The Poetics of Mythological Spaces in Contemporary Vietnamese Prose from 1986 to Present

Abstract

Myth and mythological criticism have become a significant concern for literary studies. Mythological materials and thinking have been penetrated and regenerated in contemporary literary writings, forming unique creative writing against socialist realism aesthetics. The article explores some specific poetics of mythological spaces in Vietnamese narratives since 1986. Through the analysis of spatial aesthetics in some works written by Pham Thi Hoai, Nguyen Huy Thiep, Ta Duy Anh, Chau Dien, and Nguyen Xuan Khanh, the article points out the distinctions of mythological spaces, including the binary spaces, the spiritual and legendary spaces, and the symbolic spaces.