Top 6 Essays Analyzing the Character of the Man in "The Distant Boat" by Nguyễn Minh Châu (Grade 12)

The character of the man appears only briefly but leaves a profound impression on the reader's mind. His life, filled with poverty, hardship, and endless struggles, transforms him from a "rough but gentle boy" into a brutal husband, a cruel old man. Whenever life becomes too overwhelming, he resorts to beating his wife. The violence seems to serve as a release for his frustrations, a way to rid himself of the sorrow in his life. He lashes out with his belt, striking her violently.

The direct cause of the domestic violence in the fishing village is the man’s ignorance and brutality. However, a deeper cause lies in the pervasive poverty. Even deeper, it is the enduring uncertainty of their lives that breeds a sense of hopelessness and depression. Nguyễn Minh Châu, through the depiction of the man with "raven-like hair" and "eyes full of malice," portrays him not only as the cause of his family’s suffering but also as a victim of a wretched life.

The frequent depiction of the abusive husband beating his wife near a broken tank suggests that the author may be emphasizing that the battle against poverty is even more difficult than fighting external enemies. As long as poverty exists, people will continue to live alongside evil and cruelty.

The author’s view of the abusive husband is particularly interesting. On one hand, Nguyễn Minh Châu condemns the man’s brutal behavior. On the other hand, the author also acknowledges the root causes of his violence.

Nguyễn Minh Châu presents the abusive behavior of the coastal man from multiple perspectives. Đẩu views it from a legal angle. Phùng sees it from his own background and status (Did he serve in the former regime’s army?). Phát observes it through the eyes of a child, feeling sympathy for his mother and hatred toward his father. Meanwhile, the wife views it with sorrow and understanding. This multi-faceted perspective allows the author to engage in a dialogue with the readers, presenting the characters in a nuanced way and inviting them to reflect on the issues without imposing a single truth.

Through the character of the man, Nguyễn Minh Châu expresses a deep empathy for those whose lives are full of hardship and misfortune, while also offering profound insights into art: true art must always be connected to life and must serve life. The artist cannot view life simplistically; they must consider life and people from multiple angles. Although the man is violent and brutal, he is deserving of understanding and compassion.

Nguyen Minh Chau stands at the forefront of the Vietnamese literary renewal movement, a prominent figure whose literary contributions have been widely acknowledged. Critic Nguyen Ngoc once noted that “Nguyen Minh Chau is among the most talented and visionary writers of our contemporary literature.” Facing the demand for a literary transformation, Chau shifted from epic-style works to stories about the everyday struggles of life, with deep intellectual and humane values. His writing, especially in "The Boat Outside," reflects this shift clearly.

In reading "The Boat Outside," one can see that while Phung, the central character, conveys Nguyen Minh Chau's philosophical and artistic messages, another important character, the fisherman, who triggers the tragic domestic violence in the story, also holds great significance. This character evokes complex emotions and thoughts from readers.

The fisherman is not directly described; he is first seen through the eyes of Phung, the photographer, who witnesses the brutal violence he inflicts on his wife. He reappears in the story through the words of the fisherwoman during a court hearing.

The fisherwoman describes her husband as a “stubborn man but very gentle.” He had avoided military service when he was young, leading to a life of poverty and hardship. Despite his rough exterior, he had shown love and care, taking in the woman when she was at her lowest point. At that time, he was the ideal husband, never raising his hand against her, never drinking or smoking. However, as life’s struggles grew more overwhelming, he became more violent, his love turning into abuse against the very woman he once cherished.

Through Phung’s perspective, we sense the poverty and hardships of the fisherman's life. He is a tall, coarse man with a broad back like a boat, “hair like a crow’s nest,” “walks with crooked legs,” and “eyes full of malice.” His appearance is a reflection of the harshness of his existence. His life’s challenges and dire circumstances have transformed him into a cruel and violent man, lashing out at his wife as a way of relieving his frustrations.

The man’s cruelty is evident in how he treats his wife—his beatings are merciless and frequent, “a light beating every three days, a heavy one every five days,” treating her as if she were his enemy, the source of all his miseries. His words are harsh and threatening, “Sit still. Move and I’ll kill you right now.” From his words, we see a domineering, tyrannical man who believes he has the right to torture and humiliate others.

Not only is his verbal abuse harsh, but his actions are equally brutal. When he strikes his wife with a belt, there is no warning, no remorse. “He took a belt from his old soldier’s uniform… without saying a word, he struck her as if setting fire to her back.” This cruelty is not occasional; it is routine, happening “every three days with a light beating, every five days with a heavy one.”

His violence extends beyond his wife to his own son. When the boy, Phat, tries to protect his mother, the fisherman shows no mercy, slapping the child hard enough to send him stumbling into the sand. The way he treats his family is animalistic, devoid of any human empathy.

Despite his cruelty, the fisherman is also a victim, a product of the same poverty that drives him to such extremes. Life has been hard on him, and yet he has not abandoned his family. He struggles to provide for them, keeping the family boat afloat. His labored breathing as he beats his wife and his agonizing cries show his inner torment. He is angry at life, at his wife, and perhaps even at himself. His violence is a reflection of the unseen, crushing pain he carries within.

The fisherman is both the architect of the family’s tragedy and a tragic figure in his own right. He serves as a crucial character for Nguyen Minh Chau to express his views on life and art.

Nguyen Minh Chau's "The Boat Outside" is a representative work that explores the relationship between high art and the harsh, painful reality of life. In the story, alongside the patient, sacrificial woman from the fishing village, and the sensitive photographer who is deeply in love with nature and beauty, there is also the character of the rude, coarse man. He is the one directly responsible for the suffering of the woman, and he creates a dark image that follows the beautiful ink painting of the boat in the distance, captured by the photographer Phung. Through this, Nguyen Minh Chau emphasizes the true connection between life and art, both beautiful and full of grandeur.

The story begins with Phung’s trip to capture images for a calendar featuring boats and the sea. On this journey, Phung revisits a battlefield from the past, reflecting on old memories and visiting a friend from his war days. That morning, Phung stumbles upon a breathtaking scene of a distant boat. In that fleeting moment, Phung feels immersed in art and beauty. But as the boat approaches, all that beauty vanishes, like foam crashing on the shore. Before Phung stands a poor, struggling fishing family. The image of a tall, muscular man with fierce eyes beating his wife shatters Phung's illusion. This is the grim reality behind the boat that Phung had admired. He cannot believe his eyes.

But this is the truth. Even if the truth contradicts art, it remains an undeniable reality. The man is depicted with features typical of the coastal people: a broad, curved back like a boat, hair messy like a crow's nest, and a gait as heavy and sure as he walks on solid ground. His furrowed, sun-scorched brows always stare down at his wife’s ragged, wet body. His behavior is just as rough and menacing as his appearance. He instantly becomes furious, pulling out a belt from his old military uniform and violently whipping his wife. He curses, gnashing his teeth, with each lash accompanied by a painful curse: “Die for me! You all die for me!” These words reveal his cruel, violent, and tyrannical nature. The author doesn’t explain why he beats his wife, but from the woman’s silence and patience, we understand that he is a brutal, hot-tempered, and heartless man. In normal circumstances, a husband is expected to love, care for, and protect his family. But here, the man vents his anger on his wife. He not only fails to protect her but also tortures her, forcing her to endure in silence.

Phung is outraged by the man's actions. He wants to rush in and beat the man to avenge the woman’s pain and the suffering of her child. But when the woman is brought to court, she reveals her story about her abusive husband: “Since I was young, I was an ugly girl with pockmarks from chickenpox. Back then, my family was well-off and lived in this town. Because I was so unattractive, no one wanted to marry me. I had a relationship with a fisherman who came to buy fishnets from my house. He was a rough but kind man, never laying a hand on me. He didn’t care about my looks, but the difficult life, many children, and lack of other jobs led him to change. He would beat me whenever things got too hard. It would have been easier if he had just drunk himself away. Later, when our children grew older, I begged him to stop hitting me on the boat.” Her story is a heart-wrenching testament to the cruelty of her husband. In times of struggle, when she needed protection the most, he became more irritable and cruel, making life unbearable.

Many, including Phung and his friend Dau, advised the woman to leave her abusive husband and free herself. But the man plays such an essential role in their life that she cannot leave. This reflects the inadequacies of the reform process that followed the country’s economic changes, where people knew no livelihood besides fishing. They had land, but no proper knowledge of farming or animal husbandry. The land was useless. Thus, they could not leave the boat, and the dangers of life on it were ever-present. Without a strong man to guide the boat, they would not survive.

In the end, despite his cruelty, the man remains the one with the strength to navigate the boat through life’s storms. The image of the fishing man, both real and symbolic of the struggles during post-reform Vietnam, serves as a subtle reminder to today’s generation. The man must play a critical role in the family, but he must also learn to love and protect his wife and children. During tough times, he must remain strong, optimistic, and loving. As the story concludes, the photographer Phung still brings back a remarkable set of artistic photographs. Though the boat in the distance remains blurred and unclear, only Phung understands its deeper meaning. Through the simple, accessible narrative style, the author communicates a profound message that resonates deeply.

The Faraway Boat, written in 1983, is considered one of Nguyễn Minh Châu's finest works. Beyond characters like the artist Phùng and the woman from the fishing village, who leave a lasting impression on readers, we must also consider the fisherman, a brutish man who is both cruel and tragic.

In the story, the fisherman is a character who doesn't appear often. It seems that he only shows up twice: first, through Phùng's eyes as he witnesses the violent wife-beating, and second, through the woman's testimony in the district court where we learn about the background and causes of his brutality.

The story begins with Phùng, a photographer, seeking to capture a still-life image of a boat and the sea. After finding the perfect scene and taking a series of shots, he witnesses another, much darker scene: a man beating his wife in a fit of rage, while the woman endures in silence. The encounter leads to a meeting with the woman when the district judge invites her to discuss her family matters. Her refusal to accept help and the story she tells leaves Phùng and his friend Đẩu, a local official, stunned and reflective.

Before 1975, this man avoided conscription into the army and lived in poverty. When he met the woman from the fishing village, they married. Back then, he was a rough, but kind man who never abused his wife, never drank, and never smoked—an ideal man. However, what led to the change in his character, turning him into an abusive, cruel husband? Through brief descriptions of his physical appearance, the author shows that poverty, struggle, and a cramped life have left their mark on him. His broad, curved back is like a boat, his hair is wild, his walk is firm and sure, his eyebrows are burned by the sun, and his eyes are filled with aggression...

Through Phùng's eyes, the fisherman is portrayed as violent and crude, with harsh words like: 'Stay there; if you move, I'll kill you now,' and 'Die for me.' These are the words of a man at the end of his rope, driven to threats and violence out of despair. According to the woman's account, he was once a kind, poor man who never hit her, but circumstances changed. Driven by poverty, frustration, and his innate roughness, he began to take his anger out on her. 'Three days for a light beating, five days for a heavy one.' No husband in the country was like him. His abuse wasn’t just limited to the woman, as he also struck his son: 'The man tried to grab the belt but couldn't, so he lashed out at the boy with two slaps, sending him crashing to the ground.'

The fisherman is universally despised for his abusive behavior. However, his story is not simple. Even as he lashes his wife with a belt, gritting his teeth and groaning with pain, there is a sense that he too is a victim of circumstance. His anger, his bitterness, and his cruelty towards others are ultimately rooted in his own suffering. His roughness, his actions, and his misery reflect the harsh life he endures. In the end, it’s clear that judging a person or their life from only one perspective is incomplete. Understanding the deeper causes of their actions is essential before making judgments.

Through the fisherman character, the author teaches us the importance of looking at life and people from different angles. We should never judge hastily without fully understanding the underlying reasons for someone's actions.

Nguyen Minh Chau is considered one of the pioneering writers of Vietnamese literature during the Renovation period, as the writer Nguyen Ngoc praised: “Nguyen Minh Chau is among the sharpest and most talented writers opening new paths in our literature today.” His sharpness and talent are reflected in his artistic thinking process across works like “The Woman on the Express Train,” “The Riverbank,” “The Painting,” and “The Boat from Afar”...

Particularly, the short story “The Boat from Afar,” written in 1983, is considered Nguyen Minh Chau's most outstanding work during the Renovation period of Vietnamese literature. In reading the work, besides characters such as the artist Phung, the judge Dau, and the woman fisherman, who left us beautiful impressions, we must also mention a character who causes us endless unease: the brutal, cruel fisherman.

In the story, the fisherman is a character who doesn’t appear much on the pages. He seems to appear only twice: first, in the eyes of Phung, witnessing his violent act of beating his wife, and second, through the story told by the woman (his wife) at the district court, where we learn about his background and the reasons behind his violent behavior.

Before 1975, this man didn’t join the army but evaded the military draft, so his life was poor and desperate. When he met the woman fisherman, they got married. Back then, he was “a rough young man but very gentle,” never beating his wife or children, and didn’t drink or smoke, which was the ideal model of a man. But what led to his personality change, making him an abusive husband and cruel to his family?

By describing just a few features of the fisherman’s appearance, when the boat crashes into the shore, the writer reveals the life of poverty, hardship, and confinement that shapes his harsh demeanor:

- A wide, curved back like a boat

- A crow’s nest of hair

- Legs walking in a squatting stance, taking firm steps

- Sunburned eyebrows

- Two fierce, bloodshot eyes...

This harsh life has altered his character, turning him into an abusive man who sees beating his wife as a way to release his inner frustration and entrapment.

His harsh words, like shouting at his wife: “Stay still. Move and I’ll kill you right now,” reflect a domineering attitude, where he believes he has the right to torture others, threatening to kill and wanting people to die. This isn’t the speech of a human being but of a wild animal.

His act of beating his wife is brutal: “He pulled out an old belt from the soldiers of the former regime… without saying a word, he unleashed his anger like burning fire… beating fiercely on the woman’s back.” His violence toward his wife is savage, almost like a medieval enemy.

Accompanying this action are the malicious curses he directs at his wife: “He kept hitting her, breathing heavily, his teeth grinding, and with every blow, he cursed through clenched teeth: ‘Die for me. All of you die for me!’” These are the words of an uneducated, uncivilized man, overwhelmed by the burdens of his wife, saying “Die” for her, and “All of you die” for his children, turning him into a cruel, selfish, and violent man even toward those closest to him.

The fisherman’s cruelty isn’t sporadic; it’s a daily routine: “Every three days a light beating, every five days a heavier one. No other husband in the country behaves like him.” His acts of violence are not limited to his unfortunate wife but also extend to his innocent children: “He tried to pull back the belt but failed, so he slapped the boy twice, making him stumble into the sand.” This isn’t the action of a father who knows how to educate his children but the barbaric behavior of an animal with no human qualities. The writer cleverly compares him to “a bear looking for water to drink, leaving deep footprints in the empty sand.”

When reading the pages describing the fisherman, anyone would feel disgusted by his abusive nature. But it’s not that simple. He is also a pitiful figure. His duality of character is not purely innate; a large part of it is due to his harsh circumstances. Even as he fiercely beat his wife with a belt, his heavy breathing and grinding teeth showed that there was also pain, regret, and frustration. It’s anger at life, at his wife, and at himself. All his rage stems from the suffocating life, reflected in the belt hitting his wife’s back, as if he was hitting an invisible force that had caused his misery.

The fisherman is placed in situations and perspectives of other characters like Phung, Dau, the woman fisherman, and Phac. Thanks to this, though he only appears “briefly,” his image, language, actions, and cruel personality are fully revealed in a way that makes us realize that such people exist in life.

Another success of Nguyen Minh Chau, learning from writer Nam Cao, is his portrayal of the duality (ambivalence) of the fisherman’s character: he is both cruel and deeply sorrowful, a victim of an unfortunate life. He is indeed a pitiful man!

In summary, the fisherman in “The Boat from Afar” deserves condemnation for his cruelty, violence, selfishness, and the right he believes he has to torment others. But he also has aspects that are worth sympathy, as, in the end, he too is a victim of his harsh circumstances. Clearly, we cannot judge people or life from just one angle. We must understand the deeper reasons behind human behavior before making judgments about their character.

Through the fisherman’s character, Nguyen Minh Chau sends us a message: We must look at all phenomena and aspects of life, especially human life, from a multidimensional perspective. As the author once said: “A writer does not have the right to view things simply, and a writer must strive to uncover the true essence of humanity within the deep layers of history.”