The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du

The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du The Tale of Kieu is one of the first Vietnamese books that made me understand the relationship between Vietnamese and Chinese culture. There are several characters in the poem, from whom we can get the main ideas of the author, and set off the image of young Kieu. Through images of the minor characters, the author reveals the essence of the philosophical notion â€Å"virtue† and its peculiarity in Eastern culture, the role it played in the destiny of the poet himself.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Tale of Kieu is a moral verse. I say this because Kieu and other characters go through what they go through by fate; a situation they have no control over. There are instances through which immorality is illustrated, but beyond this curtain, there are great moral lessons . We are told of Kieu, â€Å"Alive she played the wife to all the world† (Du, 7) .As such the mere presentation of Kieu in a brothel can send the signal that the verse is immoral. But this should not be the motivation for such a harsh conclusion. Virtue The kind of restoration that we eventually encounter points to the fact that this tale is seriously mirrored towards advancing the nature of virtue. This is seen from the inner thoughts of the minor characters. Though Thuc got Kieu through a brothel, he had a yearning of once getting a partner with whom they could marry and finally start a serious family. â€Å"†¦this harlot, after all, knows right from wrong†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Du, 75).Theirs was a relationship which quickly moved from a casual one to a morally acceptable one. Scholar Ma played a tragic role in the destiny of young girl. In the eastern culture the beauty of tragedy if considered deeper, purer, and truer than the beauty of happiness. From the book we may know if Scholar Ma was not the main cause for Kieu to become a prostitute. Kieuâ₠¬â„¢s renunciation would not be so prominent. Scholar Ma destroyed her personal happiness, but by doing this, her character became more immoral. The very same situation became classic from the point of view of Chinese and Vietnamese literature. Virtue of Kieu was impossible without Scholar Ma. Scholar Ma is an original element of fate and at the same time, an ordinary representative of his social group. Strength and Weakness Thuc’s image includes several issues such as the question of strength and weakness. In fact, paternity plays a great role in the story; Thuc just could not not follow his father because it was impossible from the point of view of Eastern philosophy. Father’s image personifies the idea of social, moral and virtuous responsibilities. For Kieu and Thuc, this fact was the universal truth; still the girl was stronger than her lover and she took responsibility and decided to face the judge. Thuc could not fulfill his obligation to his wife and to Kieu. W hen the judge took pity and ordered their marriage, Thuc was afraid of his first wife and did not reveal his relationships with the girl. Kieu saved faces even in shameful situations, while Thuc fell sacrifice to his passions and weaknesses. Kieu is strong, even in the hours of hardships. Thuc is influenced by her strength when he helps her escape the temple and the threat which his wife corresponds. We are told â€Å"†¦known as Miss Hoan, she wore a great name†¦.† (Du, 79)Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More True virtue serves as an example for others and strengthens them. Virtue plays out in the tale from what Miss Hoan goes through. Though Thuc leaves her and marries Kien, we can easily see how she practically stands her ground as first wife. Through Thuc we see the reflection of squander and plunder as compared to what actually befell Vietnam his torically (Du, 164). Thuc being a thrift spender, â€Å"squandered money with both hands†. Vietnam as a country got squandered by invaders who affected almost every aspect of the country. Though The Tale of Kieu portrays characters as seen, going deeper one sees an embodiment of what ails the society. There are several competing forces and these determine the way things work out. The character, in essence, presents to us how destiny is equally determined by fate.Kim Trong’s ordeal was separation with Kieu, and even reunion of lovers was not so happy. It happened because they were engaged, but their relationships were not full. Of love and friendship they fulfilled both claims – They shared no bed but joys of lute and verse . Their wishes all came true since fate so willed, And of two lovers marriage made two friends. (Du, 165)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Their mutual life is ordeal for Kieu. At the end of life, a human’s soul seeks for truth. Kieu becomes a nun and does not want to defile Kim Throng’s ordeal. She proves that true virtue is renunciation. Conclusion Through the images of the minor characters, the author reveals the essence of virtue and its role in the destiny of people. From what befalls the characters, we can finally see the kind of moral conscience that drives humanity being advanced in the tale. There are several issues which we see getting resolved through reconciliation and reunions. By all these one can only conclude that the characters, through the turmoil that they go through, serve as a medium through which the trouble that humanity goes through in search of virtue is reflected. Kim for instance seeks Kieu’s love for a long time, but Kieu’s refusal to give in quickly initially is motivated by the fear if soiling Kim’s stature. Her sticking to the p reservation of chastity only goes further to reflect the inner yearning for virtue. In essence The Tale of Kieu is a moral verse. Du, Nguyen.  The Tale of Kieu. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1983.

20 Fun Oxygen Facts for Kids

20 Fun Oxygen Facts for Kids Oxygen (atomic number 8 and symbol O) is one of those elements you simply cant live without. You find it in the air your breathe, the water you drink, and the food you eat. Here are some quick facts about this important element. You can find more detailed information about oxygen on the oxygen facts page. Animals and plants require oxygen for respiration.Oxygen gas is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.Liquid and solid oxygen are pale blue.Oxygen also occurs in other colors, including red, pink, orange, and black. There is even a form of oxygen that looks like a metal!Oxygen is a non-metal.Oxygen gas normally is the divalent molecule O2. Ozone, O3, is another form of pure oxygen.Oxygen supports combustion. However, pure oxygen itself does not burn!Oxygen is paramagnetic. In other words, oxygen is weakly attracted to a magnetic field, but it doesnt retain permanent magnetism.Approximately 2/3 of the mass of the human body is oxygen because oxygen and hydrogen make up water. This makes oxygen the most abundant element in the human body, by mass. There are more hydrogen atoms in your body than oxygen atoms, but they account for very little mass.Excited oxygen is responsible for the bright red and yellow-green colors of the aurora.Oxygen was the atomic weight standard for the other elemen ts until 1961 when it was replaced by carbon 12. The atomic weight of oxygen is 15.999, which is usually rounded up to 16.00 in chemistry calculations. While you need oxygen to live, too much of it can kill you. This is because oxygen is an oxidant. When too much is available, the body breaks excess oxygen into a reactive negatively charged ion (anion) that can bind to iron. The hydroxyl radical can be produced, which damages lipids in cell membranes. Fortunately, the body maintains a supply of antioxidants to combat day-to-day oxidative stress.Dry air is about 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and 1% other gases. While oxygen is relatively abundant in the atmosphere, it is so reactive it is unstable and must be constantly replenished by photosynthesis from plants. Although you might guess trees are the main producers of oxygen, it is believed about 70% of free oxygen comes from photosynthesis by green algae and cyanobacteria. Without life acting to recycle oxygen, the atmosphere would contain very little of the gas! Scientists believe detecting oxygen in a planets atmosphere may be a good indication it supports life, since it is released b y living organisms. It is believed much of the reason organisms were so much larger in prehistoric time is because oxygen was present at a higher concentration. For example, 300 million years ago, dragonflies were as large as birds!Oxygen is the 3rd most abundant element in the universe. The element is made in stars that are around 5 times more massive than our Sun. These stars burn carbon or helium together with carbon. The fusion reactions form oxygen and heavier elements.Natural oxygen consists of three isotopes, which are atoms with the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons. These isotopes are O-16, O-17, and O-18. Oxygen-18 is the most abundant, responsible for 99.762% of the element.One way to purify oxygen is to distill it from liquefied air. An easy way to make oxygen at home is to put a fresh leaf in a cup of water in a sunny spot. See the bubbles forming on the edges of the leaf? Those contain oxygen. Oxygen may also be obtained through the electrolysis of water (H2O). Runn ing a strong enough electric current through water gives the molecules enough energy to break the bonds between hydrogen and oxygen, releasing pure gas of each element. Joseph Priestly usually gets credit for discovering oxygen in 1774. Carl Wilhelm Scheele likely discovered the element back in 1773, but he didnt publish the discovery until after Priestly made his announcement.The only two elements oxygen doesnt form compounds with are the noble gases helium and neon. Usually, oxygen atoms have an oxidation state (electric charge) of -2. However, the 2, 1, and -1 oxidation states are also common.Fresh water contains about 6.04 ml of dissolved oxygen per liter, while seawater only contains about 4.95 ml of oxygen.