Top 8 Analytical Essays on the Contrast and Opposites in the Short Story "The Two Children" by Thach Lam

Thach Lam is an outstanding representative of Vietnamese romantic prose from 1930 to 1945. His works often feature simple plots that primarily explore the inner world of the characters, capturing their fragile and vague emotions in everyday life. Even in his debut work, "The First Breeze", Thach Lam established his own unique style... His writing is quiet and composed, focusing on the delicate details and the beauty in life's smallest aspects... Only someone with deep emotional sensitivity could write like this... (Vu Ngoc Phan).

The fusion of realism and romanticism gives Thach Lam's artistic world a distinctive hue. In his short story "The Two Children", these stylistic traits are vividly illustrated. The story conveys profound messages about human life through the striking contrast between light and darkness. The flashes of light in the dark night resemble the faint glimmers of hope that warm the dreams of the child in Andersen's fairy tales (Thuy Khue).

The short story centers on the lives of Lien and An in a poor rural town. At night, after closing their small grocery shop, they sit on a bench and gaze at the stars, watching the dark street... In the darkness, the two children look up, counting the stars and waiting for tiny lights to appear around them; each time they spot a glimmer, their inner world comes alive. Every night, they live a dreamlike reality, with every passing image and sound evoking memories of their tough lives. The two poor children have no wealth, except for the darkness, from which small lights emerge to illuminate their souls (Thuy Khue).

When the sound of the autumn drum echoes from the small village's watchtower; each beat calls the evening, signaling the encroaching night: The row of bamboo trees in front of them darkens and forms a distinct silhouette against the sky; Lien's eyes gradually fill with the darkness... In the dim light, on the uneven road marked by small stones, the lives of the poor unfold like a slow-motion film.

In the aftermath of the market, only trash, grapefruit peels, lychee skins, and sugarcane leaves remain. A few late vendors are packing up their goods, their baskets already tied up. A group of poor children from the market bends over the ground, scavenging for anything left behind by the vendors. They pick up bamboo sticks, scraps of wood, or anything useful. In the alley, a young boy carries a broken pipe and two chairs on his back; his mother, following behind, carries a bamboo bench on her head, along with countless other belongings. This is her shop. After a loud, hearty laugh, the old woman Thi appears, coming to buy alcohol from Lien's store. Holding a full bottle, Lien pours the drink, and the old woman tilts her head back, drinking it all in one go, then stumbles out into the night, her laugh fading into the distance... The shadowy, impoverished lives appear in Lien's compassionate gaze. In the slow, measured prose, the writer's words convey the deep sorrow of those lives.

When the evening falls, the streets and alleys slowly fill with darkness. The once-clear path leading to the river and the road from the market to the village deepen into blackness. Amid the darkening night, Mr. Sieu carries a tray of pho on his shoulder, the sound of his bamboo pole clearly audible. His shadow stretches long across the road, blending into the alleyway walls, but in this small village, his pho is a rare and expensive luxury. Nearby, a blind couple plays the monochord, their music breaking the silence. Their young son crawls on the ground, rummaging through the dirt for anything he can find. The lives of Lien and An are similar… After her father lost his job, Lien's family moved back to the countryside. Her mother made a living selling scraps, and the two siblings were tasked with running a tiny grocery shop rented from an elderly woman, partitioned off with bamboo and paper. Even during market days, their shop hardly makes a profit.

The darkness of poverty blankets these lives, but it is even sadder that this cycle repeats, day after day. The water stall under the banyan tree, next to the brick marker, sees Tí set up her stand from twilight until night. Although Lien's mother is busy grinding rice, she still visits the stand every evening and reminds Lien to close the shop when the autumn drum sounds. For Lien and An, their monotonous life in the rural town has become familiar: since they moved here and took over this shop, they’ve sat on the bamboo bench under the banyan tree each evening, watching the town sink into darkness, the same figures and scenes appearing every day, every night, in this slow-moving stream of life.

The darkness in "The Two Children" becomes a symbolic artistic space, haunting in its effect on the reader’s mind. It represents the darkness of impoverished lives, the shadow of destroyed existences, and the life of the Vietnamese people before the August Revolution of 1945. The profound realism of the story is captured in these images of darkness.

In the pitch-black night, faint lights occasionally appear. Just before the day's end, as Lien and her sister sit still on the bench, gazing out into the street, small sources of light emerge. There is the light from the lantern in Mr. Pho Mi's house, the flickering bulb in Mr. Cu's shop, and the glowing neon lights from the guesthouse. As night deepens, the soft glow of Tí's water stall light adds to the scene. As the night begins, the faint light from a few open shops seeps through their door cracks. Above these small glimmers is the vast sky filled with thousands of stars, twinkling, mingling with the faint glow of fireflies flitting near the ground or among the branches. When Mr. Sieu sets down his pho tray, the rural town gains a small flicker of light from the flame beneath the pot, casting a warm glow on the ground. Inside the shop, Lien's dim lamp casts small spots of light through the bamboo screen... As the night progresses, through the gaps in the banyan tree leaves, the stars continue to sparkle, a firefly clinging to the underside of a leaf, its tiny green light blinking. From the town, a few people with lanterns walk past, casting long shadows, as they head to meet the guesthouse owner returning from the province.

The images of light scattered throughout the story are tiny, flickering glimpses. They are small flames, narrow rays, faint glows, or distant glimmers. These lights are weak, hovering in the dark, disappearing and reappearing. The dim lamp only illuminates a small patch of earth, and the flickering light through the bamboo slats is sparse and fragile... The fragility and feebleness of the light seem insufficient to dispel the surrounding darkness, which only deepens the sense of the vast night. These images of light evoke the fragile existence of those struggling lives, trapped in the rural town.

The entire natural scene and human existence in the short story "The Two Children" are seen through the eyes of Lien – a young girl, full of delicate, wistful emotions. Following Lien's emotional journey, the alternating colors of light and darkness become evident. At the beginning of the story, in the fading evening light, Lien appears in the shop, sitting quietly by a few blackened lacquered fruits; her eyes slowly fill with the encroaching darkness. In those eyes lies the sorrow of the countryside evening and the melancholy of the moment when day fades into night. From the creaking bamboo bench, Lien and her sister sit, watching the town at night, the streets and alleys, the scenery sinking into the night, and the lives of the people moving slowly through the dark. Surrounded by the night, Lien's soul radiates a gentle glow, a reflection of the past – when her father still had a job, when the family lived in Hanoi, enjoying special treats, when her mother had money, and Lien could visit the Hoan Kiem Lake and sip on cool drinks. That radiant, nostalgic light symbolizes a bittersweet longing for a better past while contrasting sharply with the current dark, hopeless present. That glow is beautiful, deserving of care.

Those lost in the darkness still hold onto hopes of a brighter future through their daily routines: waiting up to see the train pass through the town. This is the final activity of the late night. The train rushes through the town in an instant, but it represents the hope of the people here for a different world, far removed from their dull, monotonous, impoverished lives. Accompanied by the sounds of the train – the distant whistle, the clattering of the wheels, the murmur of passengers, the screeching whistle – are the bright lights of the train cars, casting light on the road, starkly contrasting with the faint, scattered glows in the dark town. The train brings with it a world of wealth and liveliness as it passes by. Unlike the small lights scattered throughout the night, the train's lights break through the darkness, flooding the road with brightness.

The train passes through the town in an instant, vanishing into the night, leaving behind a trail of glowing embers on the tracks. Yet, Lien and her sister continue to gaze at the tiny green light on the last car's lantern, watching it fade behind the bamboo groves, leaving a lingering sense of longing and nostalgia: Lien silently dreams. The distant Hanoi, so bright and lively, and the train that carries with it a different world, one far removed from the small lights and humble flames of Tí's stall and Mr. Sieu's pho. The lights of the train and the dreams in Lien's mind weave a glowing tapestry, igniting a yearning to escape the dark, confined life of poverty. In this beautiful light, Thach Lam expresses his deep respect for the dreams of a better life for these people.

In "The Two Children", Thach Lam leaves a profound impression on readers through the contrasting images of light and darkness. Through these symbolic images, the writer gently but profoundly conveys his sorrow for the lives of those who live in hardship, trapped in the gloom of a poor town before the Revolution. At the same time, he also expresses his deep respect for their hopes, still vague, for a better life. The light and darkness are central artistic elements in the story that highlight its humanitarian values.

The contrast in the short story "The Two Children" by Thach Lam is vividly portrayed. In this scene with limited colors, not only is there a stark contrast between light and darkness, but also between the dazzling train and the bleak, desolate life of the rural town, creating an indelible impression on the reader's mind.

The contrast between the train and the town's life, between stillness and motion, between the past and present, between reality and dreams is evident. The train, with its bright lit carriages shining down on the street, stands in sharp contrast to the quiet and gloomy life of the town. The train brings a glimpse of another world, one filled with memories of a joyful childhood, and the idealized world of dreams, all of which stand in stark contrast to the quiet, desolate world of the rural town. The contrast stirs a sense of longing and dream within the two children, Liên and her sister.

Memories of a "bright and sparkling" Hanoi, with its many lights, evoke a sense of happiness from their childhood, contrasting sharply with the present life in the town. This contrast between the bright, lively world of Hanoi and the dull, quiet world of the town ignites a sense of anticipation and hope in the two children for something better.

Thus, the two children wait for the train not only to relive a lost childhood but also to escape the dreary, monotonous life in the rural town. The world that Liên dreams of is both a world that has passed and one that has yet to come. It brings back memories of a peaceful, happy childhood, yet points to a future filled with hope and possibilities. As Nguyen Tuan once said, "The story of The Two Children has a bittersweet flavor. It evokes a sense of longing for the past while also resonating with a hope for the future."

This contrast reveals the pure, hopeful soul of the children, filled with dreams and desires, yet trapped in the weariness of life. The interplay of light and darkness in the story is both literal and symbolic. The darkness of the town represents a stagnant, tired life, while the light of dreams and hope, though faint and fragile, is the most beautiful and enduring light. The faint, blurry hope of the impoverished lives of these characters remains, casting a glimmer of faith in human compassion, dreams, and the indomitable spirit of life.

Through this contrast, Thach Lam skillfully captures the melancholy, fading life of the people in the town, allowing the reader to feel the quiet yet powerful yearning of those who live in despair. Despite its fragility, this hope is something worth cherishing, and it highlights Thach Lam's deep sympathy for these worn-out lives. The structure of this contrast adds to the story's unique and compelling appeal.

In conclusion, the use of contrast in "The Two Children" enhances the portrayal of the lives of the people in the rural town, offering readers a glimpse into their dreams, hopes, and the enduring power of the human spirit, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

A timeless masterpiece requires not only an engaging story but also exceptional artistic elements. With unique and creative details, Thach Lam's "The Two Children" has left a lasting impression on its readers. This is a story where there is no grand plot, no climactic tension, but rather lingering emotions and deep thoughts that set it apart.

In this story, the image of darkness appears first. Therefore, when analyzing the images of light and darkness in "The Two Children," we must follow the narrative’s flow. The image of darkness in the natural world is vivid and recurring, almost like an obsession. It is described as, "the streets and alleys filled with darkness, the road stretching deep towards the river. The narrow alleys leading to homes are even darker..." In this rural town, darkness dominates and spreads everywhere. The stillness and vastness of the space cannot escape the all-encompassing darkness, evoking a sense of desolation, sadness, and deep sorrow.

Alongside the darkness of nature, there is the darkness of lives and fates in the poor town. In Liên’s eyes, there are images "gradually sinking into the sadness of the evening countryside." Somewhere, the sound of an elderly woman’s laugh fades away into the deep darkness. There is also the darkness present in the life of Tý and her child, sitting by a small water pot with a dim oil lamp... These people represent the many lives of the rural poor.

These people, living in the shadows, seem like tiny, insignificant dust particles, as if they are forgotten in an endless, barren desert. When analyzing the images of light and darkness in "The Two Children," one cannot ignore the fates lurking in that darkness. The sharp contrast to the darkness is the image of light. In the analysis of these images, we can see the stark difference between light and darkness.

The light represents the humble, fragile hope of the people in this impoverished town. The light, like their modest desires, is small and delicate. Specific details like "the stars twinkling in the sky, fireflies flickering, the light from Tý’s oil lamp, the fire in Siêu’s stove, and the glimmers from the window shutters" all represent the characters' aspirations. Whether natural or man-made, these lights symbolize dreams and the sparkle of hope.

The most prominent image of light is the train, a great light that arrives quickly and leaves just as fast. Although it only appears briefly, it is enough to make the townspeople imagine a faraway place full of happiness and warmth. The images of light and darkness in "The Two Children" play a crucial role in expressing the themes and artistic elements of the story. They represent the cycle of lives trapped in despair, and the dreams of a brighter future. Thach Lam's use of light and darkness illustrates his literary brilliance, using light to describe darkness, stillness to describe movement, and inner emotions to describe the outer world...

The vivid description, genuine emotions, contrasting techniques, and deep aesthetic philosophy help bring to life the reality of the lives of ordinary people in the old society. It allows the author to depict the nameless, insignificant lives that will never know light or happiness. These people are forever buried in poverty, darkness, and despair in the rural town. More broadly, these images represent many other fates in our country at the time. Through the contrasting imagery of light and darkness, Thach Lam creates a captivating and haunting narrative in the minds of readers.

This is a key detail that showcases Thach Lam’s masterful writing. Despite the overwhelming darkness, the light from various small sources is not enough to conquer it. This mirrors the lives of the poor people in the town. Dreams and desires alone are not enough to bring about a bright future...

Through the use of light and darkness in "The Two Children," Thach Lam successfully depicts the poverty and the aspirations of the people in the rural town. Yet, that light is not strong enough to overcome the darkness. The lingering sadness remains, leaving readers with deep and haunting thoughts.

It is no coincidence that the writer depicts the life of the small town in *Two Children* through three consecutive moments: dusk, nightfall, and the arrival of midnight. Here, we clearly see a conflict between darkness and light: darkness represents poverty and loneliness, while light is merely a fleeting dream. At the beginning of the story, the light gradually fades; by the end, darkness completely engulfs the town and the world. The world of the two children is one of quietness, stillness, where the two sisters sleep 'a peaceful sleep, as quiet as the night in the town, silent and full of darkness.' In this small town, even the dry, brief sound of the watchman’s drum fades into the darkness; the station is silent and pitch black; the rural night is vast and silent.

The darker it becomes, the stronger the yearning for light. The red glow of the sunset, 'the west glowing like burning fire, with clouds tinted pink like burning coals,' though beautiful, brings a sorrowful feeling to the girl, Lien, as the lives of the two children, from a poor family, are already soaked in the shadow of darkness. In the 'increasingly filled darkness,' Lien witnesses people 'walking into the darkness,' 'slowly walking into the night.' And then, from the vast darkness, flickering lights appear with lanterns and fire stoves.

As night falls, the entire town is engulfed in darkness: 'the streets and alleys gradually fill with darkness.' The deeper into the night, the thicker the darkness: 'Everything turns dark, the path to the river, the road to the market, the alleys leading to the village become even darker.' The more oppressive the darkness, the more desolate the lives of the people, painting a picture of how darkness is falling upon the destinies of the tiny beings, fragile like a candle flickering in the wind. Thach Lam's anxious gaze delves deeply into the hidden aspects of reality. The living space of the town's people is stagnant, trapping them. The darkness stretches across the bumpy roads, along the streets, with the faint glow of oil lamps.

In this overwhelming, thick darkness, light is but a faint flicker. There is the weak light from the crack in the door; the glow from the small lamp of Ms. Ti and the fire stove of Mr. Sieu; 'Lien's small lamp, with its dim light, offering just a sparse glow that filters through the bamboo screen'; the pale light of 'the fireflies flitting over the ground'; and the distant light of the stars above. The light is described using tiny measuring words: cracks of light, specks of light, streaks of light, glows, and tiny flickers. These few sources of light stand in stark contrast to the vast, thick darkness. It is against this dark backdrop that the fragile human lives exist. The contrast between the endless darkness and the faint light emphasizes the harsh reality of life in the town: fragile, fading, dark, and stagnant.

Here, darkness and light serve not only a realistic purpose but also a symbolic one. Perhaps the impoverished, suffocating life in the town itself is a form of darkness. The poor children gather anything that can still be used from the bustling market. Ms. Ti and her child search for crabs and snails by day and run a small tea stall by the banyan tree by night, with few customers. Mr. Sieu's phở stall casts a long shadow, stretching to the fence; his product, a luxury item, is rarely bought. Old Thi, with her crazy laughter, vanishes into the darkness. The blind family plays traditional music in silence, while the young boy crawls on the ground, picking up trash. The two children, with their small grocery store, earn only a little and watch the evening unfold, full of vague, poignant sadness. It is no coincidence that the image of Ms. Ti's small lamp recurs as a symbol of lives barely hanging on in the vast darkness of life.

People always reach for the light, but they cannot shake the haunting presence of darkness. This is the unfortunate reality that Thach Lam discovered through the lives of the poor townsfolk. Yet, he seems unwilling to let the tragic feelings weigh down the fates of these suffering people. With deep respect, he elevates his characters, lifting their hopes for change, even in the most fragile moments: 'All these people in the darkness are hoping for something brighter to ease their daily suffering.' Although this hope is vague and uncertain, it remains a beacon of light.

Darkness fills the space in most of Thach Lam's stories. But in contrast to the darkness is the light, not just the dim light of lamps but more importantly, the light of souls striving for a pure, virtuous world.

The image of the train, with 'the brightly lit carriages casting light down onto the road… the upper class carriages filled with people, shiny copper and silver, and the bright windows,' offers a vivid contrast to the quiet, dark life of the town. 'The train seems to bring a glimpse of another world. A world entirely different from the bright light of Ms. Ti’s lamp and Mr. Sieu’s fire.' The glorious image of the train contrasts sharply with the silent, dark town.

The train brings with it a different kind of light, dazzling and full of life, but it passes by in a moment, stirring the quiet space of the town only for an instant. The train seems to bring a different world, a world of beautiful childhood memories, a world of ideals and dreams, contrasting with the quiet, desolate town, awakening the longing of Lien and her sister. The memory is 'a bright, shining region. Hanoi with its many lights... Hanoi, far away, bright, cheerful, and noisy.' It brings back the happiness of Lien’s childhood when her family still lived in Hanoi, when the two children played by the lake, drank cold, colorful drinks, and enjoyed tasty snacks. Hanoi, bright and shining in memory, contrasts sharply with the current life in the town, making the children long for a vague, uncertain hope.

Thus, the two children wait for the train not only to revive their lost childhood world but also to escape the dark, quiet, barren, and dull life of the poor town, seeking a better life. The world Lien dreams of is one that has passed but is not yet fully realized. It has passed because it reminds her of her peaceful, happy childhood, but it is not yet realized because it points to something brighter in the future. Nguyen Tuan once remarked: 'The story *Two Children* carries a bittersweet flavor. It evokes a sense of the past, while also resonating with something still to come in the future.'

This contrast reveals the innocent souls full of dreams, longing, and hope, but still trapped in fading lives. As mentioned, light and darkness here are both realistic and symbolic. If the dark, fragile, stagnant life in the town is a form of darkness, then the dreams and hopes in people's hearts are a kind of light. This light, though small and fragile, is the most beautiful and enduring light. The hope of the poor, though vague and uncertain, lives on forever. The town is dark, the night is thick with darkness, the light is faint, and the hope is uncertain, yet it instills in the reader a belief in love, dreams, and the eternal vitality of human life.

With his use of contrast, Thach Lam vividly portrays the dark, struggling, and withering lives of the townspeople, allowing us to feel their dreams and hopes. Even if it’s only a fragile, vague hope, it is worth cherishing and respecting. This is Thach Lam’s deep compassion for the weary lives of his characters. The contrasting structure adds intrigue and uniqueness to the story.

Thạch Lam, a talented writer renowned for his short stories and prose, creates works that are distinctively unique. His stories often have simple, or sometimes no, plotlines, yet they leave readers with deep reflections and nostalgia. A prime example of his style is the short story “Two Children,” which embodies his literary approach. Through the use of profound contrasts, Thạch Lam vividly portrays the lives and dreams of the characters.

The central figures in the story are two siblings, Liên and An, who live in a small, impoverished town after their family falls on hard times. From the outset, Thạch Lam employs contrast to depict the rural evening scenery, highlighting the opposition between light and darkness. The darkness, accompanied by the nightfall, gradually covers everything, enveloping the streets in gloom. The streets are littered with refuse, and the air is filled with the croaking of frogs and the buzzing of mosquitoes. Everything contributes to the dull, monotonous, and lifeless atmosphere, seeping deeply into the characters' souls and filling them with melancholy. Amidst this dominant dark color palette, faint glimpses of light emerge, such as the last rays of the sunset fading behind the hills, the dim lamp hanging in the pho shop, the flickering light in Mr. Cửu’s house, and the small glimmer from candles.

These light sources are solitary, unable to illuminate the entire town, much like the lives of the workers who, despite their hard work, remain trapped in poverty and hopelessness. One example is the oil lamp of Ms. Tí, a poor woman struggling to make ends meet. The faint light from the lamp casts a dim glow, just enough to light a small area. This metaphor serves to evoke the hardships and small lives in a society filled with injustice and suffering.

The next scene contrasts the ground and the sky. The sky is magnificent, sparkling with stars, while the earth below is filthy and suffocating. Thạch Lam describes, “On the ground, there’s only trash, grapefruit peels, mango skins, longan leaves, and sugarcane leaves, with a damp, unpleasant odor rising from it,” showing the absence of beauty or cleanliness. The people scavenging on the ground evoke sympathy: “Poor children near the market bent over searching the ground, picking up pieces of bamboo, wood, or anything they could reuse left behind by vendors,” or the image of a child from the blind man’s family crawling on the street to collect trash buried in the sand, making us feel deep compassion for those lost in the night’s shadow.

This contrast between the ground and the sky leads Thạch Lam to introduce another juxtaposition: the contrast between the past, present, and distant dreams. The past for An and Liên was filled with bright memories of Hanoi, where they were carefree, enjoying trips to Hoan Kiem Lake with their mother and drinking refreshing, colorful beverages. These memories of Hanoi represented a bright, sparkling world. However, now they sit in a place of poverty and darkness, leading a dull, aimless life. Instead of playing and studying, Liên begins to ponder about life and distant things, which makes her more mature. Living such a life, Liên always dreams of a better, more prosperous future. Her dreams are far-off but simple.

Thạch Lam uses the image of the train that passes through the poor town every day to clearly express the dreams of the two sisters and the entire working class there. The train represents light, beautiful memories, and warmth from Hanoi, with its “brightly lit carriages casting light onto the street,” and “luxurious first-class carriages filled with people, their gold and silver sparkling.” The train seems to carry a completely different world, a world that Liên longs for and remembers. In the midst of a dark, impoverished, and hopeless reality, the people of the town still dream of distant hopes for a better, richer life. But when the train passes, darkness returns, and the night falls, bringing everything back to the mundane reality.

With his delicate use of contrast, Thạch Lam skillfully depicts the impoverished, monotonous life of the poor town. Yet, through this, he also highlights the beauty of the Vietnamese people: their carefree, kind-hearted nature, always striving and dreaming of a better future despite the hardships and obstacles they face.

As a core member of the Tự Lực Văn Đoàn writing group, Thạch Lam asserted himself with a distinct path, particularly through works about rural life and the poor villagers. The short story "Two Children" from the collection "Nắng trong vườn" is a deeply humane and compassionate work, exemplifying his artistic style of contrast.

Like most of Thạch Lam’s stories, "Two Children" is not about a plot. The story feels like a poem, with its light, subtle narrative, mood, and events. It captures fleeting moments, emotions, and the life of the two children, Liên and An. Despite its simplicity, Thạch Lam’s writing brings these elements to life, stirring deep emotions. The artistic technique of contrast—between light and darkness, past and present—is used to provoke profound reflections on the lives of forgotten, insignificant people, trapped in a dim and fleeting hope in a decaying society.

Humanity constantly longs for light, yet due to the Earth’s rotation, the sun can only shine for half the day. Thus, the tension between light and darkness, the twilight and the deep night, coexists, each illuminating the other. The contrast between light and dark is evident from the start of the story: the feeble light of the setting sun "like a dying ember", blending with the emerging darkness—"the village's bamboo grove in front turned dark". However, the most striking imagery comes from the nightfall in the village: "Liên sat silently beside the blackened tobacco, her eyes filled with the night, and the sadness of the rural evening seeped into her innocent soul." In this interplay, darkness predominates. The thick darkness covers everything, while the light is faint, weak, and unable to dispel the gloom. Thạch Lam often depicts darkness, but it is only in "Two Children" that darkness truly takes shape: "the streets and alleys were filled with darkness", the shadow of the laborer stretched long, and the shadow of the pho seller spread across the ground, reaching the edges of the alley."

The village streets are engulfed in darkness, the path to the river is endless, the market street is darker still, and the alleys are even more pitch black. The night in this village is silent and thick with shadows. In this dark world, beneath a vast, mysterious sky, the light is too faint, too small, too weak. The light from shop windows is only a faint streak, spilling onto the rough cobblestones, making the ground seem uneven with patches of light and shadow. The pho vendor’s lantern is just a small, yellow dot hanging in the dark. The light from Liên and An's lamp is scattered in faint beams through the bamboo screen... In literature, light has appeared in many forms, but rarely has it been depicted as streaks, dots, or specks as Thạch Lam does. Especially the image of the Tí sister’s lamp, a small, dim glow, illuminating only a small patch of land, appearing twice in the story—an image that evokes the stark reality of small, fleeting lives in the shadow of darkness, in the obscurity of life itself.

What Liên, An, and the villagers yearn for is the light from human hands brought by the last train of the night—"the carriages shining brightly, gleaming with brass and nickel"... At the darkest moment of the night, light bursts forth, brightening both space and the human soul. The sky is immense, while the earth is filled with dirt, rubbish, and the smell of earth, representing a life of pain and sorrow, full of darkness. The sky, however, is different—red at dusk, filled with stars fighting to shine, representing dreams, desires, and memories that have faded. The contrast between darkness and earth represents the reality that people must face, while light and the sky belong to aspirations and dreams, things to wait for and long for.

Through the use of contrasting light and darkness in his storytelling, Thạch Lam highlights the sorrowful, monotonous, and dark lives of the villagers who are slowly withering away in the shadows. He reveals a deep humanistic spirit, showing both the artistry and the heart of the author, creating a romantic, gentle beauty for the work.