Explain Historical Prize in The Novel “Rice on the Temple” by Nguyen Xuan Khanh

Authors: Hoang Thi My Hanh, Cao Thi Thu Hoai (University of Education – Thai Nguyen University, Vietnam)
Speaker: Cao Thi Thu Hoai
Topic: Text, Context, Entextualization
The (SCOPUS / ISI) SOAS GLOCAL CALA 2020 General Session

Abstract

Approaching, identifying and explaining history through literature offers a unique and profound perspective. As such, historical perspective of literature, along with historical analyses offer e a highly vital point of departure and tool for literary analysis. In the modern literature world, finding a way for novel has become a concern being more important recently.

The historical novel trend in contemporary Vietnamese literature has made significant contributions in providing new interpretations. In such a diversified literature life like that of Vietnam early the 21st Century, historical novel has emerged as a unique trend. This genre has made a lot of significant achievements for contemporary literature of the country with a wide range of famous names such as Nguyen Xuan Khanh, Hoang Quoc Hai, Vo Thi Hao, Nguyen Mong Giac, Nguyen Quang Than, and Uong Trieu etc. Together they have set a foundation of a new value system for Vietnam novel world.

Such historical novels have been produced by found in work by Nguyen Xuan Khanh, one of the most successful writers in this trend. Nguyen produced a trio of historical novels “Ho Quy Ly” and “Model Thuong Xuan”, and their culmination in Carry the Rice to Pagoda is a fill to complete the success of Nguyen Xuan Khanh in his historical novel. The work presents itself as a complex analysis for national history through which the author suggests a new interpretation and insight on Vietnamese facility, people, and culture. With this work, the author found, affirmed and interpreted beautiful values of the people and the national culture, by placing and aligning these elements within complex changes through different historical circumstances.

This analysis observes the work of this author, Nguyen Xuan Khanh, and employs literary theory to to determine the extent to which historical narrative open up the literary subjectivities of the characters and the dynamics of the themes within his writings. THe analysis also draws from genre theory to suggest that the literary set of genre employed by this author act to re position historiography through a popular literary work.

Keywords: history, literature, the national culture