Narrative Language in Nguyen Bac Son's Novels

The neon lights" took the District Party Committee typist and then went to part-time school, now she is the Deputy Head of the Inspection Department. And that typist, studied part-time at the University of Law, climbed to the position of Judge of the City People's Court" [51, p.245]. These are all alarming realities. With that recruitment method, the question is whether these cadres and civil servants can develop their professional capacity and complete their assigned tasks well? Or will they increasingly be stunted in their professional capacity and not perform their tasks well?

The issue of structure is also worth discussing and looking back at. In just a short paragraph, without comments or personal feelings, the narrator points out the inherent rut in arranging and organizing cadres: “If you sit in the chair of the head of the propaganda department, the head of the inspection department, the head of the organization department... then you must be a member of the district party committee. But if you are in the party committee, everything is different, you can go beyond all conventions, regardless of whether you have studied part-time or have a master's degree. Therefore, in terms of expertise, these are not highly qualified people. But from a political perspective, these are the people with the highest “prestige”” [51, p.245]. It is this way of working that has hindered the country's development and failed to attract talented people to serve the common development of the nation. This backward rut in the recruitment mechanism needs to be eliminated so that society can develop and move forward.

From the outside, appearing to have no relation to the events and issues being told, the narrator has made reality appear objectively and truthfully in the work. In that narrative, it is worth noting that the writer often uses rhetorical questions and lyrical digressions to turn to confide, to clarify the issues and characters being talked about. For example, Thao Tan's meeting with Mr. Hoan - Director of the Department of Education and Training, although short, the narrator uniquely portrays Mr. Hoan's portrait. Through a short narrative paragraph, combined with two rhetorical questions, the portrait of the director appears very impressively: "Mr. Hoan glanced sideways, making her even more uncomfortable. Why do people in the teaching profession look sideways? When talking to anyone, looking at anyone, you have to look straight into their eyes. Why does he have that habit of looking... slyly? I wonder if he already had that habit when teaching students, or has become a new director... to be strict?" [51, p.54]. The glance

That side shows that this is a person who is somewhat dishonest, a bit deceitful. Indeed, their story proves that first impression of the character. He was dishonest when he said that because he did not have enough votes of confidence, Tan was not appointed. While, in fact, Tan himself submitted his resignation letter. And he was dishonest when he sat in this director's chair. When Tan said that he lost the vote of confidence of the former Deputy Director, but still sat in the director's chair, the narrator asked short rhetorical questions to reveal this person's attitude: "Hoan's face turned pale. Because of shame? Because of anger? Or because of both?" [51, p.58].

In his narrative, the narrator almost always adds lyrical digressions. Lyrical digressions are a form of language in which the author and narrator deviate from describing events in the plot, not directly related to the action of the work. In it, the author or narrator directly expresses his thoughts, feelings, and ideas in order to comment or evaluate life and characters in the plot. Lyrical digressions often appear when the author describes a scene, a phenomenon, or a character. In relation to the author, lyrical digressions directly express the author's thoughts, helping to build the author's image as a confidant with the reader. Therefore, lyrical digressions are a means to help illuminate the ideological content of the work: revealing more fully and directly the author's attitude, character evaluation, as well as his philosophy of life. Through lyrical digressions, people directly see the author's image.

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For example, in the passage about Mrs. Phung's resourcefulness, the narrator interspersed a lyrical digression: "I ask, if she did not use her connections to build a series of lines to buy these vegetables, meat, fish, beans, fish sauce, and even half a kilo of pork rinds, how could she have such a decent daily meal?" [47, p.78]. Or when the policeman finished reading Le Cuong's license plate number - 9981, the narrator inserted a lyrical digression: "It's quite scary. I have to admit it's scary! You have to be very powerful, have some connections, and spend a lot of money to get this license plate" [47, p.100]. Or after the unexpected result of the race for the position of department head, the narrator's lyrical digression appeared: "Really, there's nothing more disorganized than the organizational work of this agency" [47, p.100 ].

p.246]. The last sentence of The Law of Life and Father and Son is also a lyrical digression: “Let’s see how far the Creator will turn things” [47, p.533].

There are also times when the author borrows the words of the characters to express his attitude. In Bitter Fire , many times the writer uses the words of the characters to reveal his attitude towards hot issues of the time. For example, when San defended his doctoral thesis, a free-lance critic said: "There have been so many unscientific theses like this, not just one of a paper doctor" [51, p.136]. Or when reporting live the trial in Thanh Hoa, people freely made comments: "- In the past, people said that the judges had black iron faces. Now, all the judges are fat, chubby, and greasy - They only get bribes - Of course! That's why there is a chain of bribes. They run from the police, the prosecutors, and the court. When you go to prison, you run from the prison guards, so it's really talented that you can't even get a sentence in prison" [51, p.573]. Or the comments of people after the trial of Tran Thanh Dinh: “If we try like this, who will believe in the law anymore? The Party must review these judges. There is a problem! It is not by chance that they discussed only trying like this. Where is the fairness? The houses are full of scooters. This is the worm, where else? - Small officials eat small, big officials eat big. Trying like this is just scratching the itch. It is too hot for the corrupt” [51, p.588].

Thus, using an objective, outside perspective helps the narrator tell the story objectively and truthfully. However, combined with rhetorical questions and lyrical digressions, it helps the narrator express his feelings and express his views and attitudes towards events and characters. This is the unique point in Nguyen Bac Son's narration.

3.1.2.2. Shifting the perspective into the character's inner self

According to the theory of narratology, the narrator has an internal point of view (character's point of view) when he/she is a character in the story. Surveying Vietnamese novels in the post-renovation period, people see that the innovation of narrative art focuses on the form of the narrator with this internal point of view. Narration from the character's point of view is a way of narrating according to the character's personality, status, and psychology. The internal point of view allows narration through the lens of a specific mood, deeply reproducing the character's inner life.

With the character's perspective from the inside, the writer has a democratic, non-imposing view of the character, making the character closer to real life and more humane. For example, when Le Hoi died, Le Hoe received an order from his boss to come to the office immediately for urgent matters, the narrator looked deep into his heart: "My intuition told me that something bad had happened to my son. No wonder, all day yesterday, I was restless and restless" [47, p.60]. Or after enjoying the pleasure of "that miserable night of my first love", Mr. Hoe was tormented and tormented terribly: "I felt like I was nothing. I also relied on money to torment other people's bodies. He was only old enough to be my grandchild. I don't know if he will get married, have children? What will his life be like? Only ten years from now. When his body is wrinkled, his face wrinkled, his skin flabby, who will care anymore. I'm so cruel!" The torment kept haunting him, making him absent-minded, restless, uncomfortable, and restless. A few sips of coffee made him even more alert” [47, p.301]. Or when Kien made an appointment to meet Dieu at the coffee shop, seeing Kien, Dieu had many feelings: “Embarrassed. Worried. But couldn’t suppress the joy that wanted to burst out of her chest” [47, p.398]. Then when she went back to that coffee shop alone to: “immerse herself in missing him, remembering his two hands clearly, holding her two hands tightly, stroking them gently” [51, p.264]. That was also Kieu Linh’s feelings when she was deceived by the unfaithful man: “It hurts so much. I hate you so much. I curse you a thousand times” [51, p.298]. Or the steadfastness of Tran Thanh Dinh when he left no trace: “Dinh was very steadfast. He left no trace, no signature, no witness, no evidence. "That son of a bitch can't do anything to me" [51, p.577]. Or when the narrator penetrates Mr. Luu's state of mind after hearing Kien say: "Deep down, Luu admits that this guy is right. He's better than me. But it's clear that he's trying to push me away. He forms cliques. He chooses people who are on the same side as me. He exalts me. He humiliates others" [51, p.314].

Although narrating from the third person, Nguyen Bac Son always moves the narrative point of view from the objective narrator to the character's point of view. The coordination and movement of the outside point of view to the inside will help the writer have the conditions to open many windows to explore life from many different angles. Accordingly, the writer has enough conditions to delve into the unconscious as well as describe in a way

vividly depicts the characters' subtle moods. From a certain perspective, it can be said that the interweaving and constant shifting of viewpoints is also a way to create the polyphonic character of the novel. Accordingly, the artistic text becomes a multi-layered structure, capable of breaking the monosyllabic nature and simultaneously resounding with many different voices.

Nguyen Bac Son was also very skillful in shifting the point of view into the character's inner world. Therefore, he was quite successful in expressing the complexities and conflicts in the inner world and the character's self-movement. This way of narration creates a sense of closeness in the reader to the character and the story told is also more realistic and vivid. For example, the passage describing Le Hoe after receiving an urgent invitation from his superior, has an objective point of view: "Le Hoe hurriedly poked the toothbrush into his mouth a few times, washed his face hastily, then ran back to his room, put on his outer clothes" [47, p.60], there is a shift in the point of view into the character Le Hoe's inner world: "His instinct told him that something bad had happened to his son. No wonder he was restless all day yesterday" [47, p.60].

Or like the narrative passage about Le Dai's introduction to his future wife, interweaving the objective point of view with the point of view of many characters. First is the objective point of view of the narrator: "Hearing the sound of the car door closing, all four people turned their eyes to look out" [47, p.351]. Next is the point of view of the character Thao Tan: "secretly praising her brother for finding a girl who was young, beautiful, and said to be very capable" [47, p.351]. Then the point of view of Tran Kien: "The first episode was good, the second episode is even better" [47, p.351]. Nguyen Bac Son was extremely skillful in letting Thao Tan and Kien express their attitudes towards Kieu Linh first because they had never met her, did not know her story with Le Cuong, so their point of view was objective. Not rushing to let Le Hoe and Mrs. Phung express their attitudes, the writer returned to the point of view of the narrator: "The girl chattered as she followed her lover into the house. Mr. Hoe slightly sat up” [47, p.351]. Then Mr. Hoe was shocked: “His eyes suddenly darkened and he fell back onto the sofa, his right hand quickly raised to his left chest. That place immediately hurt a few times, making him shrink back” [47, p.351]. Mrs. Phung was no less than him: “Mrs. Phung stood up to see clearly, then just stood there frozen like that” [47, p.351]. At this point, the girl he brought to introduce herself also did not

can be nervous, worried as when not meeting everyone anymore: "The girl was scared and pulled back, pulling her lover's hand to hide behind him as if to avoid him" [47, p.351]. Seeing the attitude of his lover and parents, Le Dai was surprised: "Dai kept looking at his parents and then at his lover. Not understanding what was happening" [47, p.351]. And Kien and his wife also had the same mood as Le Dai. With a short paragraph, along with the combination and reasonable shift of viewpoints, the author has very clearly built up the atmosphere of the meeting with the future bride through the inner thoughts of the characters. Thanks to the reasonable use of those viewpoints, the writer narrated that meeting in both specific detail and logic. The reader feels like he is witnessing that story.

Or the passage about Kien and Dieu's meeting at Bang Lang coffee shop, almost entirely subjective, character's point of view, in which there is also a shift in character's point of view to character. Point of view from character Kien: "He watched her walk in. Her steps were long and decisive. Each heel step was an expression of affirmation and confidence, as if to prove his presence. The chocolate-colored short skirt was tight below the knee, revealing her long, straight legs in thin skin-colored stockings. Cowhide-colored high heels, a light brown collarless shirt, half-sleeved, hugging her slim, neat body. A small liver-colored handbag. He had never been able to freely look at her carefully, walking steadily towards him like this. Her gait was so beautiful. Both noble, both politician, and feminine" [47, pp. 398 - 399]. The point of view shifted to Thanh Dieu: "She wondered, what was this all about? Only lovers date like this, in places like this. Impossible! Why not? Working close to a man like this without falling in love is absurd” [47, p.399]. Then the point of view shifts to Kien: “He looked at her, looking deeply into her beautiful, captivating eyes… I have to admit they were more beautiful than Thao Tan’s eyes. I have never given anyone this kind of sympathy and sharing” [47, p.400]. And it is Thanh Dieu’s point of view again: “… Let’s just kiss this one time, okay? I give this sacred kiss to you, as if I have given everything to you, my love. I will not, never give it to my husband again, since that slap” [47, p.403]. It can be seen that, only a psychological person would choose to narrate through the character’s point of view to tell about that meeting. And by choosing that way, the author has made his character

express one's own feelings and moods objectively, not according to the narrator's arrangement.

Thus, using the third-person narrative art will ensure the reliability of objective reality because he is not the one who knows the story in advance and then tells it, but only follows the character's footsteps and the development of events. The shift of the narrative point of view into the character's inner self makes the narration more realistic and vivid. The distance between the author and the character is shortened to the maximum, making it difficult to distinguish between the narrator's voice and the character's voice. Thereby, the reader understands more clearly and deeply the character's inner life.

3.2. Narrative language in Nguyen Bac Son's novels

Language in all its aesthetic qualities is the material, the means of expression characteristic of literature. Without language, there can be no literary work. In a literary work, language is the means to concretize and materialize the expression of the theme and ideas of the work, the character and plot, etc. The language of a literary work is an artistic phenomenon.

In his novels, Nguyen Bac Son uses a variety of narrative language. First of all, it is a thesis novel, so the first characteristic language is political and social language. However, it reflects real people and real events in society, so the language is still colloquial. The writer's tone when writing about hot issues and characters is sometimes humorous, so the language is also humorous and witty.

3.2.1. Political and social language

Nguyen Bac Son's novel is a political thesis novel, so the work is densely populated with words belonging to the class of political and social words. That class of words appears right in the narrator's words, the characters' words through monologues and dialogues. With the ambition to reflect and closely follow the reality of contemporary social life, the writer has included in the work real historical data to demonstrate and bring high persuasive effect to the reader. The historical data that the writer includes are all applied in specific cases for learning, for contemplation, for having the right direction for the present and the future. The number of political words

- society a lot. Sometimes writers spend whole pages writing about a certain issue.

All demonstrate a deep knowledge of history and society, along with an ability to grasp solid historical facts and apply them to specific situations to increase persuasiveness.

First, the writer reminds us of the signs of a past time - the land reform period - the subsidy period. First is the false accusation of the landlord by Mr. Hoe's wife. Listening to the instigation of the reform team leader, Ms. Man followed his script. That is, she made up a story about the landlord raping her: "- You raped me again, do you remember? - Ah! Are you still denying it? A needle pricking into flesh hurts. Flesh pricking into flesh, you remember each other for life! Are you still denying it?" [47, p.50]. With those words, the landlord could only bow his head and admit his guilt. With a short paragraph, the writer created the boiling atmosphere of a time of land reform with the landlord's accusations by the peasants. This reform and accusation redistributed land fairly to the majority of peasants in the North, abolishing the feudal landlord class. However, the dogmatic imposition of measures caused many harms. This reform and struggle created a tense atmosphere in the Northern countryside at that time, and had a strong impact on the national unity of the Vietnamese people. During the following year, the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam had to organize a campaign to admit shortcomings and correct mistakes, restore honor and property for wrongful convictions, as well as remove many high-ranking officials responsible for these mistakes.

The most difficult thing for people living during the ration stamp period was having to line up to buy food at the stores. There were many people, but few stores. Therefore, in front of the stores, people who needed to buy food always lined up in long lines like playing dragon and snake. Some people ran out of rice or had to attend a death anniversary, and if they wanted to buy it early, they had to come and stand from 3-4 am, even at midnight. On days when many people with "great thoughts" came, when it was still dark, they lined up and sat around in front of the stores like ghosts. They stood in line for so long, but they were not sure if they would be able to buy anything. After waiting for their turn, the sales clerk loudly announced that the goods were sold out and slammed the door shut. All the remaining people had to turn around and leave, exhausted. Tomorrow, they will line up again... It was also the subsidy period that gave birth to a series of powerful and cunning trade officials like Kim Phung.

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