TTLA: The appearance of prose writing about homosexuality in Vietnam from the beginning of the 20th century to the present

Author name: Le Thi Thuy

Thesis title:The appearance of prose writing about homosexuality in Vietnam from the beginning of the 20th century to the present

Dissertation field: Literature

Major: Vietnamese Literature Code: 62 22 01 21

Name of the postgraduate training unit: University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

1. Purpose and research objects of the thesis

- Purpose: Through a survey of documents related to the issue of homosexuality in Vietnamese prose from the early 20th century to the present, we aim to reconstruct the appearance of homosexual prose in a comprehensive and systematic view as well as discuss its reception in the current context. At the same time, contribute to affirming the feasibility of a relatively new research direction in contemporary Vietnamese literature.

- Subject: The thesis studies a part of modern Vietnamese prose (published) belonging to two main forms: memoir and fiction related to the topic of homosexuality.

- Scope of research: Narrative works include short stories, novels, memoirs, autobiographies... from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Works belonging to the Southern urban literature section, works by overseas Vietnamese writers as well as works of online literature are only mentioned as a reference channel to help clarify scientific conclusions, not as the main survey object of the Thesis.

2. Research methods used

- The thesis uses three main methods: the systematic-structural method, the interdisciplinary research method, and the comparative method. These methods, in addition to clarifying the achievements and limitations of homosexual prose in the rich flow of the genre, also clarify its relationship with related sciences such as homosexuality, psychoanalysis, sociology, etc.

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

- In terms of theory: In addition to the theory of the connotation of some concepts such as homosexuality, queer, homosexual perception... the thesis has generalized the issues of homosexual theory (also known as phase deviation theory) and some other related theories such as homosexual feminism and psychoanalysis.

- In practice:

+ Firstly, the thesis contributes to adding a new research direction on contemporary Vietnamese prose - the research direction from the theory of homosexuality (phase deviation).

+ Second, in terms of epistemology: The thesis not only has certain value in assessing the issue of homosexuals in terms of sociology, psychoanalysis, anthropology and culture, but also contributes to adjusting some perceptions in social management.

3.2. Conclusion

-One is, prose with homosexual themes has always been considered peripheral, sensitive, and complicated literature. Studying this literary field from a literary history perspective is a way to filter out the "fragments" of the past that have not received adequate attention.

-Two is, exploited from both the surface and the point of view, prose on homosexuality from the beginning of the 20th century to the present has clearly shown the unique features due to the influence of the socio-cultural characteristics in each period.

-Three is, the 1986 Renovation milestone truly marked a new path for homosexual-themed prose, “from disguised forms to openly confessed narratives”.

-Four isThe reception of homosexual prose shows the internal and dialectical movements of contemporary social life, including issues of attitude, relationship and method.

-Five is, a flexible and dynamic conception of gay literature is the necessary equipment to visualize this still controversial and still in its infancy prose genre.

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

The author's name: Le Thi Thuy

Thesis title:The appearance of prose which writes about the topic of homosexuality in Vietnam from the beginning of 20^thcentury to the present time.

Scientific branch of the thesis: Literature

Major: Vietnamese Literature Code: 62 22 01 21

The name of postgraduate training institution: University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University.

1. Thesis purpose and objectives

- Purpose: through surveying the data related to the matter of homosexuality in Vietnam's prose from the beginning of 20^thcentury to the present time, we trend to re-make up the appearance of homosexuality prose by a complete and systematical view as well as discuss how to accept it in the present time. Also, affirming the considerations of relatively new study trend of contemporary Vietnamese Literature.

- Object: this thesis studies the modern Vietnamese prose (as published) under two main methods named: chronicle and imagination in reference to the homosexuality.

- Study scope: The narrative works consists of: short stories, novels, memoirs, autobiography etc… from the beginning of 20^thcentury to the present time. The works of Southern urban literature, the works by the Vietnamese writers in foreign countries as well as the works of online literature only mentioned as a reference information which only clarifies more the scientific conclusions but is not this thesis's main object.

2. Research methods

- This thesis has applied 3 main study methods: method of system- structure, method of inter-sector study and comparative method. In addition to clarifying the achievements as well as restrictions of homosexual prose in the flow of various genres, these methods also clarify the homosexual prose's connection with close sciences such as: homosexual studies, Psychoanalysis, sociology etc….

3. Major results and conclusions

3.1.The major results

- As to the theory: In addition to introducing the connotation of some definitions such as: homosexuality, queer, homosexual perception etc…, this Dissertation has re-summarized the matters of homosexual theory (also called as dephasing theory) as well as some other theories in relevance to the theory of lesbian, psychoanalysis.

- As to the practices:

+ Firstly, this Dissertation contributes to add one more new study direction in terms of Vietnam's contemporary prose- the study direction from the theory of homosexuality (dephasing).

+ Secondly, regarding the epistemology: this Dissertation not only has the certain value in evaluating the matter of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) in terms of sociological aspect, psychoanalysis, anthropology and culture, but also adjusts some consciousnesses in the social management.

3.2. Conclusions

- The first,the prose of homosexuality topic is normally considered as the peripheral, sensitive and complicated prose. Studying this type from the aspect of literary history is one way to sort out “pieces” in the past that have not been satisfactorily interested yet.

- The second,upon developing in views of both overall and detail, the prose of homosexuality topic from the 20^thcentury to the present time has already obviously demonstrated the particulars due to the effect of social cultural features in each period of time.

- The third, the Renovation landmark in 1986 really marked the new route of the homosexual prose, “from the disguising forms to the confessed publicly autobiographies”.

- The fourth,accepting the prose of homosexuality topic has pointed out the internal movements and theics of modern social life with the matters of dialect, relations and manners.

- The fifth,one soft, flexible and motive conception in terms of the homosexual prose is one necessary preparation for imagination and so that the prose is still with many debates and is still the beginning.