The Gaoler is a minor antagonist of the novel When the light is out and its 1981 film adaptation Mrs. Dậu.
He is an addicted henchman of the Đông Xá Village's Mayor, overseeing the farmers' tax payment and torture those who fail to pay enough, like Mr. Dậu. His barbaric nature eventually leads to Mrs. Dậu's rage breaking point and she fights him back, leading to her many troubles afterwards.
Personality[]
From his minimal screen time, the Gaoler clearly shows himself to be a sadist who cares for nothing but enforcing the village mayor's will. He doesn't care about the farmers' circumstances, as despite Mrs. Dậu having to sell her daughter to gain enough money for tax and Mr. Dậu being sick, he still arrests and tortures Mr. Dậu merely for the latter's deceased brother's tax.
He's also somewhat of a misogynist, believing that Mrs. Dậu doesn't know anything just because she's a woman. Ultimately, his arrogance allows Mrs. Dậu to defeat him. Despite being beaten, he still whispers to arrest Mr. Dậu, showing how obsessed with his mission he is.
Biography[]
The henchman of the village mayor of Đông Xá, the gaoler's mission is capture and torture the farmers who fail to pay enough tax. Despite Mrs. Dậu selling her daughter to Nghị Quế to get enough money, the village mayor says that Mr. Dậu's brother hasn't paid yet due to having died in January. As a result, Mr. Dậu still fails to pay enough and is thus subsequently imprisoned in the province and tortured by the gaoler for days until when he faints. Thinking that he's dead, the village mayor sends Mr. Dậu home.
When Mrs. Dậu finds her husband, he's barely alive. She then nurtures her husband back to health. Just then the gaoler enters and once again forces him to pay the tax. Angered, Mrs. Dậu engages in a fight with the gaoler and eventually beats both him and the village mayor, despite Mr. Dậu telling her that it's illegal. Due to this, she's tried to work for the distinct official (who actually wants to have her for himself).
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Trivia[]
- The scene where Mrs. Dậu fights back the Gaoler and the Village Mayor has become iconic due to symbolizing her finally standing up to the oppressive system. It is titled Tức nước vỡ bờ (literally The last drop makes the cup run over) and has been taught to Vietnamese students and made into plays.