Nhân vật trẻ em trong văn xuôi thiếu nhi việt nam (TT)

Because of many writings, we only chose novels, short stories and autobiography for children from 1945 to 1975, especially some typical and innovative works.. To analyse some types of ch

HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

NGUYEN THI THANH HUONG

CHILDREN CHARACTER IN VIETNAMESE

Hanoi National University of Education

Supervisor: 1 Associate Professor.Doctor La Thi Bac Ly

2 Associate Professor Nguyen Van Long

Examiner 1: Associate Professor.Doctor Bien Minh Dien

Vinh University

Examiner 2: Associate Professor.Doctor Luu Khanh Tho

Institute of Literature

Examiner 3: Associate Professor.Doctor Hoa Dieu Thuy

Hong Duc University

The thesis will be defended against the Board of examiners at the University level

Venue: Hanoi National University of Education

On 2016

The thesis can be found at:

- National Library of Vietnam

- Hanoi National University of Education Library

LIST OF THE THESIS-RELATED DISCLOSED AUTHOR’S WORKS

1 Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (2012), “Personnality education for children through the character Pippi in Astrid Lindgren‟s Pippi Longstocking”,

Proceedings 17, Ochanomizu University, pp.125-128.

2 Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (2012-2013), Type the characters in the Fairy

tale, Scientific topics of University , Code: SPHN-12-193

3 Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (2013), “Folk riddles with children

preschools education”, Journal of science, Hanoi National University

of Education, No58, pp.82-88

4 Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (2013), “The narrator in the Give me a ticket

back to Childhood of Nguyen Nhat Anh”, The Journal of Literature

5 Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (2015), “Children‟s character in the VietNam

story before 1945”, Journal of science, Hanoi National University of

Education, No60, pp.63-67

6 Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (2015), “The attraction of the character Pippi

in story “Pippi Longstocking” of Astrid Lindgren”, Culture and

7 Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (2015), “Some characteristics of children‟s

autobiography in the twentieth century VietNam”, The Journal of

8 Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (2015), “Children‟s character in the VietNam

story 1945 - 1975”, The Journal of Literature and Art Critique theory,

No40, pp.38-48

9 Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong (2016), “Children's Literature Definition”,

INTRODUCTION

1 Reasons for Thesis’ Theme

1.1 Children Literature is an important part of a literature Many studies showed that Children Literature have noticeable effects on children personality development and is important with children in early childhood and childhood periods

1.2 Vietnamese Children Prose, from its beginning, reflected basic features in children lives throughout historical periods In addition, along with innovations of Vietnamese Prose, Vietnamese Children Prose provides remarkable innovations in development periods These innovations show in world characters

1.3 In modern life there are numberless barriers of human intercommunications, especially, between younger and older generations Children in modern period are different with their parents in changes in psychology and physiology Moreover, there is private changeable world

in each child Children is not minimized adults Studying children character in Vietnamese Children Prose is way to young children world to understand and have suitable behaviors with future citizens of the country

2 Objects and study’s scope

we focused on children characters in Vietnamese Children story

Because of many writings, we only chose novels, short stories and autobiography for children from 1945 to 1975, especially some typical and innovative works

3 General goals and detail goals

3.1 General goals

To determine, analyse image of children character and artistic modes expressing characters thought development periods of children literature, structuring total picture of children literature with various opinions about children, affirming specific aesthetic values of children literature

3.2 Detail goals

3.2.1 To develop theoretical bases of the thesis, determining concepts such as children literature, children, children character, children character systematics in literature

3.2.2 To study the development of Vietnamese Children Literature and development periods of children character in that development

3.2.3 To analyse some types of children characters in story for children from 1945 to 1975

3.2.4 To analyse some types of children characters in story for children from 1945 to 1975

4 Methodology

- Typological Method

- Comparative Method

- Work Analysis by Genre Specific Method

- History Literature Method

- Interdisciplinary Method

5 New contributions of the thesis

Theoretically, the thesis provides overview picture about children character in Vietnamese Children Prose, clarifying theoretical issues which have effects on literature along periods

In terms of history literature, the thesis studies, summarizes a look of children character in Vietnamese Literature process, reflecting movements and basic rules in Vietnamese Literature

Practically, by determining structural system of children character in Vietnamese Children Literature development, the thesis provides typical children character which creates character images associated with real life, orienting children personality in innovation period

Also, the thesis produces an useful reference for studying, teaching children literature in universities and junior colleges in Vietnam

6 The thesis’s outline

Along with Introduction and Conclusions parts, the thesis includes 3 chapters: Chapter 1 gives Overview of Studying Issue, Chapter 2 named Children Character in Vietnamese Children Story from 1945 to 1975, and Chapter 3 entitled Children Character in Vietnamese Children Story from

1975 to the Present

CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF STUDYING ISSUE

1.1 CHILDREN LITERATURE AND CHILDREN CHARACTER

1.1.1 Children Literature

Children Literature includes works about children and for children, written by adults or children with children eye, having educational contents for sake of children soul and personality

1.1.2 Basic characteristics of Children Literature

Children Literature is phenomenon appears later in literature history Educational value is consider to be important in Children Literature Children, special individuals with many different with adults, are subject which reflect as well as receive of Children Literature Therefore, works for children are special about and for special subjects

Relationship between readers and writers is not balanced

Children Literature always break adult norms to get in children world

1.1.3 Development and movements of Vietnamese story for children

Before 1945, although there are writings for children of Tu Luc Literature Association and Nam Cao, Nguyen Hong, Nguyen Cong Hoan,

To Hoai, these writings could not create children – writing movement

From 1945 to 1975, after August Revolution, children literature was developed with much of stories, making important part in children literature

After 1975, there were many approaching innovations in children literature with many authors such as Pham Ho, Vo Quang, To Hoai, Nguyen Quynh, Phung Quan, Nguyen Nhat Anh and valuable works

At present, there is only Nguyen Nhat Anh regarded an author with regular writings for children

1.1.4 Concept about “Children”

In many aspects, children is not minimized adult In terms of age, in Vietnam, children are people aged from 0 to 16 years old Children have individual psychological and physiological characteristics, and they are a specific historical social category, a complex category

1.1.5 Children character

1.1.5.1.Character definition: Children characters are children created in

works for children Children reflect writers‟ view about children, the writers generalize nature, destiny of children in history, society and culture life Also, children characters show life rules and children in life

1.1.5.2 Children systematics

M.Nikolajeva gave 5 types of children characters on basis of representation, of character types of Northrop Frye, literature reviewer and theorist in 20th century, including: 1 The Mythic Hero, 2 The Romantic Hero, 3 High Mimetic Characters, such as Allegorical and Emblematic Characters as well as Character as Ideological Vehicles, 4 Low Mimetic Characters, 5 Ironic Characters, includes Detachment and Alienation as well as Metafictive Characters

When applying the M.Nikolajeva‟s systematics in Vietnamese story for children, we see the systematics is suitable in Vietnam However, in terms of history, culture, society, there are specific enviromnents of each people, there are differences in systematics of Vietnam Therefore, we do not apply inflexibly the M.Nikolajeva‟s systematics in Vietnamese story for children, this systematics plays fulcrum for our systematics in each period

of Vietnamese Children Literature

1.2 OVERVIEW OF RELATING STUDIES

1.2.1 Studies about children character in international stories for children

A book of Maria Nicolajeva, The Rhetoric of Character in Children's

Literature, with two sections and 13 chapters, studies ontological and

epistemological aspects of characters in stories for children, the book showed basic differences beetween character development in story for children and in general stories

Theoretically, the above book provided an overview about characters

in children literature This study defined that characters in children literature, in many aspects, were designed differently with in general literature

1.2.2 Studies about children character in Vietnamese story for children

Van Thanh is first author in studying children literature Van Thanh‟s studies gave an overview about Vietnamese Children Literature as well as movements of stories for children after August Revolution to 1975

La Thi Bac Ly with doctoral thesis named Stories for Children after

1975, clarified children literature picture in period after 1975

The two above authors showed successes and innovations in terms of contents as well as forms of stories for children from its beginnings

There were also some books such as Vietnamese Children Literature

of Tran Duc Ngon and Duong Thu Huong (1998), Children Literature of

La Thi Bac Ly (2007), Children Literature Prosody of Bui Thanh Truyen

et al (2007) However, there were not so much studies like above

CHAPTER 2 CHILDREN CHARACTER IN VIETNAMESE

CHILDREN STORY FROM 1945 TO 1975

2.1 ELEMENTS AFFECTING CHILDREN CHARACTER DESIGN

2.1.2 Children Literature context

Along with social historical changes, children literature developed with turning points

2.1.3 Children character in stories before August Revolution – premise for creating children character in stories for children from 1945 to 1975

2.1.3.1 Children character – humble conditions

2.1.3.2 Children character – brightly and dreamy souls

2.1.4 Opinions of writers about children from 1945 to 1975

Children were showed in children literature pages as hope of the country, “help children love motherland, compatriots, labor as well as follow the rules, keep hygiene, go to school, etc.” (Uncle Ho)

2.2 FACE OF CHILDREN CHARACTER FROM 1945 TO 1975

2.2.1 Younger soldiers in the war

Younger solider is specific character only in literature during the war like Vietnamese literature The development of this kind of character derived from demands of history when the war happened This model was ideological orientation of children literature at that period, it also reflected

a fact, a spiritual reality – heroes, a typical example for children at that time As children, younger solider was different from children in peacetime, they are solider or minimized adult

In writings after 1954, image of younger solider had changes in way

of express, in which while continuing to describe brave actions, writers brought children approach children, such as character Lam in Keeping Borrowed Gun of Van An, Toan character in A Childe by Riverside of Lai

Vu – Vu Cao, Bay character in Sinking Boat of Bui Duc Ai

Because writers have concentrated on revolutionary, heroic actions

of children character, they have not paid attentions to emotional and psychological aspects in designing characters There were only some attentions in one-way psychological status without conflicts Psychological features of children were only expressed in some single sentences

Father Homeland and Dawn of Vo Quang are works marked clear changes in way of expressing younger solider character from oneway, monotone to complex, lively

Finally, in this period, developing younger soldiers as heroic statue is suitable with demands of reality and children psychological characteristics

2.2.2 Younger Citizen in Daily Life

The younger citizen in daily life was born as natural character in terms of history When the North was free, orienting to Socialist, one of important of children letter and art is to educate children in learning and active working

Oriented works for children focused on “focus of idea and feeling education for children is loving labor, loving learning for sake of socialist and unified motherland”

In laboring, children would do “small plan”, developing innovative countryside, such as three characters named Thieu, Tu and Lia characters,

in Close Relation Group of Tran Thanh Dich author, created laboring group, supporting adults in agriculture, in trapping mice, in catching birds; characters Mau, Hoi, Man, Sung in New Member of Cooperative of To Hoai author, have done together in trapping birds, making puppet in field, catching mice for sake of crop in holiday

In learning, there were many writings such as Lessons about Life and Friendship, Lovely School of Le Khac Hoan author, The First Sunbeam of

Le Phuong Lien, The First Year of Minh Giang, The Boy Hating Mathematics of Hai Ho

To educate children thought ideal models about moral qualities, responsibilities of citizen in Socialist However, because of too much importance on educational goals, children character in these writings become model of minimized adult citizen without foolishness, playfulness and spontaneousness

2.2.3 Character as mirror

In the war and building the country, the most important of children literature is to educate children love with their country, people pride, striving in labor, learning, so the writers created type of imaginary children characters such as country-saving heroes, examplary citizen, also they made children character as mirror rooted from real children in history and life

There were two expressing forms of character as mirror in this period, children character as historical mirror (for example, Tran Quoc Toan in The Flag with Six Golden Script of Nguyen Huy Tuong, Ban A

Ton in Da River story, etc.) and children character as life mirror (for example, Kim Dong in Kim Dong of To Hoai, Nguyen Ngoc Ky in I Go to the School of Nguyen Ngoc Ky, Hoa Xuan Tu in Hoa Xuan Tu of Quang Huy, etc.)

The children character as historical mirror was not described in real view, he/she was created in some historical gap Therefore, despite of being children, he/she was described as hero different from normal children This feature is the same with type of younger hero character, however, this kind of character is usually fictitious, but character as historical mirror is usually real people in history This type of character is notable feature in character description of historical story after 1975 Like

“adult” literature, children literature, in this period, was controlled by historical inspiration and romantic style of writing, therefore, children characters in these writing also had historical and heroic features This is reason for that in period from 1945 to 1975, historical story for children strongly develops and this kind of character became typical type in children literature in the period

Children character as life mirror appeared in period from 1960 to

1975, children character is mirror in life, playing important role in encouraging spirit of Vietnamese children in anti-American movement and building Socialist He/she is real character in the life, the writer only reflects his/her success, for example, Hoa Xuan Tu, Nguyen Ngoc Ky, Bui Thi Tu, Nguyen Thi Hong, Hoang Van Hai, etc

2.2.4 Abandoned children character

In situation for continuing war, children in the South have lived a life without orientations The war broke many families, making children be orphan, his/her life like dust Abandoned by family, society, these children live without purposes, without ideal In this status, there were two reaction ways of children, 1) Displease, becoming vagrants and 2) Resigned, becoming victim of life Children of the two ways have been abandoned

by their society and family This made two expressing types of children characters in the South Children Literature, Vagrant Children Character – Life Like Dust and Unhappy Children Character

2.2.4.1 Vagrant Children Character – Life Like Dust

The model was expressed in writing of Duyen Anh with stories The Dream of a Grasses, Following Looking, Tear Deluding Melody, Chau Kool, etc In Duyen Anh‟s stories, these characters were expressed as children were thrown out their families, living without home, living by

jungle law Duyen Anh explained about exists of these characters that because they disappointed with injustice of the society or dissatisfied with their families, schools, or they despised life disregarding them, they, without choices, rebelled, violated, exacted, fought as the way to revenge the society

In society full of violence, revenge, vagrant children still know love, protect one another Their love without any interest, conditions is as natural as it is, “Bright and beautiful mark of vagrant society – hypocrisy society is in that society they love and protect one another” (Tear Deluding Melody, page 107)

However, lives of vagrant children in Duyen Anh‟s writing had sad outcomes – being at a standstill in the way find ideal of the young This reflect unsafe reality of the South of Vietnam in 1960s

2.2.4.2 Unhappy Children Character

Unstableness of the society made family base shaky, violence, inequalities, sham, unreliabilities etc created unhappy children

Children characters were represented by Nhat Tien in writings such

as Lost Stars, Pearl Hand, Phuong‟s Story, Birds Singing in Cage, etc These images were unhappy children in their lives which also were expressed in Duyen Anh‟s writitngs such as My Yonger Sister‟s Myna, Ocean within Small Snail, The Kite, Cobble Foodprints, Tear Deluding Melody, OK Invader, etc

This type of character were also expressed in writings of Nguyen Hong, Nam Cao, Nguyen Cong Hoan in period before 1945 Once again, lonely, disadvantaged, bitter, childhoodless children came back in works

of Duyen Anh, Nhat Tien In writings of the later, they were not only lives

in the margin of adult lives, but also their stories were main contents which the writers wanted to say to readers Duyen Anh, Nhat Tien told about unhappy children conditions, sending their dreams of bloom of youth The author brightened children lives full of blood and tears by human trust and love, providing them rights to believe in good things for sake of their future dreams

2.2.5 Spontaneous and Dreamy Children Character

After 1963, especially after the American government gave their army to the South of Vietnam, political as well as literature life had many changes Cao Huy Khanh said “After 1963, literature of the South of Vietnam changed with regular and violent obsession – obsession of war and things related to the war” The writers tried to express characters with

defiant attitude, upside down with moral criteria or they parried the present

to come back the past with childhood dreams Intentionally, pages for childhood stage in this period were abundant with authors such as Duyen Anh, Tu Ke Tuong, Dinh Tien Luyen, Nhat Tien, etc Being the way resisting to the present, these writers came back to children, with childhood idle dreams Childhood became shelter for the souls full of hear-breaking, sadness with the present In sunny school yard with flamboyant tree‟s shadows, young ladies‟ coat covered their souls, bringing them back

to beginning touching with purity and keen Childhood playfulness, spontaneousness helped them come back to the childhood full of dreams

2.2.5.1 Spontaneous Children Character

In attempts to shorten the author‟s soul with marvellous world of children, Duyen Anh, Nhat Tien, Tu Ke Tuong etc created spontaneous children character with lively, truthful and emotional features Stunning Chuong, Elephant-eared Hue, Curly Ngan, Đakao Dung, Khoa, Vu, Con, Thuy, etc in Duyen Anh‟s writings, each child with each personality, face, however, they had the same feature – spontaneous, pure and impartial characteristic

2.2.5.2 Dreamy Children Character

Before 1975, in the South of Vietnam, people was always frighten, worried, in a divided mind when they saw their youth decaying with a standstill of society “The youth was abandoned out life, and enclosed in the school” (in story The youth, page 72) The writers found the way come back heaven without the youth to naming boy and girl students with beginning emotions in their pages Pearl Magazine leaded by Duyen Anh was place stored writings of writers for children Duyen Anh with stories Thirteen Years Old, Vu, Thuy, Flamboyant, The Youth, Miss Coat, About Loving Daisy, etc Tu Ke Tuong with The Road with Flying Flamboyant, Old Huyen, etc Dinh Tien Luyen with Beloved Brother Chi, A Flock White Birds in School Yard, etc Nha Ca with Sixteen Moon, Hoang Ngoc Tuan with Letter to Son Cuc Road, Seem to be Loved, etc

The differences between character patterns in the children's stories in the South – the North

Cultural factors

Society: In the North, the Revolution Literature highlighted the cheerleading resistance war duties, towards the child character patterns such as: young soldiers, exemplary citizens, In the South, since it was affected by political goals, the children characters reflected the realistic

vision of writers to the society and on the other hand, towards human values and sustainability Therefore, children characters were shown more

in detail about their innocence, mischievousness and naivety in the literature of the South This was also the general trend of Southern literature in this period seen in the writings of some authors such as: Son Nam, Binh Nguyen Loc They were focused on culture, customs, people and nature to exploit the pristine beauty, the essence of nature and human

After 1954, there was a special history period in the Southern Vietnam The influence from history and the fluctuation in the political arena had made Southern artists fall into a psychological instability state with anxiety, doubt and confusion At this time in the North, from 1945 to

1954, there was the war resistance and the revolution atmosphere appearing in all aspects of life, even: "Every boy dreams to iron horse/ Every river wants to be Bach Dang " (Che Lan Vien) This difference had led to the distinctions in children character patterns in children stories between the South and the North

2.3 ART FEATURES OF BUILDING CHARACTERS

2.3.1 Description of characters dominantly in action but seldom in appearance and psychology

2.3.1.1 Simple portrait

2.3.1.2 Focus on revolutionary actions description

As mentioned in the first Chapter, one of the features belonging to children characters was mostly depicted in action but seldom focused on psychology This feature easily lead to misunderstand about the similarities in the children character building in general and the way to build characters in epic historical fictions in Vietnam in the 1945-1975 period

Revolution Literature built human images similar to the ones in the classical epic It is human with action, words together with action, and every inner thought expressed through action

Children characters were described more about their action and it was not due to the psychological forgetting, and inner torment was not the main problem in life At the age of children, the concerns about life, about the world, just begin When describing the characters, the writers often show children in a state of "active" status rather than "static" one That is the obvious "dynamic" status, the essence of childhood

Writers in the 1945-1975 period had made a portrait of the active children, but it was not the real action of children