Tóm tắt LA tiếng anh: Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .

Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .Cổ mẫu trong tiểu thuyết John Steinbeck .

NGUYEN THI THU HANG

ARCHETYPES IN THE NOVELS OF JOHN STEINBECK

Major: Foreign Literature Code: 9.22.02.42

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

ON LITERATURE

Hanoi – 2022

Science supervisor: Prof Dr LE HUY BAC

Opponent 1: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Mai Lien

Hanoi National University of Education Opponent 2: Assoc Prof Dr Cao Kim Lan

Institute of LiteratureOpponent 3: Dr Nguyen Thuy Linh

University of Social Sciences and Humanities

(Hanoi)

This dissertation will be evaluated at Committee of grading

dissertation in level of Hanoi National University of Education

at…… on…… 2022

This dissertation is archived at:

National Liberary of Vietnam Liberary of Hanoi National University of Education

INTRODUCTION

1 Reasons for choosing the topic

In the twentieth century, archetypal criticism was shaped and evolved, as well as preserved its highlight role in the journey of literary exploration Through psychology-mythological and socio-historical approaches, the colorful archetypal world in the human literary heritage emerges not as immovable and fixed imprints, but as

a cultural element that is dynamic and adaptable and constantly transforms with the social environment and the times

John Steinbeck (1902-1968) is a famous American writer in the world literature of the twentieth century What makes the lasting vitality and eternal value of Steinbeck’s novels is the writer’s instinctive and creative use of ancient archetypes, symbols, and motifs to reflect long-standing and temporal issues of America and Americans, more broadly, of all humanity Therefore, the study of Steinbeck’s novels from archetypal literary theory shows the hidden cultural sediment in each archetype, the common denominator of the archetype in Steinbeck’s novels and the primordial archetypes Thus, the dissertation emphasizes the derivative interpretations of the archetype generated by America’s distinctive sociohistorical context

For these reasons, we choose Archetypes in the Novels of John

Steinbeck as a research topic for our doctoral dissertation

2 Purposes and tasks research

searching for the new and distinct identity of these archetypes based

on American cultural elements

Studying the value of archetypes in themes, ideas and artistic conceptions about the world and humans of Steinbeck; Emphazing the remarkable artistic features of Steinbeck’s novels; and confirming the writer’s position and contribution to American literature and world literature

as the mother archetype and the reconstruction of feminine identity, the hero archetype and demythologizing impression, earth and water

archetypes and ecological discourses

3 Objects and scope of research

3.1 Objects of research

The research object of the dissertation is archetypes in John Steinbeck’s novels

3.2 Scope of research

3.2.1 Text scope of survey

The text scope of the survey of the dissertation is eight novels by

John Steinbeck, includes: To a God Unknown (Bantam Books Inc.),

In Dubious Battle (Random House), East of Eden (Penguin Books), Của chuột và người and Phố Cannery Row (translated by Phạm Văn,

Writers Association Press), Viên ngọc trai (translated by Đặng Việt Hưng, Writers Association Press), Chùm nho phẫn nộ (translated by

Phạm Thủy Ba, Literature Press)

3.2.2 Content scope of research

The research explores John Steinbeck’s novels from the perspective of archetypal criticism and focuses primarily on the

following archetypes: mother archetype, hero archetype, earth and

water archetype, as well as the rebirth of archetypes in the American

socio-historical background in the first half of the twentieth century

4 Approaches and research methods

5 Dissertation’s contribution

This dissertation is the first Vietnamese study to research archetypes in John Steinbeck's novel This dissertation makes a significant contribution by identifying and clarifying the effects of social and historical context on how Steinbeck regenerates archetypes and the role of archetypes in creating artistic value and humanity in Steinbeck’s novels The study of the Steinbeck’s novels from an archetypal perspective presents a new way to discover Steinbeck’s novels and the works of other authors, as well as an

essential and comprehensive understanding of the original and ancient aspects of humanity and American cultural identity Those interested in understanding Steinbeck’s novels and American culture will find the dissertation a valuable resource

6 Dissertation’s structure

In addition to the Introduction, Conclusions, References, and Appendices, the Contents of the Dissertation consist of 4 chapters: Chapter 1: Overview of the research topic

Chapter 2: Mother archetype and the reconstruction of feminine identity in John Steinbeck’s novels

Chapter 3: Hero archetype and demythologizing impression in John Steinbeck’s novels

Chapter 4: Earth, water archetypes, and ecological discourses in John Steinbeck’s novels

Chapter 1

OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH TOPIC

1.1 Archetypal criticism: from psychology-mythological approaches to socio-historical approaches

1.1.1 Psychology-mythological approaches

The psychological approach considers archetypes as the crystallization of universal mental experiences having a significant role in the mental life of humanity Meanwhile, the mythological approach emphasizes the repetition of archaic patterns in response to the constant desires of humans of different cultures By combining these two approaches, researchers have achieved initial success in solving archetypal questions related to spirituality and culture However, the nature of archetypes is still an issue that researchers

have not unanimously agreed on

1.1.2 Socio-historical approaches

The socio-historical approaches are highly usable, filling in the shortcomings of the psychology-mythological approaches Applying this method in archetypal criticism means considering the formation

of new archetypes under the influence of external factors such as socio-historical context, as well as clarifying the difference and conflict between the new archetypes in a literary work and its original patterns as well as popular value systems

methods, we consider archetypes to be original and ancient patterns

in myths, legends, and folk narratives that are perpetually reincarnated in later literary genres The rebirth of archetypes is not only the process of inheriting the constant characteristics of the human mind, but also the adaptation of each writer to the cultural traditional nation and humanity, particularly the influence of the social historical context on the artist's method of renewing archetypes Thus, the nature of archetypes is familiar, close, universal, mysterious, creative, and dynamic

1.2 Research on John Steinbeck’s novels

1.2.1 Research on John Steinbeck’s novels in the world

John Steinbeck and his works are a great topic, attracting the attention of many researchers and readers worldwide Numerous treatises, scientific articles, theses, and dissertations have approached Steinbeck’s novels from a variety of academic perspectives,contributing to recognizing, delineating, and establishing Steinbeck’s novels’ artistic style Significant research directions, among them, converge scholars from all over the world can be mentioned,

including biographical criticism (works by J Gray, P Covici, E

Steinbeck and R Wallstein, J.J Benson, J Parini, W Souder);

sociological criticism (works by L Owens, M Dickstein); new

criticism (works by P Lisca, H Levant); ecological criticism (works

by S.F Beegel, S Shillinglaw, W.N Tifney, L Willis, S.C

Bamarani, L Benesová); feminist criticism (works by W Motley,

M.R Gladstein, M.H Mitchel, D Woods, Fonseca, L Wu, N.M

Garcia, F B Boudali, K-R Meyer); symbolic criticism (works by

S.M Shockly, E.W Carlson, Dougherty, K Crockett, J Heitkamp,

S Bluefarb, J Brasch, M.P Veneros) Some significant studies have less or more mentioned the archetypal issue in Steinbeck’s novels

1.2.2 Research on John Steinbeck’s novels in Vietnam

Early on in Vietnam, scholars introduced Steinbeck and his novels However, Steinbeck's name and writings remained virtually missing from academic forums for a long time Le Dinh Cuc, Le Huy Bac, Hoang Thi Thap, and Le Nguyen Minh Phuc have made significant contributions to Steinbeck scholarship since the early years of the twentieth century

1.3 Research on the archetypes in John Steinbeck’s novels 1.3.1 Research on the archetypes in John Steinbeck’s novels in the world

The works of T.E Kakonis, J.E Fontenrose, J L VanDevyvere,

C Post, L Cederstrom, W.B Wiley, G Tóth, Y Fan, E.M Martin,

N Walker, C Thurmanita, B Saputra, R Gualberto are representative of the use of mythological/archetypal critical theory in the study of Steinbeck’s novels However, they have only examined

a small number of archetypes from a psychology-mythological perspective The works of these scholars are highly suggestive that

we continue to discover comprehensively and methodically the archetypal world in Steinbeck’s novels, while simultaneously applying a combination of socio-historical approaches to discover new meanings that Steinbeck has established in his archetypal world

1.3.2 Research on the archetypes in John Steinbeck’s novels in Vietnam

We believe that the application of archetypal critical theory to Steinbeck's novels in Vietnam is a topic with significant gaps in comparison to the global picture of archetypal research in Steinbeck's writings Initially, Le Huy Bac, Hoang Thi Thap, and Le Nguyen Hanh Phuoc paid attention to the archetype, but they did not consider

it to be a fundamental element in Steinbeck’s writings

Conclusion of chapter 1:

This chapter analyses archetypal critical theory from the

approaches At the same time, it summarises and analyses the research works of Steinbeck’s novels and archetypes in the world and Vietnam We place special emphasis on archetypal approaches The opinions of Kakonis, Fontenrose, VanDevyvere, Post, Cederstrom, Wiley, Tóth, Fan, Martin, and Walker have provided archetypal forms, archetypal interpretations, and suggestions for our

research topic, Archetypes in the Novels of John Steinbeck

Chapter 2

MOTHER ARCHETYPE AND THE RECONSTRUCTION

OF FEMININE IDENTITY IN JOHN STEINBECK’S NOVELS 2.1 Mother archetype in folklore

The mother archetype is signified by the terms archetypal woman,

feminine, and mother In this dissertation, the term “mother archetype” refers to a generic mother pattern Carl Jung identified two opposing characteristics of the mother archetype in folklore, namely the loving mother and the terrible mother The virtues associated with a loving mother are loving-kindness, empathy, feminine power, wisdom, fertility, and nurturing On the contrary, the terrible mother is mysterious, dark, abyssal, deadly, charming, and malicious

2.2 Variants of mother archetype in John Steinbeck’s novels 2.2.1 Good mother

2.2.1.1 Feminine beauty

Feminine beauty is a unique and typical feature that creates

attractiveness and charm for mothers and women Steinbeck has built gentle and sweet female characters as the spiritual refuge for men in the social unrest Their feminine beauty is shown through their soft, elegant appearance, calm and understanding eyes, gentle and warm voices, slow and gentle gestures and nostalgic mentality

2.2.1.2 Fountain of love

In Steinbeck’s novels, the archetypal mother’s love is manifested first in profound and sacred motherhood Steinbeck presents this characteristic as a source of strength for mothers, helping them persevere through all suffering and loss Not only giving love to children and family members, but Steinbeck’s female characters also love children, elders and numerous unfortunate lives Besides, Steinbeck’s novels also reveal the goodness of madams and whores who practice illegally and are condemned and distinguished by society

2.2.1.3 Power of fertility and nourishment

The power to reproduce and nurture is one of Steinbeck’s novels’ significant positive characteristics of the archetypal mother Giving birth, raising adult children, and attempting to protect the whole family is not only the obligation of mothers and wives but also their instincts In the context of the Great Depression and the tough displaced life, this feature helps women and mothers embrace their new roles and status

2.2.2 Terrible mother

2.2.2.1 Hussy and seductive woman

In Steinbeck’s novels, hussy like Curley’s wife, Cathy/Kate, have

a hidden tempted germ that represents the terrible aspect of the mother archetype and is the cause of the disasters of male characters

2.2.2.2 Ruthless and wicked woman

The ruthless and wicked characteristics are the higher expression

in the terrible aspects of the mother archetype It is shown through Cathy/Kate, the symbol of Evil, ghosts, and the devil’s shadow in human life With a cruel nature, she has caused lots of suffering and even death to those around her

2.3 The reconstruction of feminine identity in the masculine literature tradition

2.3.1 Masculine tradition in American literature

American literature is characterized by the masculine tradition This is evident in the earliest works of American literature featuring male protagonists and masculine themes In the works of Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and John Steinbeck, women’s fate, characteristics, and status were recognized in the early 20th century, prompting a reconsideration of this masculine tradition

2.3.2 The reconstruction of feminine identity in John

Steinbeck’s novels

2.3.2.1 Animus in the feminine archetype

Awarding the importance of femininity in the great depression and gender conflict in American society in the first half of the twentieth century; based on the archetypal animus, Steinbeck created tenacious, willed female characters with masculine beauty in femininity Thus, they are able to alleviate suffering, assume the man's role in the family, and challenge the long-standing dominance order of masculinity

2.3.2.2 Duality in John Steinbeck’s archetypal mother

The duality of the mother archetype in Steinbeck’s novels shows the mythical thinking that strongly reflects Steinbeck’s worldview However, the difference is that the good mother characteristic occupies a much higher level than the terrible mother This

“favouritism” reveals the role of positive characteristics in establishing feminine identity in the context of social unrest and gender identity crisis

re-Conclusion of chapter 2:

Based on the mother archetype in folklore, this chapter examines the archetypal mother in Steinbeck’s novels through two significant aspects: the good mother and the terrible mother The characteristics

of a good mother include feminine beauty, infinite love, fertility, and the ability to nurture Light, temptation, ruthlessness, and wickedness are associated with the terrible mother In the context of economic crisis and social unrest, John Steinbeck's novel reestablished the feminine identity of a mother archetype to soothe, heal abandoned souls, and manifest the free aspiration and self-determination of women in a culture rich in masculinity This significant derivative

meaning is expressed through the rise of the masculine in the feminine archetype, creating strong, assertive, and energetic characters They are a refuge for the poor and disadvantaged In addition, the duality of Steinbeck’s archetypal mother and the disparity between the two opposing poles, depending on the socio-historical context, is a defining characteristic, revealing the significant affect of mythical thinking and the author's adaptation to the modern context It also shows the change in the mother archetype’s identity in the interacting process with the context of the times

Chapter 3

HERO ARCHETYPE AND DEMYTHOLOGIZING IMPRESSION IN JOHN STEINBECK’S NOVELS 3.1 Hero archetype in folklore

Heroes represent the moral and aesthetic ideals of all time, one of the fundamental concepts of humankind's folklore treasures Individuals and communities can realize their dreams and aspirations

by enhancing or changing the world The character’s lifecycle, which includes birth, departure, death, and rebirth, expresses the mythical, universal property of the archetypal hero

3.2 Structure of the hero archetype in John Steinbeck’s novels by basic task motifs

3.2.1 Searching for promised land

Most of Steinbeck’s novels take place in California, with many heroes moving from the routine, modern East to the wild, liberal West in search of a better land than their home In particular, with

the masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck has impressively