TTLV: The issue of identity in the works of Vietnamese immigrant authors (through some novels recently published in Vietnam)

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name:Do Thuy Anh                                               

2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: September 20, 1991

4. Place of birth: Hai Phong

5. Decision on student admission No. 2998/2013/QD-XHNV-SDH dated December 30, 2013, by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process: None

7. Thesis title:The issue of identity in the works of Vietnamese immigrant authors (through some novels recently published in Vietnam)

8. Major: Vietnamese Literature Code: 60.22.01.21

9. Scientific supervisor:Dr. Pham Xuan Thach– Faculty of Literature – University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University, Hanoi

10. Summary of the thesis results:

Besides the body of Vietnamese literature written and published domestically, there also exists a group of Vietnamese authors who have emigrated abroad. They live in a different country and culture but continue to write in Vietnamese. To date, some of their works have been published domestically and have been highly regarded by literary critics. Examining these authors and their works within the broader context of contemporary literature reveals a distinct face of Vietnamese literature abroad, compared to that within Vietnam.

From a sociological approach, we have shown that there is a hybrid of cultural identities, between Vietnamese cultural identity and Western cultural identity (in the countries where the authors emigrated and lived). These two cultural identities intertwine, blend, and transform into each other as the authors adapt to their new living environment, as expressed through a Vietnamese ideological perspective on other cultural behaviors.

A common and recurring character type in Vietnamese literature written abroad is the rootless character. These characters have Vietnamese ancestry and background but leave their families, homeland, and country early in life. They search for the true meaning of life, seeking answers to the questions: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where do I belong? Throughout this journey of self-discovery, they are constantly haunted by a longing for their homeland. This serves as a spiritual anchor for these exiles in their circumstances of homelessness.

Authors living and writing abroad, having the opportunity to interact with contemporary literary life worldwide, have learned and absorbed modern writing techniques (personalization of narrative perspective, multi-layered structure, the connection between literature and journalism, etc.), based on the foundation of the Vietnamese language – a lasting and enduring imprint of national identity – creating unique artistic characteristics in their works, compared to literary works in Vietnam.

11. Practical applications:

12. Future research directions:

The issue of national identity/nationalism in contemporary Vietnamese literature.

13. Published works related to the thesis:

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Do Thuy Anh 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: September 20, 1991 4. Place of birth: Hai Phong City

5. Admission decision number: 2998/2013/QĐ-XHNV-SĐH,Dated December 30, 2013 by Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi    

6. Changes in academic process:

7. Official thesis title: Identity in works by Vietnamese immigrant authors (through novels published in Vietnam recently)

8. Major: Vietnamese literature Code: 60.22.01.21

9. Supervisors: Dr. Pham Xuan Thach

10. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

- Aside from literature work written and published domestically, there exists a section of which authors are Vietnamese immigrants living in a foreign country. They live in a different country with different culture, and yet still write in Vietnamese. Up to present time, some of their works have been published in Vietnam and have received good criticism. Studying these authors will offer new perspectives of a section of the Vietnamese literature abroad in contrast to that in Vietnam.

- From a social stand point, we have pointed out a fusion of cultural identities, between the Vietnamese identity and that of Western culture (from where the authors currently reside.) These two identities fuse, merge and intergrate with one another during the process in which the authors adapt to their new living environment, evident through the Vietnamese ideology in comparison with other ideologies.

- One type of character predominance in these works is one with no root. These characters have Vietnamese roots, but leave their family and country from an early age. They search for a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, answers to these questions: Who am I? Where am I from? Where do I belong? On that self-searching journey, they all possess to a certain extent an obsession of nostalgia. That is viewed as a spiritual anchor for one that belongs to nowhere.

- Authors who live and write abroad have the opportunity to come into direct contact with the world's contemporary literature works, and to take away from such works contemporary writing techniques, combining with the Vietnamese language as a foundation – a long and lasting sign of the national identity, to create individuality and uniqueness in their own work, as compared to that of other Vietnamese authors.

11. Practical applicability, if any:

12. Further research directions, if any:

National Identity/Nationalism in contemporary Vietnamese literature

13. Thesis-related publications: