TINH THẦN HÒA GIẢI DÂN TỘC SAU 1975 TRONG TIỂU THUYẾT CHIM ÉN BAY CỦA NGUYỄN TRÍ HUÂN

Abstract

Swallows Fly (Chim én bay, 1988) by Nguyen Tri Huan (1947-) is one of the first Vietnamese novels after 1986 to bravely dissect a series of post-war issues and shed light on the desire for national reconciliation. In the context of the still-bleeding wounds of the Vietnam War (1954-1975), the healing and reconciliation discourse of characters like Quy in the novel encounters many barriers and ethical dilemmas. On the one hand, Nguyen Tri Huan strives to build a foundation of reconciliation and healing in the righteous spirit; on the other hand, the writer also shows the price to pay for this challenging journey. The heroine in Swallows Fly has passed away before the “spring of reconciliation” arrives, but the desire for rebirth is conveyed to the “young swallows” with the hope that “time will erase everything”. This study uses the theory and method of ethical literary criticism (文学伦理学批评) to clarify the spirit of national reconciliation after 1975 in Nguyen’s novel, thereby affirming the new humanism and the extraordinary efforts of the writer.