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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu MEMOIR AND AUTOBIGRAPHY IN VIETNAM MODERN LITERATURE FROM PERSPECTIVE OF GENRE DISCOURSE Specialty: VIETNAMESE LITERATURE Code: 62 22 01 21 SUMMARY OF PHD DISSERTATION IN VIETNAM LANGUAGE AND CULTURE Ho Chi Minh City, 2022 The project was completed at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education Scientific supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thanh Thi Reviewer 1: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thanh Reviewer 2: Assoc Prof Dr Vo Van Nhon Reviewer 3: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Van Kha The dissertation will be protected before the thesis review board at university level at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education on …… hours … … day ……… month …… year 2022 Further information of the dissertation can be found at: - National library of Vietnam - Library of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education - General Sciences Library of Ho Chi Minh City INTRODUCTION The urgency of the thesis 1.1 In the Vietnam literary picture, memoir and autobiography are prose genres of special value Although they are two different genres, there is a border between them that is difficult to distinguish clearly In terms of similarities, memoir and autobiography are literary genres that recreate the past But the art paradigm of each genre is different The artistic nature of autobiography allows the author to create complete images Meanwhile, memoir require the accuracy of events and the objective judgments of the memoir writer However, such standard paradigms are only conventional These normative paradigms are only conventional It have relative meaning and mutability Therefore, understanding the genre interaction of memoir and autobiography is interesting for researchers 1.2 It is not random that in the late 90s of the twentieth century to the beginning of the twenty-first century, on the literary forum appeared many autobiographies and memoirs of writers, critics, writers, artists, journalists, revolutionary generals, The authors have created a vivid array in literary life, which reveals to readers more literary facts, literary destinies and problems complexities of the past, etc All have been recreated in a new, not simple, one-way view that is more tolerant and understanding Those early movements signaled the far-reaching influence of memoirs and autobiographies on contemporary literary life 1.3 Currently, a new research paradigm that complements the theory-based research paradigm reflects a fairly strong development in the humanities and social sciences Those are cultural and literary phenomena positioned in the discourse network around it When studying discourse problems, we not only study words, but also study the rules, ideas, social issues, etc that govern the author's writing process By studying discourse theory, readers will find that language is not only a tool of reflection but also a construction of content 1.4 The study of memoir and autobiography in Vietnam modern literature from perspective of genre discourse is a promising approach The thesis does not examine all memoirs and autobiographies in in Vietnam modern literature The thesis mainly researches memoirs and autobiographies within the scope of literature of writers, poets and critics They are the ones who receive the attention and appreciation of professionals and readers From there, the thesis will explore memoir and autobiography in terms of ideological code and artistic code of the genre This can bring about a more comprehensive and objective assessment of memoir and autobiography in Vietnam modern literature In addition, the thesis will contribute to clarifying the nature of discourse - an issue of increasing interest and application in literary research in Vietnam With these meanings, the study of the thesis can contribute a practical reference for those who are interested in theory, literary criticism, and those who teach and study literature in schools at all levels Research objectives The thesis researches influence of genre code on memoir and autobiography in Vietnam modern literature With a double-action mechanism, the genre code both stipulates that writers must comply with the specific requirements of the genre's core and can expand the scope of reflection to bring about new artistic effects From there, the study of memoir and autobiography in Vietnam modern literature from the perspective of genre discourse will better define the content, ideology and art of the work through the ideological codes and the artistic codes With the selection of modern Vietnamese literary memoirs and autobiographies to survey, we would like to see the main trends and nuances in memoir and autobiographical discourse Besides, we would like to see the contribution of memoir and autobiography genres in Vietnam modern literature From there, readers get important documents for research and teaching Research subjects and scopes Research subjects of the thesis is the memoirs, autobiographies in Vietnam modern literature from the perspective of genre discourse With discourse theory, we not learn all the interpretations of discourse by scholars but only go into some typical concepts as a fulcrum for the development of the thesis In which, we orient our research model based on three main approaches to the concept of discourse: discourse as a static structure of speech, discourse as speech ideologically stylized and discourse as a product created from social institutions associated with power, knowledge, and truth At the same time, the thesis borrows the concept of code in information theory to determine the genre code of memoir and autobiography Research scopes: During the research process, the thesis does not survey all modern Vietnamese memoir and autobiography works, but selects some samples of memoir and autobiography in modern Vietnamese literature These samples meet the criteria of genre characteristics, public interest, and critical acclaim In addition, the thesis pays more attention to the typical authors and works for each period These authors and works are consistent with the discursive tendency of the research thesis Specifically, the author gives four criteria for selecting samples for studying memoir and autobiography in Vietnam modern literature as follows: Genre criteria: the thesis examines memoir and autobiographical works of literary and artistic value, clearly reflecting artistic thinking and satisfying the requirements of the genre Author criteria: the thesis only focuses on studying memoirs and autobiographies of writers, poets, theorists and literary critics - who have authentic and professional artistic thinking with a pen imbued with creativity and art Therefore, memoirs and autobiographies that the thesis focuses on are mainly literary works Works criteria: the works surveyed in the thesis are works that bring high aesthetic value, make great contributions to literature and art In addition, these are also works that have received high praise from readers, researchers, and literary critics The thesis does not examine the memoir and autobiographical works of politicians, generals, editors, journalists, people working in the entertainment field (singers, actors, models, football players, etc) Anonymous individuals in society, or individuals who order, pen, and write memoirs and autobiographies will not be the subject of this research The thesis does not explore works published on the internet, or published abroad, but focuses on memoirs and autobiographical works officially published in the country Context criteria: the thesis only focuses on a number of memoirs and autobiographies typical of literary stages in the three periods 1900 1945, 1945 - 1975 and after 1975 These are the critical periods marks the formation and development of memoirs and autobiography in modern Vietnamese literature Research methodology To study the thesis, we use the following research methods: Type method: Memoir, autobiography are genres in the type of narrative prose In the process of developing the thesis, we will learn the artistic characteristics of the genre, find out the artistic conventions that govern the process of constructing discourse Since then, the thesis can see more clearly the influence of genre code on modern Vietnamese memoir and autobiographical discourse Interdisciplinary research method: This method is used in the thesis to examine modern Vietnamese memoir and autobiography in the cultural environment in which it was born and moved From there, determine the historical and social context, the specific power mechanisms that govern the strategy of creating all kinds of discourses in memoir and autobiography Systematic method: studying memoir and autobiographies from the perspective of genre discourse requires a systematic view in the general movement of modern Vietnamese literary genres From there, the thesis explains the change in genre code of memoir and autobiographical discourse in each literary period Comparative method: in order to better clarify the discourse characteristics of the authors in modern Vietnamese memoirs and autobiographies, the thesis will compare the works of the authors on the same thematic axis or the time of composition The comparative method also helps to compare the genre frame of autobiography, memoir, etc to see genre characteristics as well as genre interaction In addition, the thesis uses the sampling method, sample analysis, and the operations such as synthesizing, proving, commenting in order to explain the problem more clearly and specifically Contribution of the thesis The thesis for the first time poses the problem of studying memoir and autobiography in Vietnam modern literature from the perspective of genre discourse (artistic discourse in memoir-based compositions, autobiographies of writers, poet, critic in modern Vietnamese literature) Through the study of the discourse of memoir and autobiography based on ideological codes and artistic codes, the thesis indicates the basic points in the genre style of memoir and autobiography in Vietnam modern literature The results of the thesis can be a reference for the research and teaching of Vietnamese literature The structure of the thesis Besides Introduction, Conclusion, and References, the thesis is divided into four chapters as follows: Chapter 1: Overview of the research situation Chapter 2: Theoretical basis and practical basis of studying memoir and autobiography from perspective of genre discourse Chapter 3: Memoir and autobiography in Vietnam modern literature from perspective of the ideological code Chapter 4: Memoir and autobiography in Vietnam modern literature from perspective of the artistic code CHAPTER OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH SITUATION 1.1 Research on discourse in Vietnam 1.1.1 Discourse theory study In the world, the study of discourse has been studied since the early years of the twentieth century From the mid-twentieth century onwards, the concept of discourse was widely used, especially in the fields of the social sciences and humanities The study of discourse theory has been of great interest to our country's authors Some outstanding works are introduced such as: Pioneers of postmodern thinking by Phuong Luu, The aesthetic social nature of literary language, The concept of discourse in literary research today by Tran Dinh Su, Some basic points in the narrative discourse of G Genette by Nguyen Manh Quynh, Three approaches to the concept of discourse by Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh,… The above works have shown the influence and pervasiveness of discourse theory to the branches of knowledge The works are translated and introduced to a large number of researchers as well as readers That is the motivation for Vietnamese authors to learn, deepen and apply this theory in the context of Vietnamese literature 1.1.2 Research on the application of discourse theory to Vietnamese literature The application of discourse theory to the study of Vietnamese literature has been studied by many researchers and literary critics Among them, some outstanding works are: Discourse on sexuality in Vietnamese fictitious prose from the early twentieth century to 1945 (2012) by Tran Van Toan, Colonial Discourse in Lover by M Duras (2011) by Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, Dialogue and inner monologue in the short story Chi Pheo by Nam Cao (2013) by Nguyen Thi Thu Hang,… Besides the articles, there are also theses and dissertations of domestic authors Typical are: Contemporary Vietnamese fiction - viewed from the perspective of discourse (2012) by Nguyen Thi Hai Phuong, Chronicle as a type of discourse (2013) by Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, Vietnamese short stories 1945 - 1975 as the active field of discourse (2014) by Hoang Thi Thu Giang, Autobiography, Memoirs - Autobiography of Nguyen Hong, Ho Dzenh, To Hoai from the perspective of artistic discourse (2014) by Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Three paradigms historical story in modern Vietnamese prose (2018) by Ngo Thanh Hai,… Research results have shown the important significance of understanding discourse theory at a new level of approach compared with the traditional approach However, most of the studies have only applied a part or a few discursive approaches such as stylistic and poetic approaches of M Bakhtin, V.I Chiupa, M.Foucault’s sociological approach Or exploiting discourse according to the narrative aspect on a small scale such as narrator's discourse, dialogue discourse, monologue discourse, The work is considered the most elaborate in the application of discourse theory In the study of literary writing is the work of Chronicle genre as a type of discourse by Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh The above works are very important hints for us to approach the thesis 1.2 Researches situation of memoir and autobiography in modern Vietnam 1.2.1 General studies There are many research works on memoirs and autobiography in modern Vietnamese literature in general The researchers explain the historical development of these two genres through the stages Especially the explosion and dominance of memoirs and autobiography in the last decades of the twentieth century Many researchers have summarized and generalized the development process of memoirs and autobiography in historical and literary works Some authors such as Nguyen Van Long, Ha Minh Duc, Bich Thu, Ly Hoai Thu, Do Hai Ninh, Le Tu Anh, etc have given many sharp opinions and comments regarding the achievements of memoirs, autobiography, contributions and challenges of genre in contemporary literary life The study of memoirs, autobiographies of a period or a group of authors has also received the attention of researchers Including contributions from many valuable thesis such as Pham Ngoc Lan's Master's thesis with the thesis Autobiography in Modern Vietnamese Literature (2006), Memoirs in Vietnamese literature since then August Revolution 1945 to present (2013) by Ngo Thi Ngoc Diep, PhD thesis by Nguyen Quang Hung on Characteristics of Vietnamese literary memoirs from 1975 to 2010 (2016), thesis on Artistic thinking in Vietnamese literary memoirs from 1986 to present (2017) by Tran Thi Mai Phuong,… 1.2.2 Studies on typical authors and typical works in memoirs and autobiography In addition to general studies, there are also studies on authors, memoirs, and autobiographies This field of study helps to clarify the value of the works as well as the literary career of writers and poets Research and criticism articles often focus on a few famous authors whose memoirs and autobiographical works are highly appreciated by the public, such as To Hoai, Nguyen Khai, Nguyen Hong, Vu Bang, Ma Van Khang, and Anh Poetry, To Huu, Bui Ngoc Tan, Dang Thai Mai, Dang Thi Hanh, etc In which, the articles often refer to the composing situation, introduce new works, and contribute to the authors' memoirs, autobiographical writings stories for the country's literature In addition, there are many theses and dissertations that select one or a few memoirs and autobiographical authors as research subjects In general, researchers have noted the development of memoirs and autobiography in Vietnamese literature through typical and unique works However, studying memoirs and autobiography in the current context of literary research and criticism, we find that there are still common limitations and inadequacies as follows: Autobiography and memoirs are basically not approached according to type theory, narration, discourse research, etc Even when approaching discourse theory, basically the authors still use the traditional approach It is rare for authors or elaborate works to pose and directly solve the problem of genre discourse of modern Vietnamese autobiographies and memoirs systematically Most of the documents related to the study of literary discourse in general and the study of genre discourse of memoirs and autobiographies that we have gathered are usually small, sporadic opinions in works and articles, discussion,… Two studies closest to our thesis are: Chronicle genre as a type of discourse by Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh and Autobiography, memoir autobiography of Nguyen Hong, Ho Dzenh, To Hoai from the perspective of artistic discourse by Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy Two studies have proposed discursive codes for autobiography as well as autobiography, memoir autobiography, thereby serving as a basis for the application of discourse theory in the study of literary genres CHAPTER THEORETICAL BASIS AND PRACTICAL BASIS OF STUDYING MEMOIR AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY FROM PERSPECTIVE OF GENRE DISCOURSE 2.1 Theoretical basis 2.1.1 Genre issues 2.1.1.1 Memoir As a type of chronicle genre , memoir exists as a genre that holds an important position in literary life The term “memoir” appears late, but the forerunner of memoirs dates back to ancient Greece Regarding the concept of memoirs, there are many definitions given based on different bases such as: the meaning of memoirs, genre characteristics or storytelling of this genre Bakhtin's genre stylistic theory, are useful suggestions for understanding memoirs and autobiography from the perspective of genre discourse 2.1.2.3 Approaching discourse as a product built from social institutions associated with power, knowledge, and truth The representative of this research direction is M Foucault M Foucault is interested in the element of power and knowledge, the two factors that create, operate and dominate in discourse From now on, people look at literature not only in the static structure of the text, but also at the extratextual relationships with other types of discourse as well as the domination of ideology, power, knowledge awareness of discourse operation In particular, in M Foucault's research, “truth” is created from power and knowledge This research is very meaningful when we learn about “truth” in memoirs and autobiography 2.2 Practical basis 2.2.1 Overview of memoir and autobiography in Vietnamese literature in the period 1900 - 1945 At the beginning of the twentieth century, society with many changes, Western culture began to take root in Vietnamese culture, personal ego appeared, this is the basis for memoirs and autobiography to form Some works were born during this period such as Nhung tho au (Nguyen Hong), Co dai (To Hoai), Chan troi cu (Ho Dzenh), Chiec cang xanh (Luu Trong Lu), Cai (Vu Bang), Song nho (Manh Phu Tu),… It can be seen that this period, memoirs and autobiographies developed in a period of great change in history Although genre characteristics have not yet been clearly defined because they are in the process of forming and expanding genre boundaries However, the contribution of these two genres is undeniable and they have begun to assert their position in the genre picture of Vietnamese literature 2.2.2 Overview of memoir and autobiography in Vietnamese literature in the period 1945 - 1975 After the August Revolution, the whole country lived in the enveloping atmosphere of resistance, revolution and socialist construction in the North Against that backdrop, along with the backwardness of time and political demands, revolutionary memoirs bloomed Besides revolutionary memoirs, memoirs, literary autobiography also achieved some initial achievements The composing team of this period were writers of the pre-war generation such as Nguyen Cong Hoan, Vu Bang, Nguyen Hong, some poets such as Xuan Dieu, Nguyen Vy, Vu Hoang Chuong, etc Some typical works of the period such as: Nhung buoc duong tu tuong toi (Xuan Dieu), Buoc duong viet van, Nhung nhan vat ay da song voi toi (Nguyen Hong), Doi viet van cua toi (Nguyen Cong Hoan), Bon muoi nam noi lao (Vu Bang),… The content of these works is written about literary and human lives, portraits of writers and artists of the same period through memories or notes, discussion of literature, journalism, etc In terms of artistic thinking in memoirs, autobiographical, at this stage, readers can see the formula, because the works are still heavily influenced by political and non-literary views 2.2.3 Overview of memoir and autobiography in Vietnamese literature in the period post 1975 From 1975 until now, the backward time with many changes, especially the awakening of the sense of individuality, the rising desire for democracy, the need to re-recognize the past has made memoirs, Stories of this period developed strongly with many different trends and styles Typical literary memoirs and autobiographical works: Dang Thai Mai's memoirs (Dang Thai Mai), Nho lai mot thoi (To Huu), Nho lai (Dao Xuan Quy), Cat bui chan ai, Chieu chieu, Ba nguoi khac (To Hoai), Thuong de thi cuoi (Nguyen Khai), Mot thoi de mat, Rung xua xanh la (Bui Ngoc Tan), Hoi ky song doi (Huy Can), Nui Mong guong Ho (Mong Tuyet), Tam xuan (Dang Anh Dao), Memoirs of Nguyen Hien Le (Nguyen Hien Le), Nam thang nhoc nhan nam thang nho thuong (Ma Van Khang), Cua rieng khong khep (Vu Ngoc Khanh), Tu ben song Thuong, Tieng chim tu hu, Ben dong chia cat (Anh Tho), Memoirs of Son Nam (Son Nam), Co be nhin mua (Dang Thi Hanh),… The best works of memoirs, modern literary autobiography were also born in this period Content and art in memoirs and autobiographies have changed a lot It is an extension of the scope of the reflected content; change the way of approaching and reflecting life; diverse and flexible narrative structure; rich words, tones,… 2.3 The viewpoint of studying memoir and autobiography from the perspective of discourse 2.3.1 The perception of “truth” in memoir, autobiography 2.3.1.1 The concept of “truth” In our country, the reality of art in the 80s and 90s of the twentieth century posed the problem of renewing the view of reality, renewing the concept of reflection and the relationship between reality and art Not only is the reality required, but the artists themselves also have the inner urge to bravely look at the truth, reflect honestly, deeply and diversely about reality and the truth of life Reflecting reality, now associated with the issue of publicity and democracy of society and the honesty, openness and freedom of writers Many writers think: promoting democracy, openness, innovation, freedom, respecting the truth is respecting people 2.3.1.2 The concept of “truth” in memoir and autobiography “Truth” is recorded, told in memoirs, autobiography includes two forms: first, “truth” in the objective historical flow such as timeline, happened events, life picture real society is reproduced through the writer's point of view; second, the “truth” about the process of formation, development, and personal transformation of the main character, the narrator - the author In the memoir genre, the narrator's relationship to history and times is often emphasized Because of the high requirement for authenticity, the narrator in the memoir must be an insider, recounting the past events that he has attended or witnessed, and can even take material from himself his life In the autobiographical genre, “truth” is a faithful portrait of the author That portrait is well received by the reader in an overall picture of the narrator's family, social, and psychological life In addition, an important point that determines the “truth” of the autobiography is the “truth” about the self in the formation and development of personality 2.3.2 The boundaries between “non-fiction” – “fiction” in memoir and autobiography 2.3.2.1 Boundaries are formed by subjective limitations Although memoirs reflect the truth, it is impossible to write the “truth” that happened absolutely Therefore, even an eyewitness cannot remember all the details of the incident They can't cover the whole event, especially when it's been around for a long time For that reason, there is a fine line between “nonfiction” – “fact” and “fiction” due to the subjective limitations of the narrator This effect is produced by the limitations of memory altering the mechanism of memory Therefore, the events taking place in memoirs and autobiography cannot be compared with the original material However, the pages of the memoir will be rearranged at the discretion of the author All are aimed at recreating “truth”, making “truth” easier to receive and have more aesthetic value 2.3.2.2 Boundaries are formed by objective influences Due to genre characteristics, memoirs and autobiography emphasize the role of truth in recalling the narrator's past This “truth” is also influenced by many factors, including the social context, cultural institutions of the time, and the author's purpose of composition “Truth” can hurt others Although easily controversial, the “truth” expressed in memoirs and autobiographies shows many social and cultural values, including historical values 2.4 Orientation to establish the research paradigm of the thesis We based on M Bakhtin's concept of “speech genres”, structuralists' narrative theory, and borrow the concept of code in information theory to define genre codes of memoirs, autobiography As a type of discourse, memoir, autobiography is governed by genre code with the following basic characteristics: Firstly, the author - narrator - central image in memoirs and autobiography The bold presence of the author's ego is an important feature in memoirs and autobiographical works It can be seen that in memoirs and autobiography, the author's ego is also the narrator, the main character Second, the content characteristics, the art world in memoirs, autobiography from the perspective of discourse The content of memoirs and autobiographies often focuses on recollections of fate, personal life or events and stories experienced in the life of the author - the narrator Through these stories, readers can see the reality of the personal life of the narrator - the author and the historical - social picture of a period Third, the richness of narrative methods in memoirs, autobiography from the perspective of discourse By studying genre characteristics, researchers emphasize two basic codes governing the type of memoir and autobiographical discourse, namely the "truth" code and the artistic code These two types of codes have a close relationship that creates a structural framework for the genre CHAPTER MEMOIR AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM MODERN LITERATURE FROM PERSPECTIVE OF THE IDEOLOGICAL CODE 3.1 The self of author - narrator: the self that attests to the “truth” of the past 3.1.1 The self reminiscing about childhood and family relationships When telling about childhood memories, the narrator in memoirs and autobiography shows a very natural and simple narration but still ensures the principle of "respecting the truth" Narrators who claim to appear in memoirs, autobiographies often provide accurate information about personal history, hometown, background In the early twentieth century, with the explosion of the selfconsciousness, autobiographical writers asserted that the self through the organizational center of individual life, in their own existence It can be seen that the works of this period, notably the autobiographies of Nguyen Hong (Nhung tho au), To Hoai (Co dai), Manh Phu Tu (Song nho), Luu Trong Lu (Chiec cang xanh) ), Ho Dzenh (Chan troi cu) aims to recreate the childhood life when the authors were very young At a later stage, the authors of memoirs and autobiographies show an honest view of life at home with poetic natural scenes or unforgettable memories with family and friends The self is clearly shown in the memoirs and autobiography of To Hoai (Tu truyen), Huy Can (Hoi ky song doi), To Huu (Nho lai mot thoi), Ma Van Khang (Nam thang nhoc nhan nam thang nho thuong), Anh Tho (Tu ben song Thuong),… 3.1.2 The self confessed and evaluated himself Authors of memoirs and autobiography always express the need to affirm the unique features of their personality A requirement is that the writer must be honest and objective with himself Especially in the post-renovation literary period, in response to the need of “telling the truth”, the authors have shown readers images of ordinary people in a colorful society With their selfconfident voices, they express themselves the opposite sides of their personality, bravely removing the beautiful image that has been shaped in people's eyes to create a closer, more real image of themselves Readers can see the “confessed” self, self-assessment of many authors of memoirs, autobiographical Vietnamese literature such as To Hoai, Ma Van Khang, Nguyen Khai, Phung Quan, Anh Tho, To Huu, Dao Xuan Quy, Nguyen Hien Le, Dang Thai Mai, 3.1.3 The self talented and dedicated to the profession Memoirs of the pre-1975 period of Nguyen Hong, Nguyen Cong Hoan, Vu Bang, etc are the most honest sharing and confessions about the profession Each individual when coming to the profession can be in many different ways, but each individual put their faith and dedication to the art of the country at that time Entering the post-renovation stage, most of the self who are the authors of memoirs and autobiography are the self that have grown up in their career They are all the most famous writers, poets and critics in modern Vietnamese literature, such as: Huy Can, To Hoai, To Huu, Anh Tho, Ma Van Khang, Bui Ngoc Tan, Hoang Minh Chau, Vu Bao, Dang Thai Mai, Vu Ngoc Phan, Dang Anh Dao, Dang Thi Hanh, Phung Quan, Quach Tan, Son Nam,… The author's self appears in memoirs as writers with many memories, contemplations, reflections, and feelings about the literary profession The pages of memoirs can be direct or indirect declarations through the author's way of thinking and behaving about people and life, especially through the perception of artists 3.2 The picture of the times and a portrait of people through flashbacks 3.2.1 The picture of social life in the past through historical changes 3.2.1.1 The picture of society before the August Revolution 1945 Remembering the years before the revolution, the common point in all the memoirs of To Huu, Xuan Dieu, To Hoai, Ma Van Khang, Anh Tho, Dao Xuan Quy, Hoang Minh Chau was the famine of 1945 Dead people appear everywhere Then the August Revolution broke out The whole country was in an excited atmosphere, everyone was excited because the country was facing a new opportunity, the nation was liberated From a teenager like Ma Van Khang, Hoang Minh Chau to those who have grown up and directly participated in the revolution such as To Huu, Dao Xuan Quy, etc., the days of uprising and victory of the August Revolution brought great memories indelible mark It is the life change, the revival of the whole Vietnamese nation 3.2.1.2 The picture of society through the two great national resistance wars and the construction of socialism After the victory of the August Revolution, the whole country faced the second invasion of the French colonialists Nine years of resistance against the French are clearly reflected in the memoirs of Hoang Minh Chau, To Hoai, To Huu, and Anh Tho,… But most worrying in the pages of Vietnamese literary memoirs is the construction of socialism in the North, with the years of land reform, rural cooperation, and urban bourgeois reform The hidden corners of history are exposed, the truths that no official page of history mentions Now, everything is reproduced in a more realistic and direct way 3.2.1.3 Social reality in the post-war period The last decades of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century, although our country had peace and independence, was still a period of many hardships The reality of the country has been imprinted on each face, leaving thoughts and concerns for Vietnamese people, especially writers - who are most sensitive to the changes of the times With an objective attitude of viewing, reviewing, and evaluating history, memoir authors such as Dao Xuan Quy, Ma Van Khang, To Hoai, etc have faithfully recreated the time when the country was under the influence of the economy market 3.2.1.4 The picture of art through history vicissitudes With the heart, enthusiasm, the need to reveal personal feelings, literary memoirs 1945 - 1975 with many prominent authors and works such as Nguyen Hong (Mot tuoi tho van, Buoc duong viet van), Nguyen Cong Hoan (Doi viet van cua toi), Xuan Dieu (Nhung buoc duong tu tuong cua toi), Vu Bang (Bon muoi nam noi lao), all focus on the life stories and professions of writers and artists Those are also the explanations and concerns when they approach literature and art, the cultural and artistic life of Vietnam through the early stages of development Authors of memoirs in the post - 1975 period such as Luu Trong Lu, Huy Can, Xuan Dieu, To Hoai, etc also painted a picture of the country's art in the pre-revolutionary period 3.2.2 Drawing portraits of friends through reminiscence Through the eyes of writers, portraits of friends in memoirs and autobiography appear vivid and sharp They are all artists with unique, talented and creative personalities, but also many have bad habits with a pitiful fate They live in the complexity of everyday life, also affected by artistic aspirations and making money, also the product of historical flow with many variations But they are always sincere, serious, devoted to the profession Those personalities and bravery of the artist will create an unforgettable impression in the hearts of readers today and in the future 3.3 Some expressions of difference in ideological code – “truth” between memoirs and autobiography (viewed from genre) 3.3.1 “Truth” in memoirs – “extroverted” truth The "truth" in the memoir is the "extroverted" truth It is the author's story about the realistic picture of the times From pages of writing with rich social content, memoirs contribute to illuminating the present, meeting the need to perceive reality The most typical example is the compositions of To Hoai - who wrote and witnessed the ups and downs of history - society as well as hidden truths during the twentieth century In Cat bui chan and Chieu chieu, To Hoai adopted the identities and summarized life in the philosophy of the harsh and great changes of the times The memoirs of Quach Tan, Son Nam, Vu Ngoc Phan, Anh Tho, To Hoai, Vu Bao, Dao Xuan Quy, Huy Can, Dang Thi Hanh, Dang Anh Dao, Vu Ngoc Phan, also provide private life stories or stories related to the country's history in the years before and during the August Revolution 3.3.2 “Truth” in autobiography – “introverted” truth In terms of genre, autobiography mainly belongs to the genre of private life Thus, the object of discovery in the art world of autobiography is the reality of the author's life, the “truth” in the “introverted” view We can see this “truth” very clearly in autobiographical works such as Nhung tho au (Nguyen Hong), Co dai (To Hoai), Song nho (Manh Phu Tu), Muc mai nuoc mat (Lan Khai), Cai (Vu Bang),… Since the doi moi period, with changes in the concept of reality and people, it has created conditions for writers to be honest with themselves, to express their thoughts and concerns hidden deep in their souls Perhaps that is why the public today can see the shadow of the writer's real life on the autobiographical page such as Tuoi tho du doi (Phung Quan), Mien tho au (Vu Thu Hien), Tuoi tho im lang (Duy Khan), And this phenomenon continued until the early years of the 21st century through the works: Thuong de thi cuoi (Nguyen Khai), Mot minh mot ngua (Ma Van Khang), Gia dinh be mon (Da Ngan), In these works, almost the author's personal life biography has been "rewritten" by artistic means according to the author's intention CHAPTER MEMOIR AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN VIETNAM MODERN LITERATURE FROM PERSPECTIVE OF THE ARTISTIC CODE 4.1 Diverse narrative perspectives in the discourse structure of memoir and autobiography 4.1.1 The advantage of the subjective point of view from the first person narrator In terms of genre frames, memoirs and autobiographies are often told in the first person The story is told by the character calling himself “I” in the work What has happened in the life of the “I” character becomes a central element of the organization of the narrative The self in the memoirs and autobiography is both the character - the narrator, and also the author's own self that tells the story of his life, the “introverted” self (in the autobiography) or the self witnessed about events, the “extroverted” self (in memoirs) Besides, although the choice of narrative point of view of the authors of memoirs and autobiography is extremely diverse, it is still essential to respect the principle of genre code which is the principle of truth This will create trust, sympathy, and sharing from the readers about the stories through the author's autobiography 4.1.2 The trend of diversifying the perspective of the first person narrator In terms of genre characteristics, in memoirs and autobiography, the narrator is both the narrator and the author; at the same time, the narrator can also be the object of reflection in the work Therefore, authors in memoirs and autobiography can diversify the perspective of the narrator in the first person A first - person narrator can combine both an inside and an outside point of view or move from an inside point of view (subjective narration) to an outside point of view (objective narration) Besides, the narrator can also ... Le), Nam thang nhoc nhan nam thang nho thuong (Ma Van Khang), Cua rieng khong khep (Vu Ngoc Khanh), Tu ben song Thuong, Tieng chim tu hu, Ben dong chia cat (Anh Tho), Memoirs of Son Nam (Son Nam) ,... motivation for Vietnamese authors to learn, deepen and apply this theory in the context of Vietnamese literature 1.1.2 Research on the application of discourse theory to Vietnamese literature... in Vietnam modern literature In addition, the thesis will contribute to clarifying the nature of discourse - an issue of increasing interest and application in literary research in Vietnam With