TTLV: "I See Yellow Flowers on Green Grass" and "The Blue Bird Flies Home" by Nguyen Nhat Anh from the Perspective of Popular Culture

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name: Vu Thi Thu Huong 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: January 19, 1999

4. Place of birth: Hong Son Commune, Hanoi City.

5. Decision No. 3732/QD-XHNV dated December 9, 2022, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, recognizing the student.

6. Changes in the training process: Decisions on extending the study time of postgraduate students: 1st time No. 6934/QD-XHNV; 2nd time No. 4670/QD-XHNV; 3rd time No. 9099/QD-XHNV.

7. Thesis title: "I See Yellow Flowers on Green Grass" and "The Blue Bird Flies Home" by Nguyen Nhat Anh from the Perspective of Popular Culture.

8. Major: Literary Theory 9. Code: 8229030.01

10. Scientific supervisor: Dr. Dieu Thi Lan Phuong

11. Summary of the thesis results:

11.1. Purpose and scope of the thesis:

The topic aims to research and present the popular appeal of the work.I see yellow flowers on green grassand worksThe blue bird flies home.by author Nguyen Nhat Anh.

Firstly, the study analyzes and clarifies the content and artistic aspects of the work based on the characteristics of popular texts.

Secondly, the study evaluates and surveys the relationship between the textual layers of meaning and the production, distribution, adaptation, and public reception of the works. From this, it clarifies the "cultural cycle" of the two works mentioned above.

Thirdly, the study identifies the limitations, successes, and significant contributions of the two works and their authors to modern Vietnamese literature and popular culture.

The research findings of this project can serve as a reference for researchers, educators, students, and parents interested in the works of Nguyen Nhat Anh.

Regarding the research subject: The research subject of this thesis is the element of popular culture in the work.I See Yellow Flowers on Green Grass (2022, Tre Publishing House, 46th reprint), The Blue Bird Flies Home (2020, Tre Publishing House, First edition).

Regarding the scope of the research:We focus on the artwork.I see yellow flowers on green grass, and a blue bird flies home.In addition, other works by Nguyen Nhat Anh and cultural products associated with the author's books, such as film adaptations and music, are also used for further discussion, comparison, and analysis.

11.2. Research methods used

- From a theoretical perspective, we apply theories of popular culture, popular literature, semiotics, narrative theory, and sociology to approach the problem.

- From a methodological perspective, we apply the following methods: the interdisciplinary approach to Literature and Culture, Konstanz's reception theory (Jauss, Iser), the cultural cycle model (du Gay et al, 1997), comparative literature, etc.

From a scientific perspective, we apply the following operations: analysis, comparison, classification, and textual survey.

11.3. Conclusion

Based on the application of popular culture theory, particularly the Circle of Culture model by Stuart Hall and Paul du Gay, this thesis examines two representative novels by Nguyen Nhat Anh:I see yellow flowers on green grassandThe blue bird flies home..

First, the thesis clarifies the prominent manifestations of popular appeal in the artistic structure of the two works. The authors choose themes close to life such as childhood, family, friendship, love, and the journey of growing up; they construct a simple, easily accessible narrative structure; they use everyday, emotionally rich language; and they portray ordinary characters who are highly representative of many layers of readers. These elements have helped the works create widespread empathy and lasting influence in contemporary cultural life.

Specifically, by applying the Cultural Cycle model, the thesis has gone beyond the scope of purely textual analysis to approach the work as a cultural phenomenon in motion within social life. The research results show thatI see yellow flowers on green grassandThe blue bird flies home.These works do not exist as independent texts but participate in a multimedia cultural ecosystem. Within that ecosystem, publishing, media, film adaptation, social media interaction, fan communities, and cultural tourism activities all contribute to creating, expanding, and maintaining the vitality of the work.

Thirdly, drawing from Nguyen Nhat Anh's case study, this thesis simultaneously offers suggestions for further research on children's literature, popular literature, bestselling publishing phenomena, digital communities, and multimedia adaptations in Vietnam. These are areas with significant potential but have not been adequately explored in current literary research.

In short,I see yellow flowers on green grassandThe blue bird flies home.These works are not only widely loved by readers but also represent typical examples of popular culture in contemporary Vietnamese literature.

12. Practical applications:

For publishing and the business of cultural products, a thesis that dissects the production, distribution, and reception process of a successful popular literary work will provide practical reference value for publishing houses, authors, and those working in the media and cultural fields. Designing multi-segment products, emphasizing aesthetics, and establishing a cyclical coordination mechanism between books, films, tourism, and social media will open up practical solutions for creating highly competitive domestic cultural products. This is especially important as the cultural industry is becoming a key strategic area prioritized by the State for development.

13. Future research directions:

The Cultural Cycle model applied in this thesis can be fully extended to other works by Nguyen Nhat Anh, or to other bestselling authors in contemporary Vietnamese literature.

This theoretical framework is not limited to literature. Its application can be extended to study many other forms of popular culture in Vietnam today, such as film, music, comics, and phenomena in the digital space. From there, the research contributes to building and perfecting the system of contemporary popular culture research in the country.

14. Published works related to the thesis: None

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: VU THI THU HUONG 2. Sex:Female

3. Date of birth: January 19, 1999 4. Place of birth: Ha Noi City

5. Admission decision number: 3732/QD – XHNV dated December 9, 2022 by University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in academic process: Decisions on the extension of the study period for master's students, No. 6934/QD–XHNV; No. 4670/QD–XHNV; No. 9099/QD–XHNV.

7. Official thesis title:I See Yellow Flowers on the Green GrassandThe Azure Bird Returnsby Nguyen Nhat Anh from a Popular Culture Perspective.

8. Major:Literary Theories9. Code: 8229030.01

10. Supervisors: Dr. Dieu Thi Lan Phuong

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

Based on applying popular culture theory, in particular the Circuit of Culture model of Stuart Hall and Paul du Gay, the thesis has examined two representative long stories by Nguyen Nhat Anh:I See Yellow Flowers on the Green GrassandThe Azure Bird Returns.

First, the thesis has clarified the prominent manifestations of the popular character in the artistic structure of the two works. The author chooses themes close to everyday life such as childhood, family, friendship, love, and the coming-of-age journey of young people; constructs a simple, easily accessible narrative structure; uses everyday, emotionally rich language; and at the same time portrays ordinary characters who are nevertheless highly representative of many groups of readers. It is exactly these elements that have enabled work to generate widespread empathy and an enduring resonance in contemporary cultural life.

Through the application of the Circuit of Culture model, the thesis has gone beyond the scope of purely textual examination to approach the works as cultural phenomena moving within social life. The research results show thatI See Yellow Flowers on the Green GrassandThe Azure Bird Returnsdo not exist as independent texts but participate in a multimedia cultural ecosystem. Within that ecosystem, publishing, media communication, film adaptation, social-media interaction, fan communities, and cultural tourism all contribute to creating, expanding, and sustaining the vitality of the works.

Third, from the case study of Nguyen Nhat Anh, the thesis also opens suggestions for further research on children's literature, popular literature, best-selling publishing phenomena, reception communities in the digital environment, as well as multimedia adaptation products in Vietnam. These are fields with much potential that have not yet been adequately explored in current literary research.

In sum,I See Yellow Flowers on the Green GrassandThe Azure Bird Returnsare not only beloved works by a wide readership but also famous popular-culture products of contemporary Vietnamese literature.

12. Practical applicability, if any:

For publishing and the cultural-products business, the thesis's dissection of the production–circulation–reception process of a successful popular literary work offers practical reference value for publishing units, authors, and those working in the media–culture sector. Multi-segment product design, an emphasis on the aesthetic quality of publications, together with the circular coordination mechanism among book – film – tourism – social media, will open practical solutions for creating highly competitive domestic cultural products. This is especially relevant as the cultural industry is becoming a spearhead strategy that the State is focusing on developing.

13. Further research directions, if any:

The Circuit of Culture model applied in this thesis can fully extend its scope of application to other works by Nguyen Nhat Anh, or to other best-selling author phenomena in contemporary Vietnamese literature.

This theoretical framework is by no means limited to the field of literature. It can be extended to study many other forms of popular culture in Vietnam today, such as cinema, music, comics, or phenomena in the digital space. From there, the research contributes to building and refining a system for studying contemporary popular culture in the country.

14. Thesis-related publications: None