Truyện ngắn nữ việt nam 2000 – 2015 từ góc nhìn phê bình văn học nữ quyền tt tiếng anh

HUE UNIVERSITY
HUE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCES

LE THI THANH XUAN

VIETNAMESE SHORT STORIES BY WOMEN
WRITERS (2000-2015) FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
OF FEMINIST LITERARY CRITICISM

Major: VIETNAMESE LITERATURE
Code: 9220121

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS
IN VIETNAMESE LITERATURE

Science instructor:
Assos. Prof. Dr. Ho The Ha

HUE – 2020


This thesis was completed at
University of Sciences, Hue University

Scientific advisors:
Asst. Prof. HO THE HA
University of Sciences, Hue University
Reviewer 1: Asst. Prof. VO VAN NHON
University of Social Sciences and Humanities
Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City
Reviewer 2: Asst. Prof. HOANG THI HUE

University of Education, Hue University
Reviewer 3: Asst. Prof. NGUYEN THANH SON
Quy Nhon University
The thesis was defended at the Council of thesis assessment of Hue
university:
Council held at: 04 Le Loi street, Hue city, Thua Thien Hue Province,
at

am, on

month

year 2020

Theses can be found referred at:
1. National Library
2. Center for Information and Library of University of Sciences,
Hue University


INTRODUCTION
1. The urgency of the thesis topic
The feminist movement has long taken place in social life and
literature. It is a struggle to regain the female’s lost-positions in order to
rebuild women’s equality and new position. It was first consolidated to
Feminist Theory and finally called Feminism by the feminists. The
movement originated from women’s sense of self that was initiated in
the Enlightenment period and risen vigorously from the nineteenth
century to the present. In 1949, Simone de Beauvoir, who was a French
scholar, published The Second Sex. The book has vital importance in

promoting Feminism both in modern social life and literature. When
discussing the second sex (female), Simone de Beauvoir would like to
create equality in comparing it to the first sex (male). About ten years
later, along with the significant changes in the ideological life of
humankind, Feminist Criticism, which was as a school of political-social
criticism, has flourished. In the current period, Feminist Criticism is
even expanded and divided into many varied branches. Seriously
associated with these primary changes, nuances of feminists were
profoundly absorbed into literature that forming a unique voice and a
specific identity in modern and postmodern literature.
Many researchers have chosen Feminist Theory and Feminist
Literary Criticism as their research topics in levels of authors and
works. Unfortunately, there has not been any research that extensively
studied Feminist Literary Criticism on Vietnamese women’s short
stories in the period 2000 to 2015. As a result, we have selected
Vietnamese Short Stories by Women Writers (2000-2015) from the
Perspective of Feminist Literary Criticism as our thesis topic.
2. Research object and scope
2.1. Research object
The thesis examines some short stories that demonstrate the
most feminist resonance by typical female writers from 2000 to 2015,
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including Le Minh Khue, Nguyen Ngoc Tu, Y Ban, Vo Thi Xuan Ha,
Tran Thuy Mai, Nguyen Thi Thu Hue, Do Hoang Dieu and so forth.
2.2. Research scope
In order to carry out the research, we focus on studying and
analysing some new and compatible contents of the theory of
Feminist Criticism (which initiated by Simone de Beauvoir’s The

Second Sex) in the reality of writing of some typical Vietnamese
writers in the period 2000 to 2015. The research aims to point out the
characteristics of gender factors and feminist resonances at the
holistic level among the form and the content of literary works.
Thereby, the thesis shows female writers’ contribution to modern
Vietnamese literature from the perspective of gender, Feminism, and
Feminist Literary Criticism concerning literary sociology.
3. Approach and research methods
3.1. Approach methods
By applying the theory of Feminist Literary Criticism, the thesis
analyses some representative Vietnamese short stories by women
writers from 2000 to 2015 to discover humanistic and aesthetic
values that deeply concealed in the language, images, and ideologies
of literary works.
3.2. Research methods
- Comparative method: This is a core method of the thesis. By
analysing and comparing literary writings in both content and form
levels, the method depicts the feminist spirit and feminist resonances
in the artistic sense of each writer and each representative work.
- Structural and systematic methods: The method has an
essential meaning in modeling and systematising views of Feminism
in short stories by the local women from the medieval to the modern.
- Typology method: This is a primary method to determine the
characteristics of the female writing style and creative personalities
of some typical female authors in both content and artistic aspects of
literary writings.
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Besides, we also apply the theory of Poetics as a supportive

method to illuminate the outstanding factors of the content and form,
which are two aspects of creating the autonomous whole of the local
female writers’ short stories from 2000 to 2015.
4. Contributions of the thesis
There are the following new contributions in the thesis:
- Firstly, the thesis systematises and analyses feminist issues in
culture and literature, particularly the matter in Vietnamese short stories
by women writers from 2000 to 2015. Afterward, the thesis confirms the
awareness of gender and the female resonance in contemporary literature
are an essential consequence of the equalisation and democratisation in
society and literature that female writers have been deeply aware of and
effectively expressed in their creations.
- The thesis studies the reality of creating short stories by female
authors, especially in the period 2000 to 2015, in order to see the
innovation in demonstrating content and form of works.
Correspondingly, the thesis points out the remarkable contributions
of the local female writers in promoting and developing the stream of
feminist literature, which has been present ever.
5. Structure of the thesis
In addition to the introduction, conclusions, references, and
appendices, the thesis is structured into four chapters:
Chapter One: Overview of the research situation
Chapter Two: Feminist Theory, Feminist Literary Criticism, and
the feminist spirit in Vietnamese literature
Chapter Three: Types of female characters with gender
characteristics in Vietnamese short stories by women writers (20002015) from the perspective of Feminist Literary Criticism
Chapter Four: The artistic method of Vietnamese short stories by
women writers (2000-2015) from the perspective of Feminist
Literary Criticism
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Chapter One: OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH SITUATION
1.1. The situation of research on Feminist Theory
1.1.1. The situation of research on Feminist Theory in the world
The analysis of Feminist Theory is the study of the struggle to
achieve gender equality in all aspects of social and spiritual life. In
the West, in addition to some famous writings of Feminism such as
The Second Sex (1949) by Simone de Beauvoir, A Vindication of the
Right of Women (1972) by Marie Wollstonerast, The Golden
Notebook (1979) by Doris Lessing, it must mention to
Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud and Structural Psychoanalysis by
Jacque Lacan. In which, the term “the Oedipus complex”, which
invented by Sigmund Freud, has distinguished the characteristics of
male and female: the former is active and possessive, the latter is
passive and dependent.
1.1.2. The situation of research on Feminist Theory in Vietnam
In Vietnam, the investigation of Feminism also took place quite
early, particularly from the early twentieth century.
It can be seen that thanks to the qualitative and quantitative
research on gender theory and Feminist Theory, the local scholars have
led readers to a diversified, effective, and creative approach to
Feminism Criticism. Feminist Literary Criticism is really a new way of
literary study and reception.
There are some theses and dissertations that study on Feminism,
including Gender Issues and the Feminist Resonances in Contemporary
Vietnamese Prose through the Work of Some Typical Female Writers
(Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan, Doctor Dissertation in Literature, Hanoi,
2013), The Female Characters in Ernest Hemingway’s Works from the
Perspective of Feminism (Le Lam, Doctor Dissertation in Literature,

Hanoi, 2015), The Feminist Consciousness in Vietnamese Female
Poetry From 1986 to the Present (through Some Typical Cases)
(Nguyen Thi Huong, Doctor Dissertation in Literature, Hanoi, 2016),
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The Feminist Consciousness in Vo Thi Xuan Ha’s Prose (Duong Mai
Lien, Master Thesis in Literature, Danang, 2004)...
1.2. The situation of research on Vietnamese short stories by
women writers from the perspective of Feminist Literary Criticism
Nowadays, the analysis of Vietnamese short stories from the
standpoint of Feminist Literary Criticism is becoming a new and
attractive way of literary studies. Because feminist doctrine not only
profoundly affects many subjects and many different areas of life but
also influences the life of literary criticism and every literary reader.
The local literature has been a comprehensive renovation and
innovation since 1986. Based on the existing theoretical foundation to
receive and promote the theory of Feminism has helped female authors
possessing an opportunity to apply the theory into the life of creativity
and criticism. They are the pioneers of the feminist movement in
Vietnamese literature. Through the expression of issues that are very
close, simple, but containing many profound humanistic values, they
have created an outstanding reputation. Some representative works that
cannot be ignored, not excepting I am Dan Ba by Y Ban, Bong de by
Do Hoang Dieu, Canh dong bat tan by Nguyen Ngoc Tu, Minu xinh
dep by Nguyen Thi Thu Hue, Ban tay lanh by Vo Thi Hao, and many
other outstanding short stories of writers from different generations.
All these works have reflected a particular world of feminine nuances
in literature, which constructs unique artistic effects.
1.2.1. Before 1986

From 1945 to 1975, the local researchers and critics assume that the
Southern urban literature (“Van chuong do thi mien Nam” in
Vietnamese) has a prosperous progress, especially its prose that
comprising feminine and modern nuances of female writers. Typically,
The Fighting Literature of the South (1969) and The Southern Literature
and the 1945-1950 French Resistance (1972) by the researcher Nguyen
Van Sam. These books depicted the Southern villagers’ struggle.
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Especially, Nguyen Van Sam has examined some authors who
associated with women’s ideological maturity in the South of Vietnam.
Generally, the situation of research on short stories by women
from the perspective of Feminist Literary Criticism before 1986 was
not much and only focused on female writers’ urban prose of the
South. It also, however, set up a very impressive and individualistic
milestone of its development in the modernization progress of
Vietnamese literature. Simultaneously, it was a basis and premise for
female writers expressing their feminist consciousness in each
writing in the subsequent period.
1.2.2. After 1986
After the Doi Moi period (since 1986), Vietnamese short stories
had a prosperous “transformation” that opening a glorious period for
the literature of the country. The period has witnessed the peak
development and prosperity for prose with many sensitive young
writers who were brave enough to explore contemporary life.
Some prominent researches and criticisms on Feminism, which
are indispensable references when studying femininity, including
Literature and Feelings (2005) by Ton Phuong Lan, Vietnamese
Modern Short Stories 1945-1975 (2007, 2010) by Hoa Dieu Thuy,

Literary Theory and Criticism: Innovative and Creative (2013) by
Cao Thi Hong, Modern Vietnamese Literature: Creation and
Reception (2015) by Nguyen Bich Thu. Besides, there are some
professional female critics such as Mai Huong, Luu Khanh Tho, Ly
Hoai Thu, Hoang Thuy Anh, Tran Thi Tram. In the current situation
of literary criticism in Vietnam, according to the local female critic
Tran Huyen Sam, Feminist Criticism is playing a vital role that is “a
potential research direction” on gender issues.
1.3. Evaluation of the research situation and implementation of
the topic
1.3.1. Evaluation of the research situation
It can be assumed that Feminist Theory and Feminism are an
intensive and feasible research approach that has been integrated into
literature and gained sure success and achievement. Feminist Theory
and Feminist Literary Criticism, which pay attention to female as its
main research object, all emphasise gender inequality and the
consequences of gender discrimination. Feminist Criticism has a
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profound research direction because it is applied not only in literature
but also in sociology, anthropology, philosophy, and education.
Thanks to the strong spread in all aspects of society, Feminist Criticism,
which comprises a diversified theoretical system from the West, has
been chosen by many scholars as their central research direction.
1.3.2. Implementation of the topic
In the first place, through studying Feminism and gender-related
issues that have been selected by some researchers as their primary
interests, we find that researching the theoretical system of Feminism
as well as applying the theory on analysing and criticising literature

have brought positive values. In the second place, we also go indepth to analyse and systematise types of gender-specific female
characters in the local short stories from a perspective of Feminist
Literary Criticism. In the third place, we try to discover the genderconscious of discourse system that female writers cleverly integrated
into their writings. The discourse system expresses the clear,
individualistic, kind, compassionate voice of femininity.
Chapter Two: FEMINIST THEORY, FEMINIST LITERARY
CRITICISM, AND THE FEMINIST SPIRIT IN VIETNAMESE
LITERATURE
2.1. Feminist issues and the emergence of Feminism
2.1.1. Origins and concepts of feminist issues
Charles Fourier, who was a French philosopher and one of the
founders of utopian socialism, invented the term “feminism”. The term
“feminism” or “feminist” appeared for the first time in France and
Netherlands in 1872, in the United Kingdom in the 1890s, and in the
United States in 1910. The Oxford English Dictionary first introduced
the term “feminist” in 1894 that was translated as “a person who
advocates women’s rights”. Many movements that enforce the rights,
as a result, it would be considered feminist movements.

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2.1.2. The emergence of Feminism and the development of
women’s rights
Along with the appearance of Feminism is the development of
women’s rights. The feminist movement that struggles for women’s equal
rights over the world has proved that: women who want to improve their
material and spiritual life should concern about some remarkable issues
such as income, work, education, and knowledge. If the woman in a
family ultimately depends on the man, and the former has no jobs and

expertise, then she will have no voice both in her family and in the whole
society. In contrast, if women have a stable job and income, they will have
an intensive voice and decision-making powers. Nowadays, the more
community develops, the more women show their feminist position in all
aspects of the economy, culture, politics, and society.
2.2. Feminist Theory and Feminist Literary Criticism
2.2.1. Feminist Theory
Gender theory or Feminist Theory is recognised as awareness
and restriction of oppression, exploitation, and abuse of females in
work, social life, and family life. At the same time, it is towards
entirely ending the patriarchal domination, the oppression, and
exploitation of women’s sexual and reproductive health. It calls
rights to contribute, work, and be treated equally with men.
2.2.2. Feminist Literary Criticism
Feminist Criticism only really became popular through the
excellent work of French female writer Simone de Beauvoir The Second
Sex (1949). In her work, Beauvoir harshly criticised the patriarchal
culutre that pushed women to the margins of society as well as art and
literature. In the ideology of such culture, men always attach to humanity
and history, but women are perceived as “the Other”. They are always in
a passive and dependent condition and depending on men entirely.
On the other hand, Ecofeminist Criticism, which is a new and
feasible research trend, is closely related to Feminist Literary
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Criticism. Ecofeminist Criticism is a combination that shows the
intangible and inseparable bond between femininity/feminine and
nature. Francoise d’Eaubonne was the initiator of the school.
Afterward, it spread to Western countries in the 1990s of the

twentieth century. According to scholars, the highlight of
Ecofeminist Criticism is that it makes a combination of literary
criticism and the natural environment to form “a spiritual child”.
Products of the mixture have both humanistic values and meanings in
calling for gender equality to gradually regain the central role and
position of women and nature in modern society.
2.3. The feminist consciousness in Vietnamese literature
2.3.1. The feminist consciousness in the local literature before 1945
The feminist consciousness in the traditional literature featured
by the system of folk verses and proverbs that are very diverse and
rich in the image of women. Despite the awareness in the ancient folk
verses has not been firmly and decisively shown, most of them are
songs of women’s complaint telling their pains in the harshness of
feudalism such as polygamy and son preference.
It can be said that peotry before 1945 mostly mentioned to the
image of women who have a tragic fate in some well-known “Nom
poem-stories” (“truyen tho Nom” in Vietnamese) including Pham Tai Ngoc Hoa, Pham Cong - Cuc Hoa, Nhi do mai, Luc Van Tien. Some
virtuous and well-behaved female characters such as Hanh Nguyen (in
Nhi do mai) and Kieu Nguyet Nga (in Luc Van Tien) have presented
the beauty of Vietnamese ladies: respect for gratitude and love, always
towards excellent traditional values in life.
Medieval poetry, which is a thriving genre, demonstrates female
writers’ influential voices to denounce feudalism. They defended
women’s condition. The female poet Ho Xuan Huong is a typical
example. She is a representative writer with a personal style that
creating a “new breath” for Vietnamese literature. The poet wrote
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some poems that imbued with the feminist consciousness including

Banh troi nuoc, Lam le, Khong chong ma chua, Thieu nu ngu ngay,
Lay chong chung. Medieval literature of Vietnam was the period
from the beginning of the tenth century to the end of the nineteenth
century. It was a period when Confucianism established the
conservative and harsh ideas that were heavily influenced the local
society. Images of Vietnamese ladies in medieval literature were
manifested in various ways, even germinated some “unprecedented”
issues like “libido” and “sexual sensations”. Ho Xuan Huong is a
particular case with such “challenging” and “newfangled” senses.
2.3.2. The feminist consciousness in the local literature after 1945
Generally, the most intensive “rise” of Vietnamese literature was
implemented from the Doi Moi (Innovation) in 1986. If the male writers
occupied the “dominant” position in the previous period, since 1986
many female writers gradually appeared and created a “new air” and
“new phenomenon” in the country’s literature. The number of qualified
short stories of women, which readers appreciated, has also increased
over time. Many female authors, although just set their foot on the
literary circle, left a bold impression on readers both in content and
artistic quality, including Le Minh Khue, Vo Thi Hao, Y Ban, Pham Thi
Hoai, Nguyen Thi Thu Hue, Do Hoang Dieu. They have “blown the soul”
into the literary writings and depicted the authoritative voice of
Feminism. Their books have shown the personality, style of postmodern
writing, and “breath” of the era. All of these factors have brought
success in modern Vietnamese literature. In which, the typical subject in
literary works is the images of women. Familiar topics of literature are
still love, marriage, and family happiness. Although the works of female
writers mostly reflect women’s tragedy, on the contrary, it is not too
mournful. The writings integrate into it the spirit of “immortality” and
the potential vitality of “flowers” that have been “ill-treated” and
“abused” but still fragrant for life.

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Chapter Three: TYPES OF FEMALE CHARACTERS WITH
GENDER CHARACTERISTICS IN VIETNAMESE SHORT
STORIES BY WOMEN WRITERS (2000-2015) FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF FEMINIST LITERARY CRITICISM
3.1. Female characters with the fight for the right to life and
freedom
3.1. Female characters with the fight for the right to life
Female characters with the struggle for the right to life and liberty
is also a fundamental theoretical premise to moving towards the
liberation of women in The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir.
In the process of examining short stories by the local women
writers, we found that compared to the fierce “personalisation” art for
women of Y Ban and Do Hoang Dieu, the female writing style of Tran
Thuy Mai still presents the air of deliberation, gentleness, easiness but
full of bravery and pride in the personality and soul of the ladies of
Hue. Tran Thuy Mai’s artistic technique has profoundly delineated and
“dissected” the female characters’ multi-dimensional and multi-faced
inner world. Consequently, it shows the desire to live happily and
freely that is the aspiration of women in general and the feminist
resonance in Tran’s short stories in particular.
3.2. Female characters with the fight for the right to freedom
There is a shared-point between female characters of Y Ban and
Do Hoang Dieu: they would like to seek the freedom of love - a love
with many sublimate emotions. Thus, the characters have conducted
“adultery in mind”. Indeed, Beauvoir had a very humanist view and
made a convincible explanation for the matter. Compared with the
femininity writing style of Tran Thuy Mai, Nguyen Thi Thu Hue, and

Nguyen Ngoc Tu, the styles of Y Ban and Do Hoang Dieu are a bit
“rebellious”, which adds a magical and unconscious factor, making
works of the two more unique.
3.2. Female characters with motherhood and desire for love
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3.2.1. Female characters with motherhood
The maternal instinct is the highest beauty and most sacred
nature of a woman. Women in any situation know how to take care
of, love, and protect her “little angels”. The instinct also affirms the
virtue of self-sacrifice, hard work, and emotional richness is the most
praised femininity in all genres of contemporary feminist literature of
Vietnam. (For example, Canh dong bat tan by Nguyen Ngoc Tu and
Day to me xin nghi phep by Thy Le).
3.2.2. Female characters with a desire for love
Each women writers seemly has an individual style in writing about
motherhood and the silent sacrifices for love. Nguyen Thi Thu Hue, for
instance, portrays ladies and girls as the protagonists that can be found in
Hau thien duong, Coi me, Tan cang, Huyen thoai, and Di vang. On the
other hand, Tran Thuy Mai describes unhappy women such as “Nguyet
ca nhac” (in Quy trong trang), “Vy ngay” (in Chuyen o pho hoa xoan),
“Thuy cam” (in Am ba co), “Ha gai ban hoa” (in Not ruoi son), and
“Kieu Dung” (in Le cuoi bac). Besides, the main characters in Y Ban’s
short stories are beautiful intellectual ladies who are disappointed and
unstable as well as always thirst for love, always ready to burn out for
love. These characters are depicted in some works of Y Ban, including
Cuoi cho, Cuoc tinh Silicon, Ga ap bong, Nguoi dan ba dung truoc
guong, Sau chop la giong bao, and Tu. Unlike other female writers,
Nguyen Ngoc Tu focuses on depicting the sinking fate of the honest

Southwestern (“mien Tay nam bo” in Vietnamese) women. Some of
them are the little girl of Nuong in Canh dong bat tan, the lonely woman
in Dong nho, and Co Ut in Cai nhin khac khoai. The shared-point of all
female characters in literary imagination (and possibly in real life) is an
intensive aspiration for a truly happy family.
3.3. Female characters with sexual instincts and the need for
sexual liberation
3.3.1. Female characters with sexual instincts
Nowadays, women authors write about sex is the way they
can express their sentiments and contemplation in modern life. It
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is becoming a new literary tendency. Writing about sexuality is
also the approach that female writers self-liberate theirs identifies.
The writers have taken the woman as the central image in their
works. Causes of the action originate from the root of society
where they are living.
3.3.2. Female characters with the need for sexual liberation
Female characters in the writings of Do Hoang Dieu, Y Ban, Le
Thi Hoai Nam, and Doan Le share the common point is that they
have a miserable, tedious, deprived, even “oppressive” sexual life.
They are not hopeless, in contrast, they find ways to liberate
themselves by applying “adulery in mind” or even “having sex in
dreams” (see Bong de by Do Hoang Dieu), “having sex in
remembrances” (see Vu quy by the same author). Bong de short story,
for example, tells about a woman who went back to her husband’s
hometown to attend a remembrance ceremony. Some sexual-related
dreams obsessed her strangely: In her dream, the ghost of her fatherin-law brought the lady the sensual satisfaction that she had never
experienced with her husband. The feeling made her feel “amused”,

“scared”, and “guilty”.
3.4. Female characters with ecological senses and the sense of selfliberation
3.4.1. Female characters with ecological senses
Through women’s writings, nature is the “catalyst” for female
gender to demonstrate the wild and feminine beauty. Nature always
listens, understands, and protects women respectfully and lovingly. In
turn, the woman sees in her soul sympathy, love, the same pain, loss,
joy, and happiness. Simultaneously, women writers’ short stories call
people working together to protect and preserve the fresh living
environment of nature, which is also the “natural house” of mankind
(see Suoi lanh by Ha Thi Cam Anh, Doi hoang by Pham Thi Ngoc
Lien, and Bien nhu toi nho by Ly Lan).

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3.4.2. Female characters with the sense of self-liberation
In addition to female characters with ecological minds, we
would like to mention the characters with a regard of self-liberation,
particularly the trend of describing the feminist consciousness in
some representative female writers’ literary works. The goal is to
reach the aspiration of self-liberation, which is a new feature that we
want to prove as a highlight of Feminist Literary Criticism (see Cay
thieng trong lung nui by Bui Nhu Lan, Hoi tho cua nui by Nie Thanh
Mai, and Lac giua long Muong by Ha Ly). In some short stories, the
woman in mountainous areas and ethnic minority communities has to
suffer disadvantages and prejudices. The reason is the nature of
uplanders, from men, village elders to the commune chiefs, are very
conservative, backward, and afraid to accept new things and
advances. It is a gloomy picture due to women’s fate is very

unfortunate. They are like buffaloes and cows in their family that are
always working hard all day. They are even beaten, not allowed to go
out, have fun, and enjoy life.
Chapter Four: THE ARTISTIC METHOD OF VIETNAMESE
SHORT STORIES BY WOMEN WRITERS (2000-2015) FROM
THE PERSPECTIVE OF FEMINIST LITERARY CRITICISM
4.1. Narrative focus
Modern female prose is paying more attention to issues of
women’s rights and equality. As a result, the problems of gender
discourse are increasingly concerned, and it is a “hot” topic now.
Hélène Cixous is the first scholar to discover the style of “female
writing” (L’écriture féminine) in literature. According to the scholar,
there is a close relationship between sex and discourse, on the one
hand, the discourse also plays a role in boosting sex, on the other hand.
4.1.1. Internal focalization
The internal focalization is the characters’ viewpoint in literary
works. Narrators usually use “I” personal pronoun or use the thirdperson mode to tell the story. In terms of internal focalization, there is no
distance between the character and the narrator. Because, in this case, the
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storyteller is the character. In other words, the narrator is like “incarnates”
into characters who are comprehending all thoughts and personalities of
the character. Moreover, by applying the internal focalization, the female
characters’ inner world is depicted most dimensionally.
The “I” character is the subject of spokesman, who is also the
narrator. He directs the story following the characters’ psychological
situations. The works that contain the desire for happiness, love, and
family of women occupying most of the writings of female writers,
including Phieu linh trang by Nguyen Thu Phuong, Hoang hon Do

Thi Thu Hien, Chang no nan gi nhau by Tram Huong, and Day neo
tran gian by Vo Thi Hao. Some short stories describe the tireless
battle for personal wishes that have been “trampled” and “destroyed”.
Hanh in Trang noi day gieng (by Tran Thuy Mai), the dancer Mi in
Sau tham mot con me (by Ho Thi Bich Ngoc), and some other female
characters in Thuy (by Le Thuy Van) are typical examples.
4.1.2. External focalization
By using external focalization, the narrator often emphasises on
actions and words outside of the character. Sometimes, the writers
borrow the external focalization to analyse the character’s inner world.
In this way, the author has made an objective view of the character’s
personality and behaviour. External focalization creates an invisible
distance between the character and the storyteller but still expresses the
content and ideology of the work. The characters’ words and actions
are “catalysts” for readers to better understand the character’s thinking.
Because actions and words are the way to assert the character’s ego.
4.2. Artistic tone
In order to express the authority of women in their short stories,
female authors applied many different voices and styles to form
diversity and richness in literary expression. They show a wide range
of artistic tone, which is lyrical, incredulous, philosophic,
enumerative, and interrogatory.
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4.2.1. Lamentable and sympathetic tones
The lamentable and sympathetic voice is the primary artistic
tone that appearing in many short stories by female writers. The
voice is a metaphor for the writers’ sympathy and love for women
who have a scabrous fate. Besides, it is an encouragement for

women to live more bravely and “give off their fragrance” forever
even though life is not like a dream. Each writer has a typical style
and a signature style. Nguyen Thi Thu Hue covers a sympathetic
voice that is full of anxiety, concern, and worries. Nguyen Ngoc Tu
shows a compassionate and simple tone, not “colourful” that is as
same as her own Southwesterners. Ho Thi Hai Au’s artistic voice
has a deep devotion and sympathy. Tran Thuy Mai has a yearning
voice that is pertaining to placate others. Vo Thi Xuan Ha possesses
an emotional and sobbing voice about maternal love. These tones
create a tremendous feminist orchestra with a variety of particular
colours and styles. The female writing style, in comparison with
men’s, has more strength in expressing women’s voice because
female writers are people of the same gender. Female authors
comprehend female characters’ pain, loss, and suffering more
profoundly. Through lamentable and sympathetic voices, female
writers have shown a subtle, sensitive, and multi-dimensional view
of gender issues. Correspondingly, it affirms and praises the value
of femininity, the silent sacrifice, and the love and happiness
aspiration of women.
4.2.2. Philosophic and contemplative tones
The philosophical and contemplative voice is an essential
artistic tone that women authors often use in their writings. The
philosophy means a summary of what is perceived from the origin
of mind, spiritual values, and the behavioural power in real life or
literary the characters’ life. The voice manifests the experiences and
emotions of anguish, excruciation, and happiness of women in
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marriage and family life. These profound contemplations and

philosophies are drawn from the writer’s life. It is expressed in a
multi-dimensional and whole way through the female characters’
point of view. The more the characters are grievous, the more their
experiences are profound, and the more philosophic tones show the
feminism of the weaker gender. The thoughtful and contemplative
voice is the encouragement and consolation for female characters. It
is also a lesson of outlook-on-life for them in the constant
fluctuations and changes of life. The writers use this type of artistic
voice richly and abundantly via characters’ emotion and judgment,
as a result, the readers are easier to enjoy the philosophical tone of
the characters.
4.2.3. Humorous and satirical tones
The emergence of humorous and satirical voice is a “blooming”
phenomenon in modern Vietnamese literature, especially after the
Doi Moi (innovation) of the country. In this period, from the
standpoint of literary topics, the topic of war has gradually decreased
in the composition of the local writers instead of simple stories of a
new life. People, therefore, have changed. They are always
incredulous and qualmish for love, life, and the change of the human
heart. They are afraid of the changes in the people who lie in their
embrace. Along with the process of development and modernisation
of society, literature has begun to explore and go deeper into the
satirical element to bad habits of human beings. Short stories by the
local women writers also witnessed such spectacular makeover. It
can be seen that satire in short stories of Vietnamese women writers
is often self-epigrammatic that has both humorous and real
humanistic values.
Most of the female characters in women’s short stories from
2000 to 2015 are beautiful and intellectual. The common point that
they share is that they encounter many unhappiness and suffering in

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marriage and family life. Thanks to these experiences, however,
they become stronger and more energetic to live better.
Consequently, they slowly affirmed their foothold and position in
society. In such particular situation, the feminist resonance in
women’s short stories is expressed in a close and straightforward
manner. Anguish is a basis for women to appreciate their values
more and more. The artistic language and narrative tone, which
contain many new, unique, and complicated emotions, has created
an unforgettable impression in the hearts of every reader. It is a
“mark” of female writers’ literary style that is very subtle, flexible,
creative, and compassionate. Each female writer has a different tone
in writing her short stories. Le Thi Hoai Nam has a warm and
romantic tone. The narrative voice of Y Ban and Do Hoang Dieu is
contemplative and philosophical. Mai Thy is young and dreamy in
her artistic tone. Nguyen Thi Thu Hue expresses a gentle but
profound voice. A pure and simple voice is the style that Nguyen
Ngoc Tu persuades. Ho Thi Hai Au likes to use a grotesque voice;
Bui Thi Nhu Lan applies a voice of pity and sympathy about gender.
All of these tones are like a multicolour chord that reflects the
diversity of language, voice, the narrative mode in literature,
particularly in contemporary Vietnamese short stories. Concurrently,
it confirms the “intensive” vitality of the genre of female short
stories in the development progress of Vietnamese literature.
4.3. Gender-conscious discourse in Vietnamese short stories by
women writers from 2000 to 2015
4.3.1. Self-narrative discourse
The style of female writing (l’écriture féminine) manifests

the dialectical view of the female writers on the state of society.
The style, primarily the phenomenon of self-narration, became
sublime and developed since the Doi Moi (innovation) period in
1986. Many women authors made their debut and left an
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unforgettable impression. It shows an important advance and
transformation in liberating the writers themselves. The female
writing style is also the original expression of the tenacious battle
with the “deep-rooted” ideologies of the patriarchy that has
existed for hundreds of years.
4.3.2. Identity discourse
The writers have incorporated the discourse of identity into
their works. It has achieved prominent results in terms of content
and art form.
Identity discourse has a pretty combination of psychological
elements and multi-dimensional emotion of the characters. It is a
selective type of discourse that creates the “knots” and the suspense,
suddenly leading the characters to the unconscious and instinctive
actions in literary works.
4.3.3. Body discourse
The feminine beauty of women’s bodies is an essential factor
that female writers have focused on describing in contemporary
Vietnamese short stories. The discourse of the female body has its
own gender characteristics. It contains the subtle and profound
meaning that women authors have integrated into their writings.
The writers are usually priority taking the discourse to describe
women’s physical beauty. The beauty, fortunately, can have the
power to overwhelm the “cultural power” and even the pain of

war. It awakes and stirs love between humans and humans. This is
also a symbol of Motherhood (“Mau” in Vietnamese) and the
cultural identity of Vietnamese women that female writers often
focus on it to “embellish” the exceptional virtues of women for
many generations.

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CONCLUSIONS
1. In each development stage of literature, the feminist issue in
Vietnamese short stories by women writers is more and more in line
with the development trend of the era. Based on the previous feminist
movement, feminist literature had a substantial development. The
image of women entering poetry and prose has gradually been
“popularised” more widely as well as eliminating the harsh
imposition of male rights on women in all social aspects. The mark
of the theory of Feminist Criticism has been spread widely before
1980. At that time, scholars and researchers gradually paid attention
to the style of female writing and the tendency to exploring women’s
instincts. Feminist Criticism demonstrates its importance and
usability when it combines smoothly with Psychoanalysis Criticism,
Gay Criticism, Marxist Criticism, Post-colonial Criticism, and
Ecocriticism. By receiving the theory of Feminist Criticism from the
West selectively, Vietnamese literature has created a “makeover” in
expressing the consistent and extraordinary image of women in
modern life. Through the optimal weapon of literature, Feminist
Criticim has step by step affirmed, struggled, and established equal
rights and position for women, as well as against the inherent
masculine ideology in society.

2. The feminist resonances in literature have spread since 1986.
Although the theoretical system of Feminism in the country is still
“young” in comparison with the West’s, the application of Feminist
Criticism into literature has gained many outstanding achievements.
There have been more women writers and female scholars who have
prioritised gender issues to the top of their writings and researches.
As a result, since Doi Moi period, the literature on women really had
a “transformation”. This is a period of literature containing the
colours of the feminine that is a contrast to men’s “imperfection”.

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The genre of female short stories has made a prominent
advance. It was a new trend, which was full of integration with
world literature, to denote some “hot” matters of love, marriage,
the family of women who carried the permanent resonance of
feminism. Besides, in terms of literary genre, the advantage of
short stories is that it is shorter and more concise than novels.
Despite its feature, short stories still ensure the transmission of
messages about gender equality, against the male-dominated
regime, and the harsh prejudices of society for women. Moreover,
it is thanks to the innovation in literature that has helped women
writers’ writings becoming more and more deeply personal, which
was the “territory” of men in the past. Female writers are no
longer “tied” or following the “trail” of “safe” standards of
society. Instead, they adhere to the open-minded and natural
feelings even for the internal emotional problems of women: the
sexual factor. Women writers write about sex not inferior to men,
inversely, female writings even more abundant and humanistic

through each creative page of women authors. Hence, short stories
by women writers from the perspective of Feminist Literary
Criticism is a prominent research direction and has high
applicability in literature, culture, and sociology.
3. Thanks to divers senses, harmonies, and full of emotions
about human love, women’s loyalty, the local female writers have
cleverly shown their female characters in a multi-dimensional and
complicated inner world. The writers have incarnated themselves
into each character to tell stories as their own life stories by a vision
of insight and sympathy. The female authors have pumped new
blood, which filled with youthful energy and enthusiasm for the
local literature.
For short stories by women writers, spending thirty years of
development, its poetics innovation reflected in the character world
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has made a new step in dignifying the feminist resonance in modern
times. Female writers have portraited a world of diverse and
colourful female characters. They are female characters who fight
to the right to life and freedom. The characters also strongly show
their motherhood, love desires, sexual instincts, the need for sexual
liberation, ecological consciousness, and a sense of self-liberation.
All these types of female characters have broken down every norm
of beauty that has been shaped in the previous times. Female
characters are not only a model for the modest and good-natured
traditional beauty of women but also a modern elegance with a
rebellious spirit in order to struggle for their own happiness and
needs. They are not afraid to pour out their hearts. They dare to
speak up the feminine voice of women. They are brave to criticise

male rights and old-fashioned and harsh social ideas. Along with
the style of narration and the innovation of artistic language and
narrative voice, the character system of female short stories from
2000 to 2015 has formed an impressive discourse style on gender
and the feminist spirit that brings the breath of the era and humanity
of women writers.
The highlight in prose, especially in short stories by women
authors after 1986, is the diversity of literary topics and themes.
Female writers frequently prefer questions that are very close and
simple to daily life. Some common topics in short stories of the
period include the desire for love and family happiness; the image
of an honest and capable woman who dares to break out of the
outdated norms and habits of the family and society to find out her
own path; the libido and sexual desires... All of these factors have
shaped a completely different face for contemporary Vietnamese
female short stories. Examining short stories by women writers
from 1986 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2015, we found that: in the
former period of literature, although some veteran female writers
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have established a platform for Feminist Literary Criticism in their
works, there has not really clear and impressive in the diversity of
topics and themes as well as the presence of “hot” issues and
languages (e.g., sex-related expressions). In the later period, women
writers of the younger generation have followed the pioneers. By
new minds, they have received new and progressive things that
were suitable for the era. The content of their writings is also more
diverse, authentic, and closer to practical needs. Therefore, their
works have really been gained impressions and achievements in

connecting women’s rights and the sacred things of women.
Objectively, the writing style of female writers might not
address some issues on a big scale as male writers did. The formers
tend to pay attention to simple things in daily life, such as the human
condition and, especially, the inner world of women. Despite only
mentioning such micro issues, female writers still create a “seductive
force” to readers. The writers have been successful in describing and
“dissecting” the world of female characters in a more multidimensional and multi-faceted way.
4. The system of female narrative discourse is a highlight in
Vietnamese short stories by women authors from 2000 to 2015. It
brings diversity in creative and flexible styles of female writers.
Regarding Feminist Literary Criticism, the female narrative system,
which is a feature by characteristics of the method of female
writing, is an essential art form that needs to analyse and clarify to
demonstrate the feminist spirit in short stories fully. The poetic
characteristics elements of short stories such as the autobiographical
form and gender-conscious discourse system create a vivid and
diverse style of female writing. Thanks to the sincere sympathy, the
new and flexible language, the unique factors of poetics and
narrative of women writers, the works write about the image of
women can live with time forever.
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