TTLA: Nguyen Dinh Chieu in the cultural space of Southern Vietnam

Author's name: Ta Thi Thanh Huyen

Thesis title: Nguyen Dinh Chieu in the cultural space of Southern Vietnam

The field of study for this dissertation:Literature

Specialized:Vietnamese LiteratureCode:62 22 01 21

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

1. Purpose and scope of the thesis

Research objectivesThis study places Nguyen Dinh Chieu within the cultural context of Southern Vietnam to determine the influence of cultural layers from the subjects of this cultural space on the formation of his personality and the creation of his works; it also examines the influence and reception of Nguyen Dinh Chieu's works in Southern Vietnamese literature at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries according to two trends: reception and anti-reception.

Research subjects:The personality and works of Nguyen Dinh Chieu are viewed in a two-way interaction with the layers of cultural sediment and the transformations of the Southern Vietnamese cultural space in the 19th century.

2. Research methods used

Cultural studies method, literary history method, interdisciplinary research method; intertextual research method; iconography; comparative method.

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

The firstIdentifying and analyzing the elements of Southern Vietnamese culture significantly contributed to the formation of Nguyen Dinh Chieu's personality and influenced his literary work of "teaching Confucian morality."

MondayConversely, the study examines and identifies the impact and influence of Nguyen Dinh Chieu on folk literature and vernacular literature in Southern Vietnam at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries according to two trends: reception and anti-reception.

3.2. Conclusion

- By combining the "cultural space" model, comprising multiple layers of non-fossilized sediments, initiated by Michel Foucault, with the cultural semiotic perspective proposed by Gerrt Hofstede, we have outlined the cultural space of Southern Vietnam throughout its history from the mid-17th century to the early 20th century; from there, we identify and analyze the elements of this cultural space that influenced the formation of Nguyen Dinh Chieu's personality as well as his literary career.

- At the same time, we also examined the impact that Nguyen Dinh Chieu and his works left on the cultural landscape of Southern Vietnam: 1) Nguyen Dinh Chieu became a cultural figure representing the qualities and spirit of a virtuous Confucian scholar, an inspiring personality; 2) the strong and enduring vitality ofLuc Van TienIn Southern Vietnamese culture, this is reflected in two trends in the reception of this work: positive reception and negative reception; in addition, the chivalrous character of Luc Van Tien has become a cultural "phenomenon" as it is considered by generations of Southern Vietnamese people as an ideal role model to emulate in their daily lives.

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

The author's name:Ta Thi Thanh Huyen

Thesis title:Nguyen Dinh Chieu in the cultural space of the South of Vietnam

Scientific branch of the thesis:Literature

Major:Vietnamese LiteratureCode: 62 22 01 20

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

1. Thesis purpose and objectives

Purpose:To examine the impacts of the cultural layers within Southern cultural space to Nguyen Dinh Chieu's personality and work; and, to study the influences of Nguyen Dinh Chieu as a Confucian role model and his poems, verse novels, espesciallyLuc Van Tiento Southern literature in the transitional period as well as to behaviors of many generations of common people in this region.

Obijectives: Nguyen Dinh Chieu's personality and work in two-way interaction with Southern cultural space.

2. Research methods

Cultural study, literary historiography, interdisciplinary study, intertextual study, imagology, comparative study.

3. Major results and conclusions

3.1. The major results

Firstly, to point out and analyze layers and elements of Southern culture that contribute to the shaping of Nguyen Dinh Chieu's personality and impact on his literary moral teachings.

Secondly, to examine Nguyen Dinh Chieu's influences to Southern literature in transitional period (from late nineteenth century to early twentieth century) with two trends: reception and counter-reception, as well as behaviors of many generations of common people in this region until present time.

3.2. Conclusions

We combine the theory of mutlilayer sedimentary cultural space by Michel Foucault and cultural semiotics by Gerrt Hofstede, we outline Vietnam's Southern cultural space from the second-half of seventeenth century to early twentieth century, and examine the influences of it's components to Nguyen Dinh Chieu's personality and work.

At the same time, we investigate the marks Nguyen Dinh Chieu and his work leave on this cultural space: 1) Nguyen Dinh Chieu becomes a representative of the virtues and courage of a noble confucianist, and an inspiring personality; 2)Luc Van Tienbecomes a source to Southern literature in transitional period with two tendencies: reception and counter-reception, and it's hero becomes common people's guide to chivalrous conduct.