Loyal people, full of desire for love and happiness, are also respected and praised by writers. Quy ( The Woman on the Express Train - Nguyen Minh Chau) carries within herself " the burning desire of a soul that is too greedy". Quy walks between the two banks of reality and illusion. The "reality" of the chaotic life in the post-war period and the "illusion" of a love in the distant past. Besides the beauty of Quy is the silent, enduring love of Lien ( Home Wharf - Nguyen Minh Chau); the faithful waiting " in one's whole life can only love one person and worship a husband who can turn to stone " of Thai ( Reeds - Nguyen Minh Chau); the preservation of love memories of Mrs. Hue ( Guest from the countryside - Nguyen Minh Chau); the waiting holding in her heart " silent infatuation " of Que ( Love story of each person - Nguyen Khai); is the love of Ms. Thien, Nhien ( My sister Thien , Nhien! Dance artist - Ma Van Khang)...
Writers also express their admiration for people who are rich in self-respect, humanity and responsibility. This is the traditional beauty of the Vietnamese soul. Reading Nguyen Minh Chau's works, we often encounter characters who, because of self-respect, repent and contrite themselves, such as Nhi ( Hometown Wharf ), the painter ( The Painting ), Mrs. Thien Linh ( The Season of the Starfruit in the South )...; because of self-respect, they have a caring attitude towards animals, such as Lan ( A Time of Confrontation ), Mr. Thong ( Living Forever with Green Trees )...; because of self-respect, they are ready to fight selflessly against the enemy, such as soldiers ( The Woman on the Express Train ), Thang ( The Storm )... We see that behind these people is the shadow of the writer Nguyen Minh Chau, full of worries and concerns, with a steadfast belief in the goodness of people. That is a " very calm courage ". Nguyen Khai also perceives people in the depth of their personality. The character of Ms. Hien ( A Hanoian ) is a typical example of a person with self-respect. Ma Van Khang also expressed his love and admiration for those noble people such as: Trang Van Da ( Red cotton flower ); Ms. Sec ( Eternal peace ); Pao ( San Cha Chai )… People with self-respect still quietly weave lasting values over time.
The voice of praise is raised not only to affirm the beauty of human beings but also to express the artist's feelings before the beauty of nature, homeland, and country. Nguyen Minh Chau, through his speeches, made the reader moved by the dreamy seascape in the early morning ( The boat far away - Nguyen Minh Chau) like " an ink painting by an ancient master" that made the artist confused and "something squeezed his heart". Nguyen Khai rarely wrote pages of "wandering" literature thinking about natural objects. However, when the writer "stopped" to "relax", the natural pictures that appeared were no less dreamy: " Suddenly heard a very light rustling sound on the other side of the stream. A flock of heavenly peacocks, each weighing about ten kilos, lined up to go to the stream to bathe. They bathe and swim, their tails spread out, the flowers as big as the mouth of a cup shimmering like the stars in the sky. The distant call of a deer echoes in the bamboo forest and the clear stone stream flows tirelessly under their feet. Even gods and fairies cannot live any better " [98, p. 414]. If Nguyen Minh Chau often uses nature as the background for his characters' thoughts, Nguyen Khai mainly focuses on the problems of human life, then Ma Van Khang is especially passionate when writing about the beauty of nature, homeland, and villages. Under the talented pen of a language artist, the border landscape has an illusory beauty, capable of captivating people's hearts. San Cha Chai leads readers to a pure, innocent world to purify their souls, to avoid being tainted by the filthy ways of life: “ The sky opens wide with eight wings for us to freely see the Red River - a vast streak in the middle of the sky ”; “ The golden mountains with cogon grass are like a sea of afternoon sunlight. It is the distant, hazy green space of ancient bamboo forests. It is the fragrant smell of cardamom mixed with the fresh air under the canopy of a primeval forest of pure old Po-mu ” [103, p. 766]. Ban Na Le ( Hunting season in Na Le ); Muong Hum, Ban Giay ( The Abandoned People )… all carry within themselves that poetic and wonderful beauty.
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The affirmative and praising tone in the short stories of Nguyen Minh Chau, Nguyen Khai, and Ma Van Khang also exudes an attitude of respect for the traditional cultural values of the nation. Nguyen Minh Chau not only discovered the beauty of Vietnamese culture as "household customs" ( Home Wharf, The Boat Out at Sea ) but also discovered and wrote about the lifestyle of Vietnamese farmers ( Guests from the Countryside, Giat Market ). The notions of " Even torn paper must be kept in line ", " Fish drown in water for their children " are deeply ingrained in the consciousness of our people. That is the reason why the fishmonger woman ( The Boat Out at Sea ) gritted her teeth and endured all the hardships to keep a warm family home for her children. The image of Lien ( Home Wharf ) quietly and devotedly taking care of her husband during his illness with " the familiar sound of cautious footsteps throughout a woman's life on worn-out wooden steps " echoes the beauty of Vietnamese women from ancient times. The image of Thai ( reed grass ) in relation to the mountain of Vong Phu at the rock beach on Doi mountain seems to evoke the noble humanistic values that have existed forever in literature and among the people - a symbol of loyalty. Especially with the story series Khach o que ra and Phien cho Giat , Nguyen Minh Chau has " located his homeland on the literary map and in the hearts of the public ". The customs of Vietnamese farmers are realistically and vividly portrayed by the author through the portrait of the character Lao Khung. The cultural values of ordinary, daily life are distilled in the literary pages such as the deep awareness of the family, of the origin, of the village and neighborhood love... That is the natural beauty with the flavor of the countryside.
Nguyen Khai also discovered the "undercurrent" of the moral foundation in each person of the Vietnamese community, which is the customs and habits, the beautiful ways of life of our ancestors. According to Nguyen Khai's concept, the "beautiful lifestyle of our ancestors still flows quietly in the current bustling life" [169, p. 158]. And that is the strength to keep the family warm and preserve human dignity. That way of life is shown in the character's concept of food, clothing, thinking, lifestyle, ideals, aspirations... Ms. Hien ( A Hanoian ) is a character with a strong Hanoian character. Deep inside that person is the spirit of Hanoi. The spirit is nurtured by the tradition of the land of thousands of years of civilization. The image of Miss Hien Lau
The image of a simple but meaningful bowl of water contains the typical atmosphere of Hanoi's Tet holiday. That will be an image that Hanoians in the future will have to " remember with heavy hearts ". Traditional household items are mentioned by the writer in many of his works. They are not inanimate, priceless objects. They contain the flow of time and history, and the souls of many generations: "a kneeling table and a cupboard, a whole set of vases and vases that are said to be very precious, then brocade and fur coats" ( There used to be happy days ); “ There is a set of red-lacquered and gilded sofas, a rosewood bed and a cupboard” ( A Drop of Pale Sunlight )... Family traditions are also shown from the way of eating to the way of dressing. In A Hanoian , “ The dining table is covered with a white cloth, in the middle of the table is a small vase of flowers, an upside-down bowl on a plate, chopsticks wrapped in paper, and each person sits in a designated place ” [98, p. 183]; in There Were Happy Days , “ the meal is still the same as before, a table of food, roast meat, braised fish, mushroom soup, minced meat stuffed with snails, lined with ginger leaves… ” [98, p. 381]. “Family traditions” have connected family members and the community.
Ma Van Khang spent his youth attached to the land of the West. Returning to Hanoi, catching up with urban life, he wrote with sublimation in inspiration and writing style. He saw the beauty of life not only in the wonderful natural paintings, noble people, but the writer also expressed his attitude of praising the beauty of national culture with profound experience. Those are the spring love markets - people come to the market to enjoy the beauty of nature, have fun dancing and singing and find a lover. Those are the customs, habits, thinking, and lifestyle of the Mong, Dao, Xa ethnic groups ( Giang Ta - wanderer , Claws of time , San Cha Chai ...). Those are the beautiful Muong Hum and Giay villages - " the homeland of Giay folk songs, bustling with festive atmosphere all year round ". When turning his pen to urban life, like Nguyen Minh Chau and Nguyen Khai, Ma Van Khang praised the foundation of family ethics because according to him, " a happy family is always the eternal wish of people ". Besides Ma Van Khang's novels that mention this issue such as The Season of Fallen Leaves in the Garden , The Wedding Without a Marriage Certificate , short stories such as Thanh minh troi thanh sang , Mien an lac vinh hang , Thay Khien, Ben bo ... all convey the message that family is a peaceful harbor for
Every person. Every loss and suffering is supported by family affection ( Ben bo , Thay Khien ...), by the spiritual beliefs of ancestors and deceased relatives ( Thanh minh troi trong sang ) ... It can be said that, of the three writers, Nguyen Minh Chau tends to express the cultural beauty selected and distilled from life; Nguyen Khai is passionate about the cultural traditions of the capital; and Ma Van Khang seeks the unique beauty of mountain people and urban daily life.
Praising the beauty of life, each writer has his own "style", his own style. The affirmative and praising tone in Nguyen Minh Chau's writings is directly expressed through linguistic means. First of all, through the way NKC addresses the characters being told. The narrator calls the characters by name as comrade, soldier, by title, the old call them by name, the young call them by name. For example: "On the other side of the stream, the soldier used tiger balm to massage my feet, while sitting down to rest (...)The soldier had to carry my paintings on his back (…) and also carry my own backpack on his chest ” [33, p. 120]; “ The female military doctor
The doctor took me to the chair and she also sat down next to me ” [33, p. 140]… A series of other characters such as: Thai, Luc ( Co lau ); Phung, Dau ( Chiec thuyen ngoai xa ); the soldier, chairman Boi ( Phien cho Giat )… were also given that name by Nguyen Minh Chau. Such a way of addressing creates an elegant writing style. The affirmative, praising tone is also shown in NKC’s use of words describing the characters’ intense emotions, the colors that make a strong impression ( Ben que, Chiec thuyen ngoai xa ); the majestic, grandiose images… Nguyen Minh Chau is known as “ the pioneer of innovation ”, the change in his perspective on reality and people has given him a multifaceted, profound view. The worries of daily life, the anxiety and chaos after the war do not take away from the artist’s feelings for beauty. Beauty exists and shines in the “muddy” place. And perhaps, that is the strongest belief, the deepest expression of the heart of artist Nguyen Minh Chau.
Examining Nguyen Khai's short stories, we see that, expressing the praising tone, the writer does not shout with beautiful words, soaring images and comparisons, but with sharp and vivid language materials. Therefore, the affirmative and praising tone is not radiant and grandiose, but calm and profound: "The old man's spiritual potential is truly great. Such a strong person just keeps going through the wind and waves, no disaster or risk dares to come near . At first hearing, it seems like a lucky fate, but after listening and thinking carefully, only really strong people can create for themselves such rare luck " [98, p. 153]. If the writer uses comparisons to praise, they are also images rich in expression and philosophical meaning: "It is a pity that a person like her must die, another golden dust of Hanoi falling and sinking deep into the ancient soil. The golden dust glittering somewhere in every corner of Hanoi, let's borrow the wind to fly up so that the capital's land shines with golden light" [98, p. 199].
Ma Van Khang often uses beautiful words and soaring comparisons... to reveal emotions right in the words. For example, describing Seo Ly ( Seo Ly - The one who stirs up love affairs ), the writer writes: " her waist and hips are smooth and her breasts are full of vitality and fertility "; " her eyes are as blue as the shimmering mountains, her lips are open, full of invitation and seduction " [103, p. 89]...
In Vietnamese short stories after 1975, in the works of Nguyen Huy Thiep and young writers such as Nguyen Thi Thu Hue, Vo Thi Hao, Le Minh Khue, Y Ban, Phan Thi Vang Anh... the voice of praise does not appear but is buried deep in the narrative, in more affirmation. At the end of the short storyThe Sawmills , Nguyen Huy Thiep lets the characters continue to search for the meaning of life, longing for beauty: " We keep walking on the vast seven-colored rainbow of white bauhinia flowers on the roadside. The white color is so restless, heartbreaking. This is the bauhinia flower, a thousand years later, will you bloom as white as this ?" Vo Thi Hao affirmed the beauty in the souls of altruistic, kind-hearted people such as Huan, Tuan, Tam ( Blood of the Leaves ); Thao ( The Remnant of the Laughing Forest ); The affirmative and praising tone in the works of Nguyen Minh Chau, Nguyen Khai, and Ma Van Khang after 1975 has changed a lot compared to the previous period. Before 1975, this was the dominant tone of the genre .
expressing admiration and honor for people representing the community, imbued with epic colors. After 1975, this tone was not as generous and radiant, but rather calm with rich expressions in many aspects of everyday life.
4.2. Satirical tone
As mentioned, post-war life was extremely chaotic and complicated. That required writers to "look straight at the truth" and be honest with their pens. The expansion of aesthetic categories brought literature closer to everyday life. The rotation of many narrative perspectives made literature appear with a dialogic voice, with individualization of tones, and the characters all had their own voices, not all of them in one voice. Therefore, the satirical and satirical tone in the short stories of Nguyen Minh Chau, Nguyen Khai, and Ma Van Khang not only aimed to create laughter and entertainment, but behind it contained a concern and contemplation before the multifaceted life, the multifaceted people with many different levels and nuances.
Through surveying and studying the short stories of the three writers mentioned above, we realize that one of the factors that created innovation for the art of narrative in post-1975 literature in general and short stories in particular is the satirical, ironic tone with a self-deprecating color. Self-deprecating is laughing at oneself, criticizing oneself in a humorous way. Self-deprecating appears when people are deeply aware of their personal "I", dare to recognize and examine themselves. In the process of self-awareness, people always face, dialogue and be honest with themselves. The self-deprecating tone is suitable for the need to "re-perceive" of each individual. In the short stories of the three writers, Nguyen Khai's self-deprecating tone is expressed most clearly. He often used his ego as the object of ridicule and mockery... That explains why the writer often used the storytelling style in NT1 and NKC that had many characteristics similar to the author's, sometimes even calling him by name such as: " Uncle Khai ", " Mr. Khai ", " Comrade Khai "... The writer transformed into a series of people.
A series of out-of-date characters such as: the " gentle " and " extremely easygoing " department head who does not know how to assert his authority ( Living among a crowd ) ; the out-of-date writer ( Hero of misfortune ); the gullibility of the character "I" ( The fool )... Following NKC's stream of consciousness in Hero of misfortune , the reader cannot help but
not in harmony with the writer's self-deprecating laughter: " So who should we compare the status of a writer to? It must be ranked below a shaman or a fortune teller. These professions are making money because they are still very necessary for the dream of becoming a billionaire. We can only compare the writer today with the people who make sedge in commune N. They were once mighty, but now they are so pitiful " [98, p. 277]. Or in The Hidden Side of People , NKC's words "I" exude an attitude of self-mockery and self-mockery: " My writing is different, people come and go noisily, talking at each other's expense, looking at each other's faces to talk, and when it comes to reasoning, the reader doesn't have time to breathe, doesn't have time to argue, only later do they see that there are still many things to discuss " [98, p. 455]. In Nguoi Nguoi Nguoi , laughter bursts out when the character "I" discovers that he has been deceived, his kindness taken advantage of: " To be honest, my stupid behavior in the story just now was not the first time. I have been foolish many times, been deceived many times, simply because I was too gullible, thinking that what people said was true, without any hidden meaning, any plot..." [98, p. 222]. Nguyen Khai's self-deprecating tone is both bitter, bitter, and regretful, resentful. Behind it is a confident, brave attitude that dares to "show off" one's own cowardice and incompetence. Nguyen Minh Chau did not express his self-mockery as clearly as Nguyen Khai, but in his works, we still recognize a discreet self-criticism through the characters: writer T ( Playing the role ), the painter ( The painting ), Hang ( Hang )... In Ma Van Khang's short stories, the self-mockery tone is faint, the writer mainly laughs at the bad things and evils in everyday life.
The satirical and ironic tone in the short stories of Nguyen Minh Chau, Nguyen Khai, and Ma Van Khang also shows an attitude of indignation towards bad habits, jealousy, and envy of people. Nguyen Minh Chau expressed an ironic and satirical attitude through the lines written about Toan - a character in The Season of Tamarind Fruits in the South . Toan was originally a coward, "who had never known what gunfire was all his life ". Returning to peacetime, he built a kind of "prison" with absurd principles: " How much blood and bones were sprinkled from the sky, so that the D7 soldiers could freely form two vertical lines, marching in unison to the shout of "one, two" of Toan " [98, p. 529]. Toan is the embodiment of a peacetime dictator, a new kind of demon that appeared after the war. The satirical attitude towards badness and evil is expressed gently but deeply.