Old stories of Hanoi in To Hoai's literature

People in the suburbs, Hometown, Old Stories of Hanoi ... He writes carefully, always correcting and trimming words to make them concise, changing syntax to make them closer to common speech, with many humorous and sharp comments, rich in imagery and poetry " [23, 175]

In the Introduction to the To Hoai Collection , Professor Ha Minh Duc wrote: “ The world of To Hoai's characters are the types of ordinary people familiar with the daily life of the countryside. They spin silk, weave, go to the market... to make a living. When the weather is favorable, the countryside resounds with the steady sound of weaving shuttles until late at night, the market is bustling with buyers and sellers, the village festival is bustling in the spring, young men and women date couples... " [23 , 113]

The opinions of the above authors are correct and in-depth assessments of the topic of Hanoi in To Hoai's works. However, up to now, there has not been any specialized research work written specifically about Old Stories of Hanoi in To Hoai's writings. Therefore, these opinions are a very valuable theoretical basis for us in further researching the topic of Hanoi by To Hoai through the two collections of stories Old Stories of Hanoi .

3. Research object and scope

The thesis does not study all of To Hoai's works on the subject of Hanoi but only focuses on the two volumes of Old Stories of Hanoi .

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4. Research tasks

The thesis points out and reveals the values and characteristics in the content of the two collections of stories Old Stories of Hanoi along with the artistic and stylistic characteristics of To Hoai. From there, it affirms the position and contributions of writer To Hoai to the national literature in general, with the topic of Hanoi in particular.

5. Research methods

The thesis uses the following methods:

- Historical method

- Synthetic analysis method

- Comparison method

6. Structure of the thesis

In addition to the Introduction, Conclusion, and References, the main content of the thesis is presented in 3 chapters:

Chapter 1: Social context - Literary life in the years 1941 - 1945 and the writing career of writer To Hoai

Chapter 2: Value and characteristics of Old Stories of Hanoi

Chapter 3: To Hoai's Art and Style

CONTENT SECTION

Chapter 1

SOCIAL CONTEXT - LITERARY LIFE IN 1941-1945 AND THE CREATIVE CAREER OF WRITER TO HOAI

1.1. Social context of the years 1941 - 1945

* World situation.

Since the second half of the 1930s, fascist forces have intensified their expansionist and invasive activities, and have been engaged in an arms race in preparation for war to redividualize the world. On September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland, starting World War II. On September 3, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Taking advantage of the war situation, the Daladier government implemented a series of measures to suppress democratic forces at home and in the colonies. The French Popular Front collapsed, and the French Communist Party was outlawed.

In July 1939, appointed as Governor-General of Indochina, Cateru intensified the policy of colonial plunder and suppression of the struggle movement, declaring that "we will attack all communist organizations quickly and comprehensively; in this struggle, we must destroy the communists so that Indochina can be peaceful and loyal to France". Martial law was declared. To serve the mother country, they intensified the exploitation of Indochina, ordering a general mobilization to " provide the mother country with the maximum potential of Indochina in terms of army, human resources, products and raw materials ". The result of that policy was that 80,000 Vietnamese soldiers were sent to France.

In June 1940, France surrendered to Germany. In Indochina, appointed as Governor-General to replace Catrou, De Cue reformed the governing apparatus, fascizing the ruling apparatus to suppress the Indochina revolution.

In June 1941, Nazi Germany launched an attack on the Soviet Union. The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people began. The nature of the war changed fundamentally from here. Two fronts were formed in the world, one side was the Allies and democratic forces led by the Soviet Union and the other side was the fascist bloc including Germany, Italy, and Japan.

In 1945, World War II entered its final phase. On the European battlefield, Nazi Germany was wiped out of the Soviet Union. Many Eastern European countries were liberated. The capital Berlin was about to fall. At the same time, British and American troops landed in France, opening a new front against Germany. France was liberated.

In Asia-Pacific, Japanese fascists were also in trouble before the relentless attacks of the British and Americans on land and at sea... In August 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. This situation created favorable conditions for our people to rise up and seize power.

* Situation in Vietnam

After the war broke out, on September 29, 1939, the Party Central Committee sent a communique to Party committees at all levels, outlining a number of immediate directions and urgent measures to redirect the Party's activities.

In Indochina, in June 1940, Japan sent a letter to the Governor-General of Indochina requesting the closure of the Vietnam-China border. In August 1940, Japan asked France to allow Japanese troops into Indochina and to recognize Japan's privileges in Indochina. Japan forced France to go from one concession to another, while trying to attract some opportunists among the landlords and bourgeoisie to serve their invasion plot. These people hid under the guise of political parties (Dai Viet, Phuc Quoc...) or religions to operate.

They tried to spread false propaganda about Japanese civilization and power, about the " Greater East Asia " theory, and actively paved the way for Japan to oust France.

After surrendering to the Japanese in Lang Son (September 1940), and then opening the door for them to enter Indochina, the French colonialists were clearly weakened, and Japan continued to encroach to turn Indochina into their colony and war base. Japanese companies invested more and more in Indochina and operated in many industries and trades. Both Japan and France tried to exploit the people, forcing our people to sell rice according to the cultivated area, forcing our people to uproot rice to grow jute, castor oil... It is clear that since setting foot in Indochina, whether directly or indirectly through the hands of the French fascists, Japan has thoroughly exploited the raw materials and food of our country and people to serve the war...

Despite being oppressed and deprived by Japan in every way, the French colonialists still used cunning tricks to gain the highest profits such as increasing speculation and hoarding, implementing the "command economy " policy , increasing taxes three times, purchasing rice at cheap prices... These tricks caused serious food shortages in the market and were the direct cause of more than two million of our compatriots in the North starving to death in the first few months of 1945.

Under the two layers of heavy oppression and exploitation by Japan and France, the people in general, especially the peasants, were pushed into a state of misery and misery. The life of the peasants at that time was truly miserable. They lived on a mere meal of bland rice porridge and were naked in the cold of winter nights. Besides, not only the peasants, the lives of other social classes were also miserable in many ways...

In short, except for the big landlords, the comprador bourgeoisie, the corrupt mandarins and the speculators, all classes of people groaned.

under the two layers of Japanese and French oppression and exploitation. Therefore, our people are seething with hatred, and ready to rise up when the opportunity comes. The whole of Vietnam is like a dry grass field, just a small spark falling on it will flare up and burn the invaders and their lackeys.

1.2. Literary life in the years 1941 - 1945

Literary life during this period had many changes associated with the transformation of three literary movements: revolutionary literature, critical realism literature and romantic literature.

Proletarian literature retreated into secrecy but still developed strongly. Revolutionary poetry in prison and revolutionary poetry outside prison developed, talking a lot about the future, a bright future approaching. During this period, propaganda poetry combined with revolutionary lyric poetry became more profound and profound. To Huu matured quickly with the poetry collection From Then On. Ho Chi Minh's Prison Diary was also written during this period. Besides poetry, a series of political articles by comrade Truong Chinh appearing in the Party's newspapers during this period also had much literary value. It can be said that revolutionary literature in the pre-uprising years contributed significantly to the Party's revolutionary movement, smashing the colonial regime, winning victory in the historic August days of 1945.

Critical realist literature has a strong division. Vu Trong Phung passed away; some writers stopped writing novels and gradually turned to research and translation like Ngo Tat To...

A new generation of realistic writers was born: Nam Cao, Manh Phu Tu, Nguyen Dinh Lap, Bui Hien, ... These realistic writers continued to describe the dark life of farmers as in Chi Pheo , Lao Hac by Nam Cao; Living on the side of Manh Phu Tu, Ngo o, Ngo hem by Nguyen Dinh Lap.

Lap, Lying in the Rain by Bui Hien... The dead-end life of petty bourgeois intellectuals was also deeply mentioned by realist writers such as in Song Mort, Doi Thua, Trang Sang by Nam Cao. Thus, it can be said that realist writers raised the sharp contradictions between the ruling class and the working class. They focused on writing about the process of the peasants being impoverished and turned into hooligans. What led to this disaster was hunger and death.

Romantic literature fell into a deadlocked, extreme ego. Some authors in the Tu Luc Van Doan introduced an “immoral” ideology . Nguyen Tuan went into nostalgia, travel and a decadent life.... New Poetry was in a serious crisis with drunken poetry, crazy poetry, chaotic poetry...

1.3. The creative career and the position of the theme of Hanoi in the works of writer To Hoai

1.3.1. The writing career of writer To Hoai.

To Hoai was born on September 27, 1920 in his maternal hometown - Nghia Do village, Hoai Duc district, old Ha Dong province (now Nghia Do ward, Cau Giay district, Hanoi). His paternal hometown is in Kim Bai town, Thanh Oai district, Ha Tay province. Since his childhood, To Hoai has lived closely with the land and people of the suburbs. Therefore, the life and people of Nghia Do village have been an endless source of inspiration for the writer. To Hoai once confided: "The social life around me, my own thoughts and circumstances have entered my writings."

To Hoai's real name is Nguyen Sen. In his writing career, he used many different pen names such as: Mat Bien, Mai Trang, Duy Phuong, Hong Hoa (used for journalism)... Among those pen names, To Hoai is the one he used the most and is very familiar to readers. Because of his love for Hanoi

The writer borrowed the name of the To Lich River and the name of the land of Hoai Duc to create his pen name.

To Hoai was born into a family of silk weavers, and was assigned to finish primary school, then study and work at the same time. To Hoai did many jobs to make a living: craftsman, private tutor, salesman, accountant... and self-taught to become a writer. His background and life experiences helped To Hoai have a profound practical knowledge, which greatly helped his writing.

In 1938, during the Democratic Front period, To Hoai participated in the weaver friendship movement, became secretary of the executive committee of the Ha Dong Weaver Friendship Association, and then participated in the anti-imperialist youth movement. In 1943, he joined the first National Salvation Culture group in Hanoi. After the August Revolution, To Hoai participated in the Southern Movement; then went to Viet Bac to work for the National Salvation newspaper , editor-in-chief of Viet Bac National Salvation, and editor-in-chief of the National Salvation Magazine. From 1951, he worked at the Vietnam Literary and Arts Association. After peace was restored, at the first Writers' Congress in 1957, he was elected General Secretary of the Association. From 1958 to 1980, he continued to participate in the executive committee, then Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Writers' Association. From 1966 to 1996, he was Chairman of the Hanoi Literary and Arts Association. In addition, To Hoai also participated in many other social activities.

Growing up in a country under colonial rule, To Hoai witnessed firsthand the suffering of farmers in the countryside and the urban poor. Taking up writing, he expressed his sympathy and shared with the poor countryside with a deep and passionate attachment. To Hoai left behind a huge body of work both before and after the August Revolution.

To Hoai came to the writing profession quite early. Before the August Revolution, when he was only 17 or 18 years old, he had some poetry compositions published in Tieu Thuyet Thu Bay.

Old stories of Hanoi in To Hoai's literature - 2

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