Scientific seminar “Gustave Flaubert and Us” on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of French writer Gustave Flaubert

Writer Gustave Flaubert (1821 - 1880) is one of the representative authors of French literature in the second half of the 19th century. Along with Stendhal, Balzac... Flaubert contributed to creating the century of novelists. In Vietnam, Flaubert's most important works have been translated into Vietnamese, including Madame Bovary, Salammbô, Three Stories and most recently, the translation of the book Sentimental Education by Ms. Le Hong Sam has just been introduced to readers.

The online seminar “Gustave Flauber and Us” is a scientific activity organized by the Department of Foreign Literature and Comparative Studies on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the writer's birth.

Opening the discussion, Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Xuan Thach - Head of the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities said: "Flaubert is not only a national celebrity, he is also a giant who created the humanistic heritage of humanity. Our scientific activities today show that: despite the pandemic, difficulties and challenges, human heritage is still an important part of our lives."

The special seminar connected and shared among generations of lecturers from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi National University of Education and the Institute of Literature. In the first part of the event, researchers placed Flaubert in French literature, discussed the modernity in Flaubert's works, the writing techniques that created that modernity and interpreted Flaubert through literary and cinematic language.

Sharing at the beginning of this section, Ms. Le Hong Sam - lecturer of the Department of Foreign Literature and Comparative Studies said: “Flaubert both continued the traditional Balzacian novel and ended the traditional novel. Therefore, Flaubert's works in general and Sentimental Education in particular are not only considered great literary works but also valuable historical documents. In particular, Sentimental Education raised issues about artistic style that novels of the 20th century and later periods would continue.” Talking about Flaubert's works, Ms. Le Hong Sam emphasized the writer's artistic work when each word, each small detail suggested big issues.

Ms. Le Hong Sam spoke at the seminar 

Identifying the position of G. Flaubert in French literature, Associate Professor, Dr. Le Nguyen Can placed him in the broad context of the 19th century, alongside the historical novels of A. Vigny and P. Merimee, the realistic novels of Stendhal and Balzac, the romantic novels of A. Dumas and George Sand. At the discussion, analyzing the influence of Flaubert and the modernity in his works, Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Duy Hiep emphasized Flaubert's prophecy for modern novels, from issues of poetics to issues of ideology. The story of "the world of objects invading human life" is still relevant today. The modernity in Flaubert's works is clearly expressed in his artistic style. This was analyzed by Associate Professor, Dr. Phung Ngoc Kien through comparing the differences between Flaubert's realism and Balzac's realism. Reading and interpreting Flaubert through the language of cinema, Mr. Tran Hinh analyzed the versions adapted from the novel Madame Bovary. According to Mr. Tran Hinh, although directors can choose to adapt faithfully or to adapt, they all create lasting vitality and wide influence for Flaubert's work.

In the following section, the researchers have provided analysis and suggestions about Flaubert's presence in literature such as Flaubert in Russian literature, American literature, Chinese literature, Indian literature and Japanese literature.

From the perspective of Russian literature, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy analyzed the process of translating and receiving Flaubert in Russia, especially the literary friendship between Russian writer Turgenev and French writer Flaubert. According to her, if in the first stage, Russians approached Flaubert's works from the perspective of realism, then in the second stage, with the development of symbolism and impressionism, the reception of Flaubert from the artistic perspective received more attention. From the perspective of American literature, Mr. Le Nguyen Long believes that the aestheticism in Flaubert's works created a tradition in American criticism, in which Flaubert's works are present as an example of innovation in narrative art and narrative strategy. Commenting on Flaubert's influence on Chinese literature, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thu Hien analyzed the journey of more than a century of Flaubert's presence in Chinese literature. During that journey, Flaubert was received at different stages, translated and reprinted many times, especially Madame Bovary which had 41 translations and 101 reprints. In addition, the analysis of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dien suggested more styles of Flaubert translation in China. In Indian and Southeast Asian literature, Flaubert's presence has its own unique and extremely rich characteristics. This has been explained through the analysis of Dr. Nguyen Phuong Lien. From the perspective of Japanese literature, Dr. Tran Thi Thuc analyzed the rich source of documents on translation and research of Flaubert's works in Japan. Dr. Tran Thi Thuc mentioned Flaubert's influences in many aspects, including areas such as picture books and manga.

The analyses from the speakers and the discussion questions from the students created a lively academic atmosphere throughout the discussion. In particular, the connection of knowledge between generations at the online discussion also demonstrated the significance of Flaubert's work in particular and literature in general to our lives.