World Literature Research Report — Vietnam

INteresting
Sep 3, 2018 · 12 min read

Have you ever read any Vietnamese literature? Have you heard of any Vietnamese literature? Have you heard of Vietnam?

Whenever I ask a person these questions, they tend to answer “No”, “No”, and “That country in Asia?”. Being of Vietnamese heritage made me curious about Vietnam’s history, culture and literature. I expected their literature to be hard to understand both due to the differences in culture and in style. So when I was tasked with researching a country’s literature, I jumped at the opportunity to research Vietnam’s.

Vietnam is a country located on the South-East coast of the Asian continent. With the oldest record belonging to dating back to 300 BCE, Vietnam has a rich history. Starting from as far back as we know, Vietnam started as a warring kingdom; afterwards, came a period of Chinese domination, and then the French Domination. These events heavily influence the culture, language and literature of Vietnam. In addition, recently being involved in the Indochina War and the Civil War between the North and the South must have impacted the literature as well. Today, Vietnam is the home to approximately 93 million people. Most, if not all of the people speak Vietnamese, while some people speak Mandarin, French or English as well.

Vietnam’s history, while unable to compete with that of the Greeks, Egyptians or the Chinese, is undeniably rich and complex. The same can be said about their literature. The first pieces of literature that we know to have come from Vietnam date back to the early 11th century; during the time of the Chinese domination of Vietnam. These works were written in what is known as ‘chữ nôm’, which is basically a written language which the Vietnamese derived from the Chinese language. This language was used all the way up until the 20th century, and was considered to be inferior when compared to Chinese. During the 17th century, the modern Vietnamese language (called ‘quốc ngữ’) was formed due to the Catholic missionaries who arrived in Vietnam, and used the Latin alphabet to write in Vietnamese. Then during the 20th century when Indochina was dominated by the French, the French mandated the language over ‘chữ nôm’.

However, not all of Vietnam’s literature was passed down through script; there are many folk tales which were told through speech. These stories are predominantly about origin stories, heroes and supernatural beings. While these stories are still recounted by some Vietnamese families today, the original authors of the stories are unknown.

Vu Trong Phung

Some of Vietnam’s most famous writers include Vũ Trọng Phụng, Nguyễn Du and Dương Thu Hương. Vũ Trọng Phụng (1912–1939) wrote in a very satirical manner, but was also famous in Vietnam for his realistic and vivid descriptions of the horrors of life. Nguyễn Du (1765–1820) is a Vietnamese poet who wrote in chữ nôm, and is most famous for his epic poem ‘The Tale of Kieu’. Dương Thu Hương (1947-present) is a political author who spoke out against the Vietnamese government while working for the Vietnamese Communist Party, and subsequently kicked out of office and barred from leaving the country. She writes in both Vietnamese and French, and was appointed as a Chevailer d’Ordre des Art et des Lettres by the French government.

SHORT STORIES:

Short Story 1 — Bà Lão Lòa (The Old Woman)

Unfortunately, I was unable to locate an English translation of the story.

The short story ‘Bà Lão Lòa’ is a short story written by Vũ Trọng Phụng in 1931. It tells an incredibly sad story of an old woman, who had been a very generous soul during her youth. She had two children; a son and a daughter. The son became a doctor and was very successful, but left his mother and the his sister behind. The old woman and her daughter (who was married and had two children) were left in poverty, forced to do manual labour and live off a few spoons of rice a day. One of the days, there was only 15 spoons of rice to eat. The old woman only took one spoon of rice and left the rest of the rice for the rest of the family; however she was still extremely hungry after that spoon of rice, so she asked if she could have another half a spoon of rice. The daughter replied angerly, saying that the husband, the children and herself only had 3 spoons of rice each, and that if the old woman wanted to eat, she would have to do some work because all she was doing was sitting at home and getting food delivered to her mouth. The next day, she sat outside on the streets, and begged for money from passer-by’s; however she didn’t earn much money. The daughter became very upset with her and said why didn’t she just die and make it easier. Near the end of the story, during dinner time, the grandchildren sat down for dinner, but noticed that the grandma wasn’t present; they asked their mother about where she was. The next day, when the mother left for work, she passed by murder of crows crowding around something. She looked at what it was, and saw the body of the old woman on the ground, covered in mud; she had passed away the night before in the storm.

This story is incredibly touching and sad, and depicts the hardships that the poor in Vietnam had to face at the time. The themes that are explored in the text include poverty, family, love, kindness and hardship. The themes of poverty and hardship are shown through the way that the old woman and her family have to survive on close to nothing. The theme of family and love are explored through how the son had left the family and left them to fend for themselves, and how the daughter expected the woman to work to ‘earn’ her food; something we don’t generally associate with family, as we expect family to always help each other out. The theme of kindness is showcased through the way the woman had always been very kind and caring when she was younger, and how she was willing to give up her food for her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.

Short Story 2 — Reflections of Spring

Reflections of Spring is a short story written by Dương Thu Hương. It depicts a man reminiscing about his childhood, when he used to live by himself (his parents were away working and only sent him 3 dong and 10kg of rice every month. He was a studious boy — a ‘bookworm’ of sorts — but was not well off. He remembers this sweet girl who used to help him whenever he needed it; she brought food for him when he was hungry, and when he didn’t have enough money to buy his textbooks, the girl gave him her pocket money which she had been saving up for years. The man regrets not staying with the girl and wished that he would be able to see her once again; she was his true love, despite having a wife. He said that his wife’s absence didn’t make him feel empty, and that his wife’s presence didn’t make him feel any happier. He continues to reflect on his childhood, and regrets not being with her.

The themes that are explored in this story range vastly, including the theme of love, hardwork and diligence, and how sometimes we need to sacrifice one for the other. The theme of love is explored through the reminiscent memories of the man, and they way he fell in love with the girl in his childhood. Hard-work is shown through the way that the man (when he was a boy) was extremely studious and always studying, and how as a man he continued to work hard in order to achieve the success he has. However, the story also tells us that we cannot have everything in life, and that sometimes we must sacrifice one good thing for another good thing; and by extension that we need to be mindful of our choices and make the best one.

POETRY:

Poem 1 — Công cha như núi Thái Sơn (author unknown, translated by Indy)

“Công cha như núi Thái Sơn,

Nghĩa mẹ như nước trong nguồn chảy ra,

Một lòng thờ mẹ kính cha,

Cho tròn chữ hiếu mới là đạo con”.

[A Father’s sacrifice is strong like Mt Thai Son

A Mother’s virtue, boundless like a spring of flowing water

The Mother revered, the Father respected

So that my duty as a child may be accomplished]

This poem is simply known by its first line ‘Công cha như núi Thái Sơn. It is a poem which is taught to every Vietnamese student in primary school, and all of the students must memorise the poem, and understand what the poem is trying to tell them. The poem talks about how the actions and sacrifices that the parents make for their child are boundless and never-ending, and that since our parents do that for us children, we must thank them and give them the respect that they deserve. This poem helps us to understand they culture of Vietnam; we can understand that the Vietnamese people still follow Confucian ideologies which were passed down from many centuries, perhaps even millennia ago.

Poem 2 — Evening (by Xuan Dieu, translated by Thomas D. Le)

“Today the weightless clouds ascend aloft.

Joyless I am, yet know not why.

The roses’ leaves fall quiet on rustic paths

While virgin dew covers the founts of love.

Floating about, the soul of rose wanders,

Spreading under its breath sweet love’s beauty.

It seems the wind hungers to cross the stream,

Yet fears the reeds reveal the empty boat.

It seems the air is in a tangled web

That each step tears and each move rips.

Serene the eve lingers in dusky haze.

Though safe my heart wallows in mild soft gloom”.

The poem “Evening” talks explores the author’s sombre, melancholic and heart-broken state. He explores this mainly through the use of imagery, metaphors and personification such as ‘the wind hungers to cross the stream’ and ‘the air is a tangled web’. The author is trying to understand why exactly he feels ‘joyless’ and why his heart ‘wallows in mild soft gloom’, whilst everything around him that is happening is the epitome of serenity and beauty; everything is perfectly beautiful, so why is he feeling sad? While this poem doesn’t tell his anything about Vietnamese people or about Vietnamese culture, the theme of love is universal.

Poem 3 — The Colour of Time (by Doan Phu Tu, translated by Thomas D. Le)

“This morning the clear bird call resounded In the blue wind

Spreading the warm pervasive perfume of spring love.

The distant past is no longer frigid, Lady Tan Phi.

I quietly offer you

The clouds and sky suffused with time’s hue.

The colour of time is not blue.

The colour of time is a dark purple.

The odour of time is not strong.

The odour of time is ethereal.

Her silky hair cleft by a golden dagger

Is offered up with modesty to the Lord Most High.

She bears forever their old love’s extinction without spite,

And rather hides her face than disappoints him at sight.

Though the age-old bond of devotion is severed,

The ever-lasting love’s odour lingers.

The odour of time is ethereal,

The colour of time a dark purple”.

The original poem: “Mau Thoi Gian”

Whilst it may not seem so obvious to a reader reading in English, the poem “The Colour of Time” is highly elegant, subtle and meaningful. It explores the theme of love, and how time can affect the way in which we love. The colours are quite significant to the poem, and plays an important role in conveying the themes. In Vietnam, the colour blue represents calmness and hope; so when the poet says that ‘the colour of time is not blue’, the poet is trying to say that love doesn’t get any calmer or easier. Purple represents sadness and nostalgia, and the poet describing the colour of time as a dark purple is his way of trying to say that over time, love, or the lack of love, can make you feel nostalgic or sad.

Poem 4 — Evening Breeze (by Huy Thong, translated by Thomas D. Le)

“When the wind wrapped me in its limber arms,

I felt my heart swelling with impassioned love.

For me seemed its sweet music full of charms

And melodies did my tender soul move.

My sweet! Deep in my heart I always wish

To be with you at dusk and hear the breeze

Sing its love song soulful and feverish

To drown us in love’s deep and lustful seas”.

The poem “Evening Breeze” is also once again exploring the theme of love; however, the way in which the poem explores the theme is incredibly complex. The poem does not simply explore the idea of being in love with a person, but also with a place and profession. The poet personifies the sea, and from first glance, we think that the sea is a metaphor for the poet’s loved one. However, when you take into account the cultural significance of the sea to the Vietnamese people, it is plausible that the author was also trying to express his joy of being a fisherman and how being near the sea is so important to him. Whilst we do know that the Vietnamese depend on the sea, the poem reveals the extent of cultural significance that the sea holds.

Poem 5 — Jouer la carte lủy đánh bài (by Vo Danh, translated by Indy)

« Jouer la carte lũy đánh bài

Perdu của moả một hai trăm đồng.

Fini l’argent luỹ dong.

Parti đường lộ lấy chống Hàng Sao.

Thua buồn malade moả đau,

Ne pas dormir nhũng thao thúc hoài. »

[She was defeated playing cards,
And lost a few hundred piles of dong.
The piles of money all gone;
She left headed for Hang Sao.
Her losing made me sick and hurt
I can’t sleep; thinking about what I loss.]

This poem depicts a man who is talking about how his ex-wife had lost his money in a game of cards before leaving him. It is a very unique poem, in the sense that it is comprised of not only Vietnamese but French as well. When read in the Vietnamese French combination, it gives a sense of surprise through the change in language half-way through a line. This poem helps us understand just one thing in particular about Vietnam; how deep the French influence really was in Vietnam. This was achieved through the use of the French language in the poem.

Conclusion:

Vietnamese literature is very unique to Vietnam. Born through the influence of two major powers, the Chinese and the French, these literary works give us plenty of insight into Vietnamese culture, and despite their unique circumstances, in they end, they are still humans, and share the same values that we do. These stories and poems are inspiring, thought-provoking and give us a little sneak-peek into what it is like to live, or to have lived, in Vietnam. There should be no more excuse for not knowing about Vietnamese literature; to say that they their works are any less sophisticated, irrelevant or even not as interesting is not good enough, as Vietnam’s literature is just as good as the European and American literature (I daresay some are even better), just as relevant to our society and masterfully written. So what are you waiting for? Start reading some Vietnamese literature!

Bibliography:

En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Vietnamese literature. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_literature [Accessed 17 Aug. 2018].

Truong, D. (2018). visualgui. [online] Vietnamesetypography.com. Available at: https://vietnamesetypography.com/history/ [Accessed 17 Aug. 2018].

En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Vũ Trọng Phụng. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C5%A9_Tr%E1%BB%8Dng_Ph%E1%BB%A5ng [Accessed 17 Aug. 2018].

En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Nguyễn Du. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_Du [Accessed 17 Aug. 2018].

En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Dương Thu Hương. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C6%B0%C6%A1ng_Thu_H%C6%B0%C6%A1ng [Accessed 17 Aug. 2018].

SachHayOnline.com. (2018). NGƯỜI CÓ QUYỀN | Truyện ngắn Vũ Trọng Phụng | Vũ Trọng Phụng | SachHayOnline.com. [online] Available at: https://www.sachhayonline.com/tua-sach/truyen-ngan-vu-trong-phung/nguoi-co-quyen/736 [Accessed 17 Aug. 2018].

Thehuuvandan.org. (2018). Vietnamese Poetry. [online] Available at: http://thehuuvandan.org/intrope.html [Accessed 17 Aug. 2018].

English2302.files.wordpress.com. (2018). [online] Available at: https://english2302.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/huong.pdf [Accessed 20 Aug. 2018].

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