark and shiny as copper, standing before us with a smile. He stamped his feet firmly, then saluted with a military gesture: "I greet you, father! I greet you, mother!" As for me, I stood frozen in place, overwhelmed by the joy of finally reuniting with him after more than a year. Oh! My brother. The one who has been my companion since childhood, now returned. I couldn’t stop admiring his youthful face, his bright smile, and his sparkling dark eyes. The small house was filled with the cheerful voices of neighbors who came over to celebrate.

I- The Combination of Narrative, Descriptive, and Emotional Elements in Narrative Texts

1. Descriptive Elements:

+ The car moved slowly. I was out of breath, my forehead drenched in sweat, and when I climbed into the car, my legs felt weak.

+ My mother was not as frail and worn-out as my aunt had described.

+ My mother's face was still bright, with clear eyes and smooth skin, highlighting the rosy color of her cheeks.

+ The scent of my mother's clothes and the soft breath from her pretty mouth… was unusually fragrant.

- Emotional Elements:

+ I burst into tears and sobbed uncontrollably.

+ Was it because of the joy of suddenly seeing my mother again, so full of life and comfort?

+ I felt a warmth spread over my body… all over my skin.

+ I had to rest in her arms… it was so soothing.

- These descriptive and emotional elements intertwine with the narrative elements.

2. Without the descriptive and emotional elements, the text would be dry and consist only of a chain of events.

+ Readers wouldn't feel the emotions or understand the character's emotional expressions.

3. If we remove all the narrative elements and only keep the descriptive and emotional ones, the text would become disordered. The narrative structure provides a core, while descriptive and emotional elements enhance the sentiment and depth.

Practice

Exercise 1 (page 74, Literature 8, volume 1)

Select an excerpt: “The old man tried to appear… he cruelly deceived it.”

- Descriptive Elements:

+ The smile was like a grimace, with eyes welling with tears.

+ The old man's face suddenly contorted.

+ The wrinkles on his face pressed together, forcing tears to flow.

+ The old man's head tilted to one side, and his mouth twisted like a child's.

- Emotional Elements:

+ I no longer felt sorrow for the five books like I did before.

+ How could I, at my age, deceive a dog?

+ It didn’t expect that I would deceive it.

- If it only contained the narrative elements, the text would be dry, and the readers wouldn’t feel the sorrow, regret, or self-punishment of Mr. Hac after selling “Cậu Vàng.” The descriptive and emotional elements help make the text more vivid and emotionally rich.

Exercise 2 (page 72, Literature 8, volume 1)

Suggestion:

The passage should consist of approximately 10-15 sentences, using descriptive and emotional elements in the narration.

- Describe the circumstances of reuniting with a loved one (location, time, etc.)

+ First-person narrator: I or em (I)

+ Describe the meeting scene (place, people involved)

- Describe the appearance and actions of the loved one to show the changes after a long separation.

- Emotional expressions: reveal your and your loved one's feelings.

The Integration of Narrative, Descriptive, and Emotional Elements in Narrative Texts

Question 1 (page 73, Literature 8, Volume 1):

- Descriptive Elements:

+ The car was moving slowly… I was gasping for air, my forehead drenched in sweat, and my legs were shaky.

+ My mother was not frail and worn-out.

+ Her face remained bright, with clear eyes and smooth skin, highlighting the rosy glow of her cheeks.

- Emotional Elements:

+ Expressing thoughts: Could it be that the joy of seeing and embracing my own flesh and blood made my mother look as radiant as she did in the days of abundance?

+ Expressing feelings: The warmth, lost for so long, now gently spread across my skin. The scent of her clothes and the breath from her mouth, as she chewed betel nut, filled the air with a surprising fragrance.

+ Sharing an impression: I had to shrink and nestle into my mother's arms… to feel her hands gently smoothing my forehead down to my chin, scratching my back to ease the itching, showing just how soothing her touch was.

→ Descriptive and emotional elements do not stand alone but are intertwined with the narrative elements.

Question 2 (page 73, Literature 8, Volume 1):

If the descriptive and emotional elements are removed, the connection between the narrative elements becomes dry, lacking imagery and emotion.

Question 3 (page 73, Literature 8, Volume 1):

If all narrative elements are omitted, leaving only descriptive and emotional sentences, the passage will no longer contain any events, and thus it won't be a “story” anymore.

Practice

Question 1 (page 74, Literature 8, Volume 1): Here are some narrative passages that incorporate descriptive and emotional elements:

- I Go to School (Thanh Tinh):

Every year, when autumn ends, the leaves fall in abundance, and the sky is filled with soft clouds, reminding me of the tender memories of the first day of school.

How could I forget the pure feelings that bloomed in my heart like fresh flowers smiling in the clear sky…

- Tức Nước Vỡ Bờ (Ngô Tất Tố):

Chị Dậu gritted her teeth:

- Tie him up, I’ll show you!

She grabbed him by the collar and pushed him out the door. The skinny addict couldn't escape the strength of the farmer woman, and he tumbled to the ground, still muttering about tying up the tax-evading husband and wife.

- Lão Hạc (Nam Cao):

No! Life is not necessarily sorrowful, or maybe it is, but in a different sense. After staying at Binh Tu's house for a while, I heard commotion at Lão Hạc’s house. I rushed over. The neighbors were already there, chatting excitedly inside. I rushed in. Lão Hạc was struggling on his bed, his hair disheveled, his clothes in disarray, and his eyes wide open.

Question 2 (page 74, Literature 8, Volume 1):

Sample passage:

I looked at the crowd at this vast airport and wondered if my grandmother would still recognize me. When my mother took me to the U.S. and we left Hanoi, I was just a 10-year-old girl. Now, after 9 years, I came back after hearing that she was suffering from brain cancer. Today, I returned, and she said she would come to pick me up, but I couldn’t see anyone familiar yet. A group of old and young people. Ah, my aunt! The person in the wheelchair, could that be my grandmother? I hurried over, and my grandmother had aged more than I remembered. Her wrinkles were deeper, and her hair was more gray, but her face was still as kind as ever. She cried. Grandma! Your granddaughter, who has been away for so many years, is finally back by your side. I missed you so much. I looked at her kind face and cried like a child, crying even harder when I thought about the illness she was enduring. She smiled happily and hugged me: “My silly granddaughter!”

A. KEY CONCEPTS

1. The Combination of Narrative, Description, and Expression in Narrative Texts

a. Read the following excerpt and comment on the italicized parts: The car moved slowly... My mother waved at me, and a few seconds later, I caught up. I was panting heavily, my forehead soaked with sweat, and when I climbed into the car, my legs felt weak. My mother grabbed my hand, stroked my head, and asked, and then I burst into tears and sobbed uncontrollably. My mother also teared up, saying: - Stop crying! Aunt has gone back to her children. My mother wiped my tears with her brown shirt and helped me onto the car. At that moment, I realized that my mother wasn’t as frail and withered as my aunt had mentioned. Her face was still bright with clear eyes and smooth skin, making the pink hue of her cheeks stand out. Or perhaps it was the joy of seeing and embracing her own flesh and blood that made my mother look as radiant as she did in her prosperous days? I sat on the car’s cushion, my thigh against my mother’s, my head resting on her arm, and I felt a warmth that had been missing for so long, now gently spreading over my skin. The scent of my mother’s clothes and the breath from her mouth as she chewed betel nuts at that moment was unexpectedly fragrant. To be small again and curl up in the arms of a mother, pressing my face against her warm chest, feeling her hands gently stroke my forehead, chin, and scratch my back, was to experience a profound sense of tenderness. From the intersection at the school to home, I no longer remember what my mother asked me or what I answered her.

(Nguyen Hong, Childhood Days)

Requirements:

1. Identify and point out the descriptive and expressive elements in the above excerpt. (Pay attention to the words, sentences, images, and details that reflect these elements). Are these elements used separately or interwoven with the narrative elements?

2. Remove all descriptive and expressive elements from the excerpt, then rewrite only the narrative sentences into a paragraph. Compare the rewritten paragraph with the original to analyze: how would the narrative be affected if it lacked descriptive and expressive elements? From there, draw a conclusion about the role and effect of descriptive and expressive elements in storytelling.

3. Remove all narrative elements from the excerpt and leave only the descriptive and expressive sentences. How would the passage be affected? Would it still be a “story”? Why or why not? Draw a conclusion about the role of narrative elements in narrative texts.

Answer:

1. The descriptive elements in the excerpt are: The events unfold with the following details:

My mother waved at me.
When I climbed into the car, my mother helped me up.
I burst into tears.
My mother also teared up, wiped my tears, and helped me onto the car.
I sat beside my mother, resting my head on her arm, observing her face.

Descriptive sentences include:

I was panting heavily, my forehead soaked with sweat, my legs weak.
My mother wasn’t frail.
Her face was bright, with clear eyes and smooth skin, accentuating the pink hue of her cheeks.

Expressive elements in the excerpt include:

Was it because of the joy of finally seeing and embracing her own flesh and blood that my mother appeared as beautiful as she did in her prosperous days?
I felt a warmth that had been missing for so long, now gently spreading over my skin.
To be small again and curl up in my mother’s arms, pressing my face against her warm chest, feeling her hands gently stroke my forehead, chin, and scratch my back, was to experience a profound tenderness.

Descriptive and expressive elements are interwoven with the narrative elements in the excerpt.

2. Remove all descriptive and expressive elements and rewrite the narrative sentences as follows:

“My mother waved at me. I ran after the car carrying my mother. She helped me into the car. I burst into tears. My mother cried too. I sat beside her, resting my head on her arm, observing her face.”
If we remove all the descriptive and expressive elements, the narrative becomes very dry, lacking in vividness and emotion, and the characters' personalities are not clearly depicted.

3. If we remove all the narrative elements and only retain the descriptive and expressive sentences, the passage would lose its storytelling aspect. The reader would not understand the message the author intends to convey. A “story” must be made up of events, actions, and characters' behaviors, which allows the reader to understand the author's purpose.

2. Remember

In narrative texts, it is rare for authors to simply tell a story without weaving in descriptive and expressive elements. These elements enhance the narrative, making it more vivid and profound.

B. EXERCISES AND SOLUTIONS

Question 1: (Page 74 - Vietnamese Literature 8 Textbook) Find some narrative passages with descriptive and expressive elements from the texts we have studied, such as 'I Go to School' (Thanh Tinh), 'The Flood Breaks' (Ngo Tat To), 'Old Man Hac' (Nam Cao)... Analyze the value of these elements.

Answer

Some narrative passages with descriptive and expressive elements from the texts we have studied:

'I Go to School' - Thanh Tinh
“Every year, at the end of autumn, the leaves fall on the streets, and the sky is covered with gray clouds (descriptive element), my heart is filled with the joyful memories of the first school day (narrative and expressive element). How could I ever forget the pure feelings that bloomed in my heart like fresh flowers smiling in the clear sky (narrative, descriptive, and expressive elements)?

'The Flood Breaks' - Ngo Tat To
“Dân thrust his head into the bowl, slurping noisily. Sister Dau carefully brought a large bowl of food to her husband’s side.”

'Old Man Hac' - Nam Cao
“Damn... teacher! (expressive element). It doesn’t know anything! It sees me calling and immediately runs over, wagging its tail happily. I feed it (narrative). While it was eating, Muc’s son hid behind it, grabbed its two back legs, and twisted them. It took just a moment for Muc and Xiên to tie its legs tightly (narrative). Then the poor dog knew it was going to die (narrative)... Hey! Teacher! (expressive element) It’s clever, you know! (expressive element). It acts like it’s blaming me; it groans and looks at me as if saying, ‘Ah! The old man is terrible! I’ve been good to him, and he’s treating me like this?’ (narrative). I didn’t know I would deceive a dog at my age (expressive element).”

'The Little Match Girl' - Andersen
“How comforting! (expressive element). Her little hands are warmed by the flame, while her thumb becomes hot from holding the match (descriptive element). Ah! When the snow covers the ground, and the cold wind blows, sitting by a fireplace for hours like this, in the bitter winter night, would be the most blissful thing! (narrative and expressive element).”

Question 2: (Page 74 - Vietnamese Literature 8 Textbook) Write a paragraph telling about the first moments when you meet a relative (grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother, sister, etc.) after being apart for a period of time (make sure to use descriptive and expressive elements while narrating).

Answer

Example 1

When I got home from school today, I heard so many familiar voices, laughter, and chatting. Aha! My sister is back. I ran quickly into the house, and the two of us hugged each other joyfully, while my parents smiled at us warmly. My family consists of my sister and me, and I’m the youngest child. When I was little, the moments I looked forward to the most were the family meals when we gathered together, shared stories, and laughed joyfully, forgetting about life’s worries and struggles. Now my sister has graduated from high school and gone to study abroad. She only comes back to visit once a year during the summer. Even though we sometimes bicker when she’s home, I miss her a lot when she’s away. Our summer break starts with a walk around the small streets, buying books or little things for her to take back as souvenirs. The small streets seem to get hotter in the summer, and the cold ice cream on Trang Tien street helps us cool down. So many childhood memories flood back to me, about the summer days when my dad took us to choose small gifts as rewards for our hard work in school. Summer passes quickly, and before I know it, it’s time for my sister to go back to school. On the day she leaves, the whole family goes to the airport, reluctantly saying goodbye. She tells me to study hard, and I silently wish that she stays healthy and safe, so our family can rest easy. She will always be my closest friend.

Example 2

It’s been so long since I last saw my father. Due to family circumstances, my father has to go away on the boat for two or three months at a time. Today, when I got home from school, I heard the familiar voices and laughter from the house. It was my father; he had returned. I rushed into the house, and all the emotions in me burst out. My father smiled at me, saying, “Come here, sit with your father.” I looked at him, nodded, and sat down. Looking up, I noticed that my father had become much darker. Perhaps he had gone through a lot of hardships. The sun and sea breeze had tanned his skin to a deep brown, and a few stray whiskers were left unshaven on his chin. When he saw me looking at him, he smiled and patted my head, saying, “Did you forget your old man after so long?” “I missed you so much, Dad.” That was the sentence I had wanted to say to him for months. The other day, I heard there was a storm at sea, and my mom and I were so worried about him. Dad said that life on the sea is full of hardships, but he has been doing it for so long that he can’t leave it. I held his hand tightly, as if to convey all the longing in my heart, wanting to be the little girl who could rely on her father. My sister and I have caused him so much trouble, but he still works so hard for us. I love my father so much.