INSTINCTIVE ASPIRATIONS IN NGUYỄN THANH VIỆT’S THE REFUGEES
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Abstract
This article examines instinctive aspirations in Nguyễn Thanh Việt’s short story collection The Refugees through its narrative details and depictions of the lived experience of Vietnamese migrants. From the instinct for survival to sexual desire and expressions of violence, the work portrays individuals marked by war and displacement who are constantly torn between trauma and the will to live. Through characters of different ages and life circumstances, Nguyễn Thanh Việt shows that instinct is not a blind impulse but a source of strength that enables people to confront the shadows of war and rebuild their lives. The study argues that instinctive aspiration becomes a foundation for the characters to recover their dignity and restore emotional resilience in the context of exile.
Keywords
instinctive aspiration, The Refugees, Nguyễn Thanh Việt, migrant literature
Article Details
References
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Viet Thanh Nguyen (2018). The Refugees (Pham Viem Phuong, Trans.). Ho Chi Minh City: Writers’ Association Publishing House & Phuong Nam Book.