Recent episodes of the movie "Steps into Life" have created a noteworthy highlight when placing the two characters Thuong (Quynh Kool) and Trang (Ngoc Thuy) in two clearly opposite positions. Coming from the countryside to the city, facing the pressure of making a living and social prejudices, but the way they choose to survive and protect themselves is completely different.
Thuong represents the type of person who lives resignedly, patiently and always tries to harmonize all relationships. In many situations, she accepts disadvantages to maintain peace. Typically, when being insulted by Quan's mother, not only herself but also her whole family, Thuong only resists gently, without blaming.
Or in episode 18 just aired recently, Thuong still cooked porridge to take care of Quan's mother with the desire to be approved. But once again, the reality was not as she expected. Ms. Dung (Quan's mother) knelt down and begged her to let go and return her good son to her. This made her extremely surprised and suffer a great shock. "I and Mr. Quan love each other sincerely" - Thuong's confession at this time only made Ms. Dung more angry and depressed.
With the mentality of being a pillar in the family, disadvantaged because her parents died early, having to grow up earlier than her friends to be a support for her grandmother and siblings. Perhaps for that reason, Thuong is always shy and afraid of conflict, wanting to be patient to have a peaceful, gentle, and unstormy life.
For Trang, Thuong's continuous endurance is not a way to maintain harmony, but is hurting herself. She was repeatedly indignant when she saw her sister being insulted but remained silent, even continuing to maintain a relationship with Quan even though she was not respected. "Heaven has punished you, why do you have to suffer so much" - Trang's words to Thuong when she still wanted to win over Quan's mother.
In contrast to her older sister, Trang has the image of a strong, straightforward young generation who does not accept being oppressed. She is ready to speak out when she sees injustice, especially when her loved ones are hurt. When Thuong is insulted, Trang does not hesitate to stand up to protect her older sister.
Not only that, in a situation where she was suspected of being a "infants", Trang also chose to face it directly. Instead of avoiding or enduring public opinion, she actively approached Dung to find out and clear her name.
The contrasting image between Thuong and Trang is therefore not simply a difference in personality, but also reflects two common lifestyles of young people far from home. One side chooses safety, the other side chooses sharpness and integrity. And the journey of maturity probably lies in each person finding a balance between those two extremes.
Thuong chose to remain silent to protect herself, Trang chose to speak out to protect herself. Two choices, two personalities, but both come from the desire to be respected. And perhaps, the journey of young people growing up is not about being right or wrong, but about learning how not to lose themselves amidst the hurt.
