Top 6 Best Essays on "Practice Summarizing Narrative Works" for 9th Grade Students

I. The Importance of Summarizing Narrative Texts:
- Summarizing narrative texts helps the reader or listener grasp the main story points quickly.
- Summarizing narrative texts is essential.
- A summarized text should highlight the key events and main characters.
- Summaries are concise and easy to remember.

II. Practice Summarizing a Narrative Text:
Question 1, pages 58-59, 9th-grade Literature textbook: In summarizing the story 'The Tale of the Girl from Nam Xuong,' a student mentioned the following events and characters:
- Trương Sinh had to leave for the army, leaving behind his elderly mother and young wife, Vũ Nương.
- Trương Sinh's mother passed away, and Vũ Nương took care of the funeral arrangements.
- After the war, Trương Sinh returned home and, misled by their child, suspected his wife of infidelity.
- Vũ Nương was wrongly accused and drowned herself in the Hoàng Giang River.
- Phan Lang, a fellow villager of Vũ Nương, after being saved by Linh Phi, the sea goddess, was later resurrected and met Vũ Nương in Linh Phi's cave.
- Phan Lang recognized Vũ Nương, and after hearing her story, he returned to the human world. Vũ Nương sent a message for Trương Sinh through a golden flower.
- Trương Sinh, upon hearing Phan Lang’s account, realized his wife’s innocence and performed a ritual to clear her name by the Hoàng Giang River. Vũ Nương appeared, seated on a flower sedan in the middle of the river, at times visible, at times disappearing.
Question: Are all the important events mentioned? Are there any events missing? If so, what are they, and why are they significant? The textbook has covered most of the story, but an important event was omitted: after her death, Trương Sinh, sitting by the lamp one night, saw his child pointing to a shadow on the wall, which was recognized as the one who had been visiting at night. This realization helped him understand that his wife had been wrongly accused, much earlier than when Phan Lang later informed him of meeting Vũ Nương. This missing event should be added for accuracy and completeness in the summary.

Question 2, pages 59-60, 9th-grade Literature textbook:
On the basis of the corrected and logically arranged events and characters, summarize 'The Tale of the Girl from Nam Xuong' in about 20 lines.
Answer: Summary of 'The Tale of the Girl from Nam Xuong':
Vũ Nương, a beautiful and virtuous woman from Nam Xuong, married Trương Sinh, a rich but uneducated man with a jealous nature. Their life was peaceful until Trương Sinh had to leave for the army. While he was away, Vũ Nương gave birth to a son, named Đản, and took care of her mother-in-law, who fell ill. When Trương Sinh returned, he believed his wife was unfaithful, based on his child's words, and despite her protests, he rejected her. Vũ Nương, unable to clear her name, drowned herself in the Hoàng Giang River. However, she was saved by celestial beings. In the underworld, she met Phan Lang, a villager. After hearing her story, Phan Lang returned to tell Trương Sinh, who performed a ritual to clear his wife's name. Vũ Nương returned, expressed gratitude, and then vanished.

Question 3, pages 59-60, 9th-grade Literature textbook:
If you had to summarize the story in a shorter version, how would you condense it while still conveying the main idea?
Answer: A more concise summary of 'The Tale of the Girl from Nam Xuong':
Vũ Nương, married to Trương Sinh, lived a happy life until he was drafted. While he was away, she had a son. Upon his return, Trương Sinh, believing his wife was unfaithful based on their child’s words, drove her away. Vũ Nương, unable to defend herself, took her own life. She was saved by heavenly beings and met Phan Lang in the underworld. Phan Lang told Trương Sinh the truth, and he performed a ritual to clear her name. Vũ Nương reappeared, thanked her husband, and vanished forever.

III. Practice Exercises
Question 1, pages 59-60, 9th-grade Literature textbook:
Summarize a narrative text studied in the 8th-grade literature curriculum (such as 'Lão Hạc' or 'The Last Leaf') and one text from the upcoming lesson in the 9th-grade literature book (such as 'The Old Story in the Chúa Trịnh's Mansion' or 'The Story of the Hoàng Lê Empire').
Answer:

* Summary of the short story 'The Last Leaf':
In a poor neighborhood of Washington, two friends, Xiu and Giôn-xi, both passionate about art, live together. Giôn-xi is diagnosed with pneumonia and only has days to live. She becomes obsessed with counting the leaves falling from a vine outside her window, believing that when the last leaf falls, she will die. Xiu, deeply moved, tells the story to an elderly artist named Mr. Bơ-men, who dreams of painting a masterpiece. The old artist, understanding the gravity of the situation, secretly paints the last leaf on the wall during a stormy night, saving Giôn-xi’s life. Mr. Bơ-men dies from pneumonia two days later, but Giôn-xi recovers.

* Summary of chapter 14 of 'The Hoàng Lê Empire' chronicles:
The Qing army marched into Thăng Long, while Tây Sơn general Ngô Văn Sở retreated to Tam Điệp. Quang Trung ascended the throne in Phú Xuân and led a large army to the north to defeat the Qing. Along the way, he recruited additional soldiers, held a grand review, and ordered his generals to prepare for battle. The army achieved victory after victory, with the Qing forces being utterly defeated. On the 5th of Tết, Quang Trung entered Thăng Long, while Qing general Tôn Sĩ Nghị fled, and the Lê emperor Lê Chiêu Thống and his family escaped.

Question 2, pages 59-60, 9th-grade Literature textbook:
Summarize a personal story you've heard or witnessed in your daily life.
Answer:
Summary of a personal story:
One beautiful day, I was walking in the park when I saw a young child crying behind a tree. After talking to the child, I learned that they were lost and unable to find their mother. I helped the child reunite with their mother and felt happy for having done something good.

I. Basic Knowledge

A summary of a narrative text should meet the following requirements:

- It must achieve the intended purpose and meet the summary's objective.

- Ensure objectivity: do not add or omit details or events not present in the original work, and avoid inserting personal opinions of the summarizer.

- Ensure completeness: the summary should allow the reader to understand the entire story or work (beginning, development, conclusion).

II. Suggested Answers to Textbook Questions

The necessity of summarizing narrative texts

Question 1 - Page 58, Literature Textbook 9, Volume 1

Summarize the film 'The Last Leaf'.

Xiu and Jon-See are two poor young female artists, living in a rented apartment near Washington Park. Mr. Behrman, an elderly poor artist, also lives in a rented apartment downstairs. For forty years, he dreamed of creating a masterpiece but never succeeded. He often posed for other artists to earn money. During one winter, Jon-See falls ill with pneumonia. Her illness and poverty make her lose the will to live. She watches the last ivy leaves on the vine outside her window, waiting for them to fall before she would give up on life. Before nightfall, Jon-See counts four remaining leaves. Mr. Behrman, hearing Xiu's story, becomes furious at the absurdity of someone wanting to die just because the leaves fall. He and Xiu go upstairs... In the end, Mr. Behrman secretly paints the last leaf in the snowy night to replace the real one. Thanks to his optimism, Jon-See recovers, but Mr. Behrman dies of pneumonia.

Question 2 - Page 58, Literature Textbook 9, Volume 1

Reflect and complete the following tasks:

a) In all three scenarios, a summary of the narrative text is required. Please provide comments on the necessity of summarizing narrative texts.

b) Identify other situations in life where you think the skill of summarizing narrative texts could be applied.

Answer:

a) In many situations, people often need to grasp the main ideas of a narrative text concisely. This gives rise to the practice of summarizing narrative works.

b) Other situations requiring the summary of narrative texts include: situations where we are not present, and need to understand what happened, such as investigating the cause of a fire, a war, or a murder...

Practicing summarizing a narrative text

Question 1 - Page 58, Literature Textbook 9, Volume 1

To summarize the story 'The Girl from Nam Xuong', one might include the following main events and characters:

– Truong Sinh had to join the army, leaving his elderly mother and young wife, Vu Thi Thiet (Vu Nuong) at home.

– Truong Sinh's mother died, and Vu Nuong took care of the funeral.

– After the war, Truong Sinh returned home and, influenced by his young child, wrongly suspected his wife of infidelity.

– Vu Nuong, wrongly accused, threw herself into the Hoang Giang River to end her life.

– Phan Lang, a fellow villager of Vu Nuong, who had drowned in the sea but was saved by Linh Phi, the wife of the Sea King, later met Vu Nuong in Linh Phi's cave. They recognized each other. Phan Lang was returned to the human world, while Vu Nuong sent a golden earring with a message for Truong Sinh.

– Truong Sinh, after hearing Phan Lang's account, realized his wife was innocent. He organized a ceremony to clear her name at the Hoang Giang River, and Vu Nuong returned, appearing on a floral palanquin in the river, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden.

Answer:

The textbook presents seven main events in 'The Girl from Nam Xuong' fairly accurately. However, it omits one key event: after Vu Nuong's death, one night Truong Sinh and his child sat by the lamp, and the child pointed at a shadow on the wall, claiming it was the person who visited their mother every night. This event is crucial, as it helped Truong Sinh realize his wife was wrongly accused. This event should be included in the summary.

Question 2 - Page 59, Literature Textbook 9, Volume 1

Based on the complete and well-organized events and characters from 'The Girl from Nam Xuong', summarize the story.

Answer:

Once, there was a man named Truong Sinh, who had just married but had to leave for military service, leaving behind his elderly mother and pregnant wife, Vu Thi Thiet. Truong Sinh's mother died, and Vu Nuong took care of the funeral. After the war, Truong Sinh returned and, misled by his child's innocent words, wrongly suspected his wife of infidelity. Vu Nuong, falsely accused, drowned herself in the Hoang Giang River. After her death, one night, Truong Sinh and his son sat by the lamp, and the child pointed at the shadow on the wall, saying it was the person who visited their mother. This made Truong Sinh realize his wife was innocent. Phan Lang, a villager of Vu Nuong, who had drowned at sea but was saved by Linh Phi, later met Vu Nuong in Linh Phi's cave. They recognized each other. Phan Lang returned to the human world, and Vu Nuong sent a golden earring with a message for Truong Sinh. Truong Sinh, moved by Phan Lang's story, held a ceremony at the Hoang Giang River to clear her name. Vu Nuong returned, appearing on a floral palanquin in the river, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden.

Question 3 - Page 59, Literature Textbook 9, Volume 1

Can the summary be shortened even further? How would you summarize it in the fewest lines, while still conveying the essential content of the text?

Answer:

The story tells of Vu Thi Thiet, a beautiful, loyal wife from Nam Xuong, who took care of her mother-in-law and child while her husband was away at war. When he returned, misled by their child, he wrongly accused her of infidelity and drove her away. Unable to clear her name, she drowned herself in the Hoang Giang River. Moved by her loyalty, Linh Phi, the wife of the Sea King, saved her and kept her in the underwater palace. Later, her husband, realizing his mistake, performed a ritual to clear her name. Vu Nuong appeared to him, before returning to the undersea palace.

Practice

Exercise 1 - Page 59, Literature Textbook 9, Volume 1

Write a summary of a narrative text you studied in the 8th grade curriculum (such as 'The Old Man', 'The Last Leaf', etc.) and one you will study in Lesson 5, Literature Textbook 9 (such as 'The Old Stories of the Trinh Lords' or 'Hoang Le's Unification').

Answer:

Summary of the narrative text:

The Old Man had a son, a piece of land, and a dog. His son went to work in the rubber plantation, and the old man was left with only his dog, 'Cau Vang'. To leave the land for his son, the old man had to sell the dog. He entrusted the money to the teacher, asking him to care for the land. Life grew harder, and the old man lived on what he could find. One day, he asked Binh Tu for some poison for the dog. The teacher was deeply saddened to hear about it. But suddenly, the old man died in a violent manner. The whole village was puzzled, except for Binh Tu and the teacher.

Remember

Summarizing a narrative text is a way to help the reader quickly grasp the main ideas of the text. The summary must concisely present all the main characters and events, fitting the essence of the original work.

I- The Necessity of Summarizing Narrative Texts

1. Consider the following scenarios

2. Reflect on and carry out the following tasks:

a. Discuss the necessity of summarizing narrative texts: In reality, we don't always have the time or resources to watch a film or read a book directly. Therefore, summarizing narrative texts is a necessity created by life itself.

b. Other situations requiring the summarization of narrative texts:

Grandmother asks me to summarize a play aired on television.
Child narrates their day at school to their mother.
Soldier recounts a battle.

II- Practice Summarizing a Narrative Text

Question 1, page 58, 9th Grade Literature Textbook, Volume 1:

a. The characters and events have been generally mentioned, but one crucial event is missing: one night, Trương Sinh and his son sat beside a lamp, and the child pointed to Trương Sinh’s shadow on the wall, saying it was his father.

This is a significant detail, as it both foreshadows and resolves the story.

b. The events presented are not entirely logical and need to incorporate the important detail above after the fourth point before summarizing.

Question 2, page 59, 9th Grade Literature Textbook, Volume 1:

Summary of The Girl from Nam Xương:

Trương Sinh married Vũ Nương, a beautiful and gentle woman. Shortly after their marriage, Trương Sinh had to go to war, leaving behind his elderly mother and pregnant wife. Trương Sinh’s mother died from missing her son, while Vũ Nương took care of the funeral arrangements. After the war ended, Trương Sinh returned home and, influenced by his child’s innocent words, began to doubt his wife’s loyalty. Vũ Nương, wronged, drowned herself in the Hoàng Giang River. One night, Trương Sinh and his son sat next to a lamp, and the child pointed to a shadow on the wall, saying it was his father. At that moment, Trương Sinh realized his wife’s innocence. Phan Lang, a villager who had saved Linh Phi, the wife of the King of the South Sea, was saved by Linh Phi as a token of gratitude. When Phan Lang returned to the earthly realm, Vũ Nương sent a golden flower and a message for Trương Sinh. Trương Sinh, upon seeing the golden flower, believed Phan Lang’s words and organized a ritual to clear his wife’s name at Hoàng Giang River. Vũ Nương appeared, sitting on a flower-covered sedan chair in the middle of the river, bid farewell to Trương Sinh, and vanished.

Question 3, page 59, 9th Grade Literature Textbook, Volume 1:

Summary of The Girl from Nam Xương (brief version):

Once, there was a man named Trương Sinh who, after marrying his wife, had to leave for the army. His wife, Vũ Nương, gave birth to a son and arranged the funeral after her mother-in-law’s passing. After the war, Trương Sinh returned home, heard his child’s words, and suspected his wife’s faithfulness. Vũ Nương, wrongly accused, drowned herself. One night, the child pointed at a shadow on the wall and said it was his father. That’s when Trương Sinh realized his wife had been wronged. Phan Lang, a villager, was granted a wish for saving Linh Phi’s life. Phan Lang met Vũ Nương and, on his return to the mortal world, brought Trương Sinh a message and a golden flower. Trương Sinh organized a ritual at the Hoàng Giang River, where he saw Vũ Nương return on a flower-covered sedan chair, say her goodbyes, and then disappear.

III- Practice Summarizing a Narrative Text

Summary of the story Lão Hạc:

Lão Hạc was a poor, kind, and humble farmer. His son, unable to afford a dowry, left for the rubber plantation. Lão Hạc stayed behind, working as a laborer to survive. His only close companion was his dog, Vàng. However, due to poor health, bad weather, and crop failure, Lão Hạc was forced to sell his dog Vàng, even though it broke his heart. He asked his teacher to register the land under his name so that it could be passed down to his son, and left thirty silver coins for his funeral. When Binh Tư mentioned that Lão Hạc had asked for poison for his dog, the teacher felt sad and disappointed. But when the teacher witnessed Lão Hạc's painful death, he finally understood everything.

Summary of the story The Last Leaf:

Xiu and Giôn-xi were two young, impoverished female artists. Old Bơ-men, a senior artist, had long dreamed of creating a masterpiece but had never succeeded. That winter, Giôn-xi contracted pneumonia. The illness and their poverty led her to despair, and she decided she would die once the last ivy leaf on the wall opposite her room fell. After a stormy night, the last ivy leaf remained. Giôn-xi regained hope and began to recover. However, it turned out that the leaf was a masterpiece by Bơ-men, who painted it on the night the last ivy leaf fell, and then died from pneumonia himself.

I. The Importance of Summarizing Narrative Texts

Summarizing narrative texts is a necessary skill to help readers and listeners grasp the key content of a story.

II. Practicing the Summary of Narrative Texts

- A few important events are missing, which are crucial to the story's resolution:

+ When little Đản points at the shadow of his father, saying it is his father, Trương Sinh realizes his wife was wrongfully accused.

Summary of the Story "The Girl from Nam Xương"

Vũ Nương is gentle and graceful, married to Trương Sinh, a hot-tempered and suspicious man. After Trương Sinh leaves for war, he returns to hear his child’s misunderstanding and mistakenly accuses his wife of infidelity. Unable to explain, Vũ Nương jumps into the Hoàng Giang River to clear her name, where she is saved by the goddess Linh Phi and taken to the undersea palace. One day, Vũ Nương meets her neighbor Phan Lang, asking him to convey her request to Trương Sinh to perform a ceremony to clear her name by the Hoàng Giang riverbank. She then returns to the river, says her final words, and gradually disappears.

II. Practice

Exercise 1 (page 59, Literature 9, volume 1)

* Summary of the Story "Old Hạc"

Old Hạc is a kind-hearted farmer who, unable to afford his son’s marriage, sees him leave for a rubber plantation. Living alone with his loyal dog Cậu Vàng, Old Hạc is too weak to work and cannot earn a living. He sells his dog and asks a teacher to keep his savings for his son. He prepares for his own funeral without troubling the neighbors, refusing all help. In the end, he chooses a painful death using poisoned dog meat to end his suffering.

* Summary of the Story "The Unification of the Tây Sơn Army"

After hearing of the Qing invasion, Nguyễn Huệ ascended the throne as King Quang Trung and led his army to Thăng Long to fight the invaders. On his journey north, he recruited soldiers. On the eve of the Lunar New Year, the King held a feast for his troops, promising a celebration in Thăng Long on the 7th day of the New Year. Under Quang Trung’s leadership, the Tây Sơn army defeated the Qing forces. Tôn Sĩ Nghị and the Qing troops fled in fear, followed by the traitorous Lê Chiêu Thống and his collaborators.

Exercise 2 (page 59, Literature 9, volume 1)

Summarize a story you have heard or witnessed:

- A story about good people and good deeds

- A touching story

- A story about teacher-student or friendship...

Note: Keep it concise and clear.

I. The Importance of Summarizing Narrative Texts

Q1: Understand the situation.

Q2:

a. Summarizing texts helps the reader and listener quickly grasp the main points of a story. By eliminating unnecessary details, characters, and secondary elements, a summary highlights the key events and characters. Summaries are often brief and easy to remember.

II. Practice Summarizing a Narrative Text

Answer to Q1 (page 58, Literature 9, Volume 1):

One crucial event is missing. After his wife’s suicide, one night Trương Sinh and his son are sitting by the lamp. The child points at the shadow on the wall and claims it’s the person who often comes at night. This moment helps Trương Sinh realize his wife was wrongly accused. This event should be included when summarizing the text.

Answer to Q2 (page 59, Literature 9, Volume 1):

Summary of the Story "The Girl from Nam Xương":

Trương Sinh, after marrying, goes off to war, leaving his elderly mother and pregnant wife, Vũ Nương. After his mother’s death, Vũ Nương handles the funeral. When Trương Sinh returns home and hears his child’s misunderstanding, he wrongly believes his wife was unfaithful. Vũ Nương, wronged, jumps into the Hoàng Giang River to end her life. Later, while sitting by the lamp with his son, Trương Sinh finally realizes his wife’s innocence after the child points at the shadow on the wall. Phan Lang, a neighbor who had saved the goddess Linh Phi, encounters Vũ Nương in the underwater palace. After Phan Lang returns to the world of the living, Vũ Nương sends a golden flower and a message to Trương Sinh. Trương Sinh, moved, holds a ceremony by the riverbank to clear her name. Vũ Nương then appears, sometimes visible, sometimes vanishing.

Answer to Q3 (page 59, Literature 9, Volume 1):

Shortened summary of the story:

Trương Sinh, having just married, goes to war. Upon returning, he believes his wife has been unfaithful after hearing his son’s accusations. Vũ Nương, unjustly blamed, drowns herself in the Hoàng Giang River. One night, Trương Sinh realizes his mistake when his son points at the shadow on the wall. Phan Lang finds Vũ Nương in the underwater palace. After Phan Lang returns, he conveys a message from Vũ Nương to Trương Sinh, who then holds a ceremony by the river to clear her name. Vũ Nương reappears at times, visible, then fading away.

III. Practice:

Summary of "The Story of Old Hạc":

Old Hạc is a neighbor of the teacher, with a son working at a rubber plantation. Living with his dog, Cậu Vàng, a memento from his son, Old Hạc faces tough circumstances but refuses all help. Determined not to invade his son’s garden, he sells the dog, arranges his own funeral, and ends his life with poisoned dog meat.