“Responsibility
weights heavily on every living thing” is a set of words explicitly
exposed by Nguyen Huy Thiep through his short story entitled “Salt of
the Jungle”. Lived in Vietnam in the era of war, the author portrays the
flow of the internal Vietnam conflict and the intervention of America,
the superpower country, during the Vietnam War without any judgement
implied. The neutral point of view served is obviously reflected by
considering how the author characterizes all of the characters: Mr.Dieu
and Monkeys. Both characters survive to live for life as it should be,
in a harmony. The nature defines its own concept of harmony; when human
as a partner of the living things desires beyond what the nature gives,
the nature has a soul and a weapon to restore the lost harmony.
Harmony is often interfered with self-importance possessed by humans. Self-importance is something universal, which is naturally owned by all people everywhere in the earth. This negative trait is directly presented in the forms of the two characters in differently-sized scopes. In the beginning of the story, the author directly shows how a male monkey is corrupt during his familial life. He selects the best fruit and eats himself, leaving the bad one to a baby monkey and a female monkey. This reflects the internal conflict of the corrupt government of Vietnam, which means monkey is a physical reflection of the Vietnamese. Still in relation to Vietnam, the author implicitly symbolizes the countries, North Vietnam and South Vietnam, with names Mount Hoa Qua and Thuy Liem Cave. Furthermore, as for international-sized harmony interference, America with its sophisticated, matchless technology, on behalf of peace or harmony, takes place its importance on this full-of-conflict country. In reality, harmony is a real problem encountered by humans.
The interference of harmony also occurs in the mutual relationship between humans and other living things – plants and animals. It is owing to an irrational desire, and also self-importance, of humans. Mr. Dieu portrays this latent character of humans very well. At the beginning of the story, the author tells how both a new shotgun and a spring day for the hunt really make life worth living for Mr. Dieu. Humans are too much obsessed with faked, temporary contentment, which makes them desire something beyond what the nature gives.
Nature virtually has a soul. The writer believes every living thing has a soul. He asks the readers to think so by creating a particular spot in the forest named Death Hallow in which “forsaken spirits usually take the form of white monkeys”. Humans and the living things (nature) are just the same. Both show anger if interfered. Nature has its own way or “weapon” to react the interference and to restore the lost harmony. Nature shows its anger and uses its weapon to Mr. Dieu twice. An avalanche is one. Even thanks to the soul, nature can also say thanks to humans. Nature thanks to Mr. Dieu for his kindness to a fine golden-haired female monkey with the Tu Huyen flowers and gentle spring rain.
“Salt of the Jungle” is recommended for all, due to its universality. Based on the way the life goes in Vietnam, the author views it with a deeper understanding of a reflection that is much bigger than war: lost harmony! Humans and nature live in a set harmony; when it is denied on behalf of self-importance or irrational, faked peace, the nature is ready with its “weapon” to get the harmony back.
Image credit: alliancevast.info
