VĂN XUÔI HƯ CẤU NGUYỄN NGỌC TƯ TỪ GÓC NHÌN CỔ MẪU

Abstract

Nguyen Ngoc Tu is a prominent female writer of Southern literature. She is known for her vivid fictional prose encompassing both short stories and novels that portray the everyday life and spirit of the Southern region and people. A survey of seven short story collections and two novels reveals that her works consistently employ a rich system of archetypes—such as water, earth, trees, wind, clouds, sky, fields, fire, smoke, boats, docks, women, and dreams. These archetypes, each carrying distinct symbolic meanings, share a common feature: they reflect long-standing bonds between humans and nature, embody the spiritual and emotional life of Southern people, and create sympathy in the hearts of readers. This article presents the forms and meanings of the four major archetypes in Nguyen Ngoc Tu’s fictional prose: water, land, tree, and woman. This paper then elucidates how these archetypal patterns contribute to her distinctive literary voice and her broader significance within contemporary Vietnamese literature.