The process of modernization of Vietnamese literary research in the first half of the 20th century

research into the same section to evaluate and criticize those authors.

From 1945 to 1975, all literary history books paid attention to the survey of the first half of the 20th century. Besides the part about creative activities, the works all mentioned more or less literary research activities. However, most of the works considered literary research activities in this period as a form of literary criticism. Some typical works that mentioned literary criticism and research activities in the first half of the 20th century include: Outline of Vietnamese Literature (volume 3, 1957, compiled by Le Quy Don Group); Diagram of Vietnamese Literature (Phong Trao Van Hoa Publishing House, Saigon, 1967) and Literary Criticism of the 1932 - 1945 Generation (Phong Trao Van Hoa Publishing House, Saigon, 2 volumes, 1972 - 1975) by Thanh Lang; Abridged History of Vietnamese Literature 1862 - 1945 (National Studies Publishing House, Saigon, 1965) by Pham The Ngu, Brief Literature: Research and Literary Criticism (Volume 3, Nam Son Publishing House, Saigon, 1968) by Nguyen Van Trung.

Among the above works, Thanh Lang's work Literary Criticism of the 1932-1945 Generation has the broadest coverage. In this work and a part of the Vietnamese Literature Map , Thanh Lang sketched out a general picture of Vietnamese literary research and criticism in the first half of the 20th century such as: Characteristics of the period, Theory of criticism, Differentiation of writers, Ten literary cases, Six critical trends; Introduction and comments on 17 critics... Thanh Lang's works have a common feature of being research, descriptive and listing events; therefore, they have not yet clearly shown the process and development rules of Vietnamese literary research in the first half of the 20th century. Moreover, in volume I of the book Literary Criticism of the 1932 Generation , the author devoted the entire chapter II to a general statement about literary criticism and introduced a number of critical schools in the world. Then, in volume II, he introduces the schools of the world mentioned in volume I.

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Therefore, the scattered impression of the book series is even more evident. But the valuable thing about these works is that they have provided a valuable amount of material that is very necessary for future generations of researchers.

Volume 3 of the Simplified History of Vietnamese Literature (1862 - 1945) by Pham The Ngu is a serious research work on the literary situation from 1862 to 1945. In this work, Pham The Ngu mainly mentioned achievements in literary creation. However, he also devoted some pages to introducing research and criticism activities from 1907 to 1932, as well as to highly appreciate the criticism activities from 1940 - 1945.

In the Literature Review (volume 3), after briefly mentioning the birth of literary criticism, Nguyen Van Trung modeled the forms of criticism and the types of critics. According to the author, this period had five critical concepts: Dogmatic subjective impression criticism (Dao Duy Anh, Thieu Son, Hoai Thanh, Vu Ngoc Phan, Truong Chinh), Textbook criticism (Tran Thanh Mai, Le Thanh, Kieu Thanh Que, Duong Quang Ham...), Ethical criticism (Pham Quynh, Tran Trong Kim, Ngo Duc Ke, Huynh Thuc Khang, Hai Trieu, Mong Son, Thai Phi, Le Thanh...), Psychoanalytic criticism (Nguyen Van Hanh, Truong Tuu), Social criticism (Hai Trieu, Nguyen Bach Khoa)...

In addition to the works mentioned above, scattered in the book History of Literature during the French Resistance 1858 - 1945 (Tri Dang Publishing House, Saigon, 1972), Le Van Sieu mentioned the issue of research and criticism, as well as introduced literary critics and researchers such as Dao Duy Anh, Dang Thai Mai, Phan Van Hum, Ho Huu Tuong, Tran Thanh Mai, Hoai Thanh, Truong Tuu.

After 1975, research works on literary criticism and research in the first half of the 20th century received increasing attention. Besides the

The History of Vietnamese Literature from 1900 to 1930 (Education Publishing House, Hanoi, 1981) and the History of Vietnamese Literature from 1930 to 1945 compiled by Huynh Ly, Nguyen Trac, Nguyen Dang Manh, Nguyen Hoanh Khung, and Hoang Dung only devoted a few modest pages to literary criticism and research activities compared to creative activities. Recently, we have seen many articles, monographs, doctoral theses, and master's theses specifically mentioning the research and criticism achievements of a number of researchers and critics who lived through both periods. Pham Thi Men's master's thesis: Hoai Thanh's contributions to critical theory before the August Revolution (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi, 2001); Tran Hanh Mai's doctoral thesis: Hoai Thanh's literary criticism career (Hanoi Pedagogical University, Hanoi, 2000, Education Publishing House, 2003); Duong Thu Thuy's master's thesis: Tran Thanh Mai's contributions to criticism and research on literary history (Hue Pedagogical University, Hue, 2004); Ho Vi Thuong's master's thesis: Marxist criticism trends in Vietnam in the first half of the 20th century (1900 - 1945) (Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical University, 2005)... Research on theory and criticism in the first decades of the 20th century must include the book Theory and criticism of Vietnamese literature in the early 20th century by Tran Manh Tien (Education Publishing House, Hanoi, 2001). There is a work that the author considers to be “the first specialized work focusing on comprehensive research of all literary criticism activities before the Revolution” called: History of Vietnamese literary criticism (early 20th century to 1945) by Tran Thi Viet Trung (Hanoi National University Publishing House, Hanoi, 2002). The work Vietnamese literary criticism in the first half of the 20th century (1900 - 1945) by Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan (Ho Chi Minh City National University Publishing House) was also published in 2004.

History of Vietnamese literary criticism (Early 20th century to 20th century)

1945) by Tran Thi Viet Trung is a research book on literary criticism from the beginning of the 20th century to 1945. In this work, the author raised the premises of the social and cultural history of Vietnamese literary criticism from the beginning of the century to 1945, including the role of journalism, the team of writers participating in literary criticism.... The author introduced the appearance and characteristics of Vietnamese literary criticism in the first half of the 20th century, creating a number of portraits of critics mainly in the period 1930 - 1945 such as Thieu Son, Hoai Thanh, Vu Ngoc Phan, Hai Trieu. Therefore, in our opinion, the book History of Vietnamese Literary Criticism (Early 20th Century to 1945) by Tran Thi Viet Trung mainly evaluates literary criticism activities as the author's purpose set out, but does not fully demonstrate the entire literary research activity.

In the work Vietnamese Literary Criticism Theory in the Early 20th Century, Tran Manh Tien comprehensively and systematically summarized the situation, characteristics and achievements of literary criticism theory in the first 30 years of the century. The author pointed out some characteristics of literature, basic relationships of literature, effects of literature; the concept of literary works and mentioned two main genres: poetry and novels; about literary criticism, Tran Manh Tien pointed out two trends in literary criticism in the early 20th century: traditional criticism and new criticism, introduced viewpoints as well as assessments of the debate on Truyen Kieu in the mid-20s of the 20th century. In short, the above book only mentions the theory of Vietnamese literary criticism in the early 20th century.

Also studying literary criticism, Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan in her work Vietnamese Literary Criticism in the First Half of the 20th Century (1900 - 1945) summarized the formation and development of Vietnamese literary criticism in the first half of the 20th century, and at the same time introduced 12 typical critics in this period: Pham Quynh, Thieu Son, Hoai Thanh, Tran Thanh Mai,

Truong Chinh, Duong Quang Ham, Vu Ngoc Phan, Hai Trieu, Truong Tuu - Nguyen Bach Khoa, Dang Thai Mai, Le Thanh, Kieu Thanh Que. According to the author, literary criticism in the first half of the 20th century was a literary criticism that "had a theoretical basis, although not yet complete". Literary criticism in this period developed rapidly in many aspects, most notably in the language of criticism. And the book also focuses on the criticism aspect of literary research.

Recently, in the book Methodology of Literary Research (Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 2004), Nguyen Van Dan also evaluated the contributions in terms of research methods of some authors from the pre-Revolutionary period such as Tran Thanh Mai, Hoai Thanh and Truong Tuu - Nguyen Bach Khoa, and pointed out the limitations of their methodological viewpoints. However, this is a book discussing Methodology, so the author mainly only mentioned the contributions as well as the limitations in terms of research methods of Vietnamese authors before the August Revolution to illustrate the issue of "literary research methodology" and is not a book specializing in literary research activities during this period.

The book Vietnamese Literature in the 20th Century - Theoretical and Historical Issues (Education Publishing House, Hanoi, 2004) edited by Phan Cu De mainly deals with the theory and criticism of Vietnamese literature in the 20th century. In studying the theory and criticism of the first half of the century, Tran Dinh Su divided it into two stages: Theory and criticism of Vietnamese literature in the period of 1900 - 1932; Theory and criticism of literature from 1932 to 1945. In the first stage, after presenting the general appearance of the life of literary theory and criticism in the first thirty years of the century; the first literary debate that opened the century: The Tale of Kieu debate ; the author introduced the first literary researchers and critics including: Phan Ke Binh, Pham Quynh, Vo Liem Son. In the period from 1932 to 1945, Tran Dinh Su believed that the characteristics

The main point of this period is the formation of new ideas; denial of old ideas, many important debates broke out, and this is also the stage of formation of literary theory as an unprecedented "new genre" and at the same time, professional literary theorists and critics appeared. Tran Dinh Su divided six main genres of criticism in this period including: polemic, author criticism, celebrity biography, scientific criticism or thematic research, commentary, literary criticism, and literary history. He divided the generation of literary theorists and critics in the period 1932 - 1945 into four trends: critics with a tendency to summarize (Thieu Son, Hoai Thanh, Vu Ngoc Phan); Marxist critics (Hai Trieu, Dang Thai Mai); critics and literary researchers using scientific methods (Tran Thanh Mai, Dao Duy Anh, Nguyen Bach Khoa); literary historians and researchers (Duong Quang Ham, Nguyen Dong Chi, Ngo Tat To, Le Thanh, Kieu Thanh Que). In each author, Tran Dinh Su introduces typical works, along with a few very brief comments.

The monograph Vietnamese Literary Theory and Criticism from the Early 20th Century to 1945 (Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 2005) edited by Nguyen Ngoc Thien introduced 27 articles on theoretical and critical activities in the first half of the century by the authors: Nguyen Ngoc Thien, Ha Cong Tai, Cao Kim Lan, Trinh Ba Dinh, Ton Thao Mien, Nguyen Dang Diep, Dinh Thi Minh Hang. In addition to the introduction (Overview: The great driving force of Vietnamese literary theory and criticism in the first half of the 20th century) and the conclusion (The continued development of literary theory and criticism in the first half of the 20th century to the present), the book has three chapters. Chapters one and two study the development of Vietnamese literary theory and criticism in the first half of the 20th century. Chapter three introduces ten typical literary theorists and critics including: Phan Khoi, Thieu Son, Hai Trieu, Hoai Thanh, Tran Thanh Mai, Truong Chinh, Truong Tuu - Nguyen Bach Khoa, Le Thanh, Vu

Ngoc Phan, Dang Thai Mai. In short, the main content of the book is research on the theory and criticism of Vietnamese literature from the beginning of the 20th century to 1945.

In addition to the above books, we can also find comments and assessments about each author, or each literary criticism and research work of this period in many books, articles, and magazines by prestigious researchers and writers. However, there has been almost no book focusing on surveying and summarizing the modernization process of literary research activities in the first half of the 20th century. This is still an area that needs to be filled, and our topic The modernization process of Vietnamese literary research activities in the first half of the 20th century will try to contribute to this summary work.

4. Limitations of the topic

4.1. Research object: The research object of the thesis is the literary research works in the first half of the 20th century with a certain time lag by professional or non-professional literary researchers. In which, the thesis focuses mainly on the modernization of literary research activities in the first half of the 20th century through the main achievements, research methods and the reasons leading to those achievements. Other issues are not the research object of the thesis. With the requirement of modernization, we will focus on typical research works, which have contributed to innovation in theoretical perspectives and practical methods.

4.2. Scope of research: In the scope of the topic, we determined to focus on researching only the outstanding factors that contributed to the modernization process in Vietnamese literary research activities in the first half of the 20th century (from 1900 to 1945); there is no ambition to research all the authors and works that appeared in this period, but only limited to the scope of works

The most representative works of authors who have made specific contributions to literary research activities during this period.

4.3. Introduction of some concepts

4.3.1. Concept of literary research

According to the Dictionary of Literary Terms: Literary research, also known as literary science or literary science , is the science that studies the laws and phenomena in the existence and development of literature. The Dictionary of Literature (New Edition - published in 2004) defines: Literary research is a major in social sciences and humanities whose research object is the art of language (literature).

Literary studies , traditionally, include three main disciplines: Literary Theory , Literary History , Literary Criticism . Of which, Literary Theory studies the general laws of literary structure and development; Literary History (also known as literary history ) takes past literature as its object of study, examining it as a process, or examining one of the stages of that process; Literary Criticism pays attention to the current state of contemporary literature, it also pays attention to explaining past literature from the perspective of current social and artistic issues. At a high level of development and deep specialization, literary studies is the general name for many specific, relatively independent research disciplines, approaching the same research object, literature, from different angles.

Based on the above conceptual connotations, we see that literary criticism and literary research are two closely related but different parts. Literary criticism is about praising and criticizing works that are topical and timely; while literary research looks at the whole picture, seeing the internal and external nature of the object, which is usually stable. From literary criticism to literary research

The process of modernization of Vietnamese literary research in the first half of the 20th century - 2

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