Village Mayor Cường is the secondary antagonist of Nam Cao's short story Chí Phèo, as well as the film Once Upon a Time in Vũ Đại Village, a composite adaptation of Nam Cao's stories. He is the mayor of the Vũ Đại Village and Bá Kiến's son.
Personality[]
| “ | You're angry, so is Lý Cường. | „ |
| ~ Bá Kiến to Chí Phèo. |
Village Mayor Cường is defined entirely by his devotion to his father's ideals. He's a coward and rather incompetent in handling situations, relying on his father to help him. As shown in his only scene in the short story and his first scene in the movie, Cường cares greatly about his reputation, fearing that Chí Phèo may ruin it with his tantrums.
Cường has a very short-temper, as despite being the village mayor, the son of a canton chief and a member of an aristocratic family, he acts like a thug no better than Chí himself, only being held back somewhat by his concern for reputation. Had it not been for his father's intervenation, it's likely that Cường would engage in a fight with Chí eventually.
Biography[]
Chí Phèo[]
In the original story, Cường is only seen once. When Chí Phèo returns from prison, he throws tantrum at Bá Kiến's yard, much to Cường's dismay. However Kiến has just returned in time and bribes Chí into silence. Kiến then forces Cường to boil water so he and Chí can drink and talk together. After his father's death, it's said that he has to pay so much money to make a record. Kiến's rivals, especially Captain Tảo, take this opportunity to humiliate Cường while pretending to pay respect for his deceased father.
Once Upon a Time in Vũ Đại Village[]
In the movie, Cường's role largely remains the same. It's also mentioned that he has been involved in his father's numerous shady activities, which Teacher Thứ is exposing on newspaper. Angered, Cường discusses with his father to silence him. Throughout the movie, he is seen alongside his father.
After Kiến's death, Cường succeeds him as the new canton chief and continues his father's evil work. Sick of all the tragedies that Bá Kiến and Cường have brought onto the Vũ Đại village, the Teacher leaves to an uncertain future.
Relationships[]
Family[]
- Bá Kiến † (father)
- Bá Kiến's four wives (mothers)
Allies[]
- Bá Kiến †
- Bá Kiến's four wives
- French imperialists
Enemies[]
- Teacher Thứ
- Old Man Hạc †
- Chí Phèo †
- Đội Tảo (rival)
- Other nobles of the Vũ Đại Village (rivals)
- Everyone else in the Vũ Đại Village
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
