Historical themes in Vo Thi Hao's writings through the novel The Burning Platform

has become an attractive material for writers to satisfy their artistic creative intentions, making "historical novels become personal impressions and reflections, the individual becomes the center of the narrative" [76]. That is, each writer can propose a new perspective on past historical events, they can also borrow history to present current issues, or can research to erase the "blank spots" that historical documents have not recorded, or things in the past that few people know about... From there, creating new vitality for history. In general, prose writing about history since Doi Moi has achieved significant achievements and will certainly continue to be an attractive source of material, with much promise ahead.

1.2. Composed by Vo Thi Hao

Vo Thi Hao was born in 1956 in Dien Chau - Nghe An - a land that suffered many disadvantages due to the harshness of nature, with distinct cultural traces. Perhaps it was thanks to these things that created a Vo Thi Hao who was always persistent, resilient, never extinguished her passion, and at the same time it was also the hidden fire that forged the person and style of the writer. When remembering and thinking about her homeland, the writer said: "a place with the creepy creaking sound of bamboo bushes and stories about ghosts that the old people and adults whispered to each other at night, along with the fierce atmosphere of war and bombs" [21p 558]. Homeland plays a significant role in shaping Vo Thi Hao's writing style: "I thank the memories, which are more painful than happy, because they created me...created Vo Thi Hao - the person who wrote both violent and illusory sentences" [21; p558].

Graduated from the Faculty of Literature of Hanoi University, Vo Thi Hao worked at the National Culture Publishing House as an editor. With 17 years of experience, Vo Thi Hao has made great contributions to the creation of many "brainchildren" of other writers. This is also the fate that brought Vo Thi

Hao came to literature. Like Vo Thi Hao once shared, "I once thought and would become a poet, but then I wrote and became famous with prose."

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“Once you have devoted yourself to literature, it is your “karma”. It clings to you and seems to be your flesh and blood. Even when your beloved husband, the man to whom you have voluntarily entrusted your whole life, cannot bear the atmosphere of literature that infiltrates your family life, you still quietly and stubbornly preserve a corner for yourself, to worship and “live” and “die” for it. A family with two little daughters, a husband who, although he also studied literature, does not easily sympathize with his wife’s passion, in addition to the difficult life of the years when the country had not yet escaped the subsidy”[64; p. 553].

Started to appear officially and regularly in the 90s with the name Vo Thi Hao in the literary world. Along with many other famous writers such as Nguyen Huy Thiep, Phan Thi Vang Anh, Nguyen Thi Thu Hue, Ly Lan… Vo Thi Hao has affirmed herself through a number of works.

With short stories that left a strong impression on the literary world such as: The Survivor of the Laughing Forest, The Sea of Salvation, The Garden of Love, The Black Widow ..."she is ranked among the sharp and feminine writers"[39; p. 238].

When commenting on Vo Thi Hao, many opinions say that "Vo Thi Hao is a storyteller of fairy tales in everyday life". Reading her short stories, "we see the atmosphere of folk fairy tales permeating. That is created by the meaning of praising beauty, goodness with the philosophy of good deeds being rewarded, with a gentle and intimate voice mixed with the participation of magical elements that make her short stories strangely attractive and captivating to readers[44; pp. 22-30].

But Vo Thi Hao does not tell fairy tales in everyday life, "that small and humble woman" only borrows the fairy tale atmosphere, recreating the magical elements in ancient fairy tales to talk about today - stories that

daily life that people are facing. Therefore, Vo Thi Hao's stories always carry a philosophy, a new depth of thought besides its appearance. With 4 published short story collections: Virgin Soul, The Remnant of the Laughing Forest, Stories That Should Not Be Read at Midnight, Vo Thi Hao has captivated readers with her very own writing style and perspective on problems. The harsh realities, the complexities of life have been conveyed by a virtual and real writing style, sweet and gentle words. A gentle, feminine but essentially to cover a strong, determined view of life. Through studying her short stories, we can see that "whether praising the good things about people, life or criticizing negative phenomena in society, Vo Thi Hao always maintains a rather calm view - the calmness of someone who dares to look straight at the truth of life. At the same time, it also shows a tolerant attitude and an undying belief in the good nature of human beings”[47].

In 2002, when the novel The Pyre was released to readers, she once again surprised readers and literature lovers with a historical novel full of mystery. The work won the highest award of the Hanoi Writers Association. In particular, it is considered a work that marked "a breakthrough when turning away from the familiar path, creating uneven layers of thought, a more natural and simple tone" of this talented female writer. Switching from the familiar genre of short stories to the novel genre - historical novels - a genre that often makes female writers in our country "turn a blind eye". When asked: "turning to novels, and historical novels at that, do you think that is a courageous attitude in writing?" She confidently answered "it is not really a turn but a next step. When feeling that short stories seem too cramped, novels are the vast steppes that allow you to make wild cat jumps" [40]. Indeed, the novel The Pyre has received countless compliments for its “wonderful combination of historical fiction and

with legends”[25]. It is the knowledge of official history with unofficial history, anecdotes, folk legends together with the writer's rich imagination and creative exploration that has created a vivid picture of a historical period in the Ly dynasty that not only has brilliant golden colors but also dark and tragic colors.

The pyre also made the filmmakers give a lot of praise.

People's Artist - Director Huy Thanh - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Cinema Association commented: "This is the first time I have read a film script by a Vietnamese writer who writes very professionally, unique in terms of theme, story, setting, structure and characters. The cinematic language is smooth with valuable display details. In particular, all three scripts are imbued with a spiritual, mysterious atmosphere that is very charming and literary... the unique features in the literary works of this talented female writer"[43].

Director Do Minh Tuan intends to make Pyre into a film. Because he finds that "this is a novel about the Ly Dynasty that is attractive in terms of ideology and cultural space. In particular, Pyre has a high cinematic quality" and " Pyre has a thorny and multifaceted view of history"[74] leaving a deep impression on the readers. Hidden behind the refined and delicate to the point of being graceful, sensitive to the point of being strict, are the lingering thoughts about human destiny, about life, humanity, and the world. Reading Vo Thi Hao's stories makes people have to look back at their lives to choose the right way to live.

In reality, the number of writers writing historical novels is not much. In Vietnam, even fewer, especially female writers who experience their pen in this genre are even rarer. Because writers in this genre need to have profound knowledge, deep understanding of history, and at the same time, when using history as a creative material, writers need to research, create, and fictionalize so that history must be

as vivid as it was and through that must convey the current meaning of modern life. There was a time when historical material was a "sacred temple" that could only be viewed from the outside. For a nation whose historical past is always remembered in a concept, a very respectful attitude like the Vietnamese people, it is very difficult to gain the sympathy of readers or critics to present a new perspective, to break the "sacred curtain" covering some historical figures. Therefore, prose before 1975 when writing about historical topics often focused only on exploiting historical events and incidents to create a heroic atmosphere and national pride. That is, literature of this period looked at history through the eyes of a historian.

After 1975, especially after 1986 with the change of the times, to meet the new needs of life, looking back at the experiences in the history of the nation and the concerns of individuals before modern life, history has become an attractive material to reflect the present life under a multi-dimensional perspective. In many successful historical works that have received much praise from critics such as: Ho Quy Ly, Mau Thuong Ngan (Nguyen Xuan Khanh), Song Con Mua Lu (Nguyen Mong Giac), Gio Lua, Dat Troi (Nam Giao), Vang Vac Sao Khue (Hoang Cong Khanh), Storm of the Tran Dynasty (Hoang Quoc Hai) ... there is a typical female face with a historical novel full of "ghost stories" with a name that leaves a strong impression, aching in the hearts of readers: Tribute.

Standing out with short stories that left a mark on readers, she unexpectedly switched to the novel genre - a genre that has long been considered the domain of male writers. According to the writer, "after being suggested by a friend that this character, this topic is very suitable for my writing style, I started to put my hands on official history books and I saw them. I chased after them. I layered on them a layer of unofficial historical memories, as translucent as jellyfish.

plus the logic of life… The Ly – Tran period had many characters with multifaceted personalities, enough to create great inspiration for novels. And I started writing”[27].

In the Pyre we encounter endless legendary stories, first of all the pure legendary story of Nhue Anh, her life is associated with the legend of the winds and raindrops that bring purity to the arid world. The legend of Tu Dao Hanh's origin and practice of religion in Thien Uyen Tap Anh , the legend of the origin of King Ly Than Tong (because Tu Dao Hanh was reincarnated as the son of Sung Hien Hau). The story of the king being transformed into a tiger and then cured by monk Minh Khong, recorded in Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu , was accepted by Vo Thi Hao, linking the two biographies as the lives of the same person. These legends, one of course is imbued with the legends of both Tantric Buddhism and Taoism, the other should have been purely Confucian but did not refuse to include the legends in official history. However, the most important thing is that from the two biographies that are unintentionally tied together, "there appear a few universal human traits"[3]. The character Ngan La is a character with vitality, an innocent beauty, and pure instincts. Tu Vinh's unjust death is described as a creepy, mysterious detail. Tu Lo's test of spiritual practice is full of hardships and difficulties, the ghosts of Queen Mother Duong and Queen Mother Y Lan appear from the underworld to talk to each other...

In short, when choosing historical themes in the new era, Vo Thi Hao, like other writers, does not aim to glorify or praise the past but to help us understand the hidden aspects of the soul and of life.

When asked why she chose Tu Dao Hanh - Than Tong as the main character for the novel and not another character like Nguyen Phi Y Lan? Vo Thi Hao answered: "Tu Dao Hanh - Than Tong is a multifaceted character, with many mistakes and many desires - desire for power, desire for pleasure and his weakness in governing the country caused suffering.

many people and made himself suffer… He is a real character, but not so real that it impoverishes the imagination. I need him because he has gaps that I can fill and bring him back to this world, with the passions and excitements of the human world – of today. I need him even more because he is a magnet that attracts other famous historical figures: Nguyen Phi Y Lan, Ly Thuong Kiet, Ly Dao Thanh…”[42]. In her work, the writer has built characters that are different from the prototypes in official history. When asked: Do you hesitate when building such characters? She confided frankly: “Not completely different, but if they are indeed different from official history, then that is the internal logic, I am not afraid of anything”. I once answered an article that: “A writer does not have the responsibility to canonize”[27]. Choosing a historical theme and writing from a multi-dimensional perspective is a difficult thing for a writer, especially when the reception is even more difficult because the theme is familiar and does not leave a strong impression on the reader, even though the national history is very heroic and proud. When asked, "Do you think this novel will be a difficult dish that will make the reader tired?", she answered: "Yes, I know the reader will be tired, but when he finishes reading, he will feel better. My responsibility is not to bring something easy to understand to the reader, but to bring them something worth reading" [27]. Therefore, "when holding The Pyre in their hands, most readers have to read it in one sitting, many people stayed up all night to finish reading more than 500 pages of this novel" [60; p. 9].

When asked “among your brainchildren, where does The Pyre rank?” she said: “first, otherwise I would not have had the patience to write so many words.” Reviews of the novel The Pyre are generally full of praise. As Pham Xuan Nguyen and Hoang Ngoc Hien commented: “ The Pyre is a novel, first and foremost a novel, meaning that The Pyre is not first and foremost a “historical story,” not a historical illustration, but a rethinking of history using the novel method”[78].

Indeed, with her talent and passion, Vo Thi Hao has brought readers new insights into history, making readers, after coming into contact with the work, have associations, dialogues, and re-perceptions of the past and thereby suggesting connections with current issues such as the issue of national innovation, the issue of kindness, the true value of life...

The novel The Pyre has shown the writer's concept of art, requiring a dialogue with history, with things that seem to be a wall of respect in the minds of Vietnamese people. The writer also wants to aim for a more thorny, multi-dimensional view of history as well as life, requiring people to worry more about their "self" before this "multi-faceted life, multi-faceted people". With a natural and attractive tone, The Pyre is a good novel that helps Vo Thi Hao affirm her name in a difficult genre and hard to achieve success.

Historical themes in Vo Thi Hao's writings through the novel The Burning Platform - 3

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