Postwar Vietnamese Novels

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the Vietnam War was a war between the forces of communism (the norrth) and of capitalism and democracy (the south) and was particularly bloody because of technological advancements, such as napalm and agent-orange. The author points out that Bao Ninh's "The Sorrow of War" is both an anti-war and an anti-heroic novel in which war is not glorified but rather equated with suffering and sorrow. The paper relates that Duong Thu Huong in his novel "Paradise of the Blind" presents socialism positively as it allows people of humble origins to rise up through the ranks.

From the Paper:

"Land reform is seen as a necessary step in "Paradise of the Blind", but it was not without its errors. The first socialists were perhaps too strident in their methods. Thus, the "Special Section for the Rectification of Errors" came into being. This group of socialists acknowledged that in the pasts errors had been made. This willingness to accept that socialism is not perfect is a positive aspect of Vietnamese socialism as portrayed in "Paradise of the Blind". Socialism has evolved. It gives the people a chance to correct errors. The atmosphere in the time of the Special Section for the Rectification of Errors was one of "laughter, tears, and sighs of relief." Socialism ushered in a happy time in Vietnamese history, even if the initial days might have been a little rough.""

More papers on Postwar Vietnamese Novels:

• Book Review # 140080 : "Two Canadian Novels"
• Analytical Essay # 129344 : "Late Ming and Qing Novels"
• Analytical Essay # 136659 : "Sex and Maturity in Three Novels"

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