Locating Vietnamese Modernism in the Contact Zones
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Bodily Impacts: Locating Vietnamese Modernism in the Contact Zones by Trang Ngoc Doan Cao A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in South & Southeast Asian Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in Charge: Professor Peter Zinoman, Chair Professor Penelope Edwards Professor Chana Kronfeld Fall 2014 Copyright © 2014 by Trang Ngoc Doan Cao Abstract Bodily Impacts: Locating Vietnamese Modernism in the Contact Zones By Trang Ngoc Doan Cao Doctor of Philosophy in South & Southeast Asian Studies University of California, Berkeley Professor Peter Zinoman, Chair This dissertation examines Vietnamese modernist poetry as a cross-cultural contact zone, historically embedded, and composed of a dense network of intertextual engagements. What are the salient features of this cluster of work, and how do they inform our understanding of the larger constellation of international modernism? This dissertation makes several contributions to existing studies. First, this project explores the historical development of Vietnamese modernism by tracing the evolution of modernist poetry through three historical eras: the late-colonial era of the 1930s, the revolutionary era of the late-1950s and the “Renovation” era of the 1970s/1980s. In doing so, I demonstrate that there was indeed a modernist “movement” in Vietnam with trajectory and momentum, and even though historical events disrupted it at certain junctures. Second, this dissertation examines the complex transnational force-field that shaped Vietnamese modernism by tracing its web of connections to literary traditions in Vietnam, China, France and the former Soviet Union. Third, it considers the value of different theoretical orientations to the study of marginal literatures including approaches derived from history, colonial and postcolonial studies, comparative and world literature. I view these texts as markers of wider collisions, convergences, and re-articulations, rather than homologies. More than merely point out features that Vietnamese modernist texts share with European counterparts, I discuss the ways these poems participate in conversations with, and thus shift understandings of, modernism elsewhere—but from within the specific socio-cultural context of Vietnam. I move beyond internal-formal analysis to relate Vietnamese modernism to specific historical moments of cultural engagement to uncover the perceptible network of literary relations. In examining this case-study, I offer an extension to the cultural imagination of modernism, and a modest contribution to understanding cultural formations on the margins. 1 To Trần Thị Thanh Thủy, my mother. For all the endless kitchens, sinks of dirty dishes. Because words beyond the life of ships dream on. i │ Table of Contents Introduction: Towards a Theory of Intertextuality and Cross-Cultural Poetics 1 1 │ Early Modernist Monsters: Intertextual Hybridities in the Poetry of Hàn Mặc Tử 15 2 │ Trần Dần, Mayakovsky and the Politics of Vietnamese Modernism in 1950s DRV 48 3 │ Exalting Epic and Corrosive Drama: Trần Dần’s “Đi! Đây Việt Bắc!” and the Praxis of Modernism in 1950s Vietnam 86 4 │The Modernism Underground, 1970s/1980s: Dương Tường and the Poetics of Sound 121 Conclusion: Localizing Modernism in Cross-Cultural Constellations 157 Bibliography 164 ii │ Acknowledgements This dissertation took eight years and a small village to complete. I owe a tremendous debt to my chair and advisor, Peter Zinoman. His translation of Nguyễn Huy Thiệp’s “Vàng Lửa” [Fire Gold], and Vũ Trọng Phụng’s “Số Đỏ” (with Nguyễn Nguyệt Cầm) compelled me to seek him out at Berkeley. The elegance, precision and rigor of his work inspires me. He wholeheartedly engaged with my project even when it strayed into odd territory. He accepted that my gears are errant. He worked with me at each stage and me wade through murky ideas to achieve clarity. As an advisor, he is dedicated, shrewd, and generous. I thank him for grounding me intellectually, for challenging me, and for giving my project backbone. I am grateful for his candor. He always calls it as it is. I thank him for sobriety and salt. Most of all, I thank him for seeing me through this long journey, and not giving up on me. I also owe abundant thanks to Chana Kronfeld. Her Modernism and Minor Literatures seminar in spring of 2009 struck the real match under my project. She gave me the vocabulary and the courage to stray off course and explore literatures from the margins. She encouraged the intellectual curiosity and collaboration that resulted in a large portion of my work. Her own brilliant work provided me a strong model. I am grateful to my fellow students in that class, whose engagement and insights gave me crucial new perspectives. A huge thank you goes to Penny Edwards, who supported and encouraged me from the start. Penny guided me both as a graduate student and as a new teacher. She showed me what it means to be dedicated. She gave me new and creative ways to approach my subjects and opportunities to grow. I thank her for always believing in my abilities. Nguyễn Nguyệt Cầm, a rare and gifted teacher. Her Vietnamese classes opened up entire worlds to me. She gave me access, and gave me back a language I never really owned. Her incredible insight, wit and voice animated every story, every poem. I am so grateful for her friendship and support. She made a family of us orphans. I would have been completely unmoored without her in those first few years. I will never forget those delicious meals, stories, and nights of bolero. Very sincere thanks goes to the Department of South & Southeast Asian Studies for constant and varied support throughout these eight years. Thanks to the wonderful staff who kept the ship going, and especially Lee Amazonas, the maven. She helped me navigate the administrative labyrinth and saw me through many a crisis with such care. Special thanks goes to Jeffrey Hadler for being a great source of support and making time for me whenever I just dropped in, panicked or disheartened. He delivered valuable life and academic wisdom in smart little stories. Thanks also to Sylvia Tiwon, whose compassion and unique take on the world injected poetry back into moments of dry academic prose. Berkeley’s intellectual community is second to none. I have had the fortune of working with brilliant minds that inspired my dissertation in one way or another: Robert Alter, whose approach iii to translation helped me get to the marrow of poems; Lyn Hejinian for giving me new ways of looking at the everyday world and finding words for it; Harsha Ram, for his inspiring work, insight, and elegant approach. Shout outs go to my friends and colleagues at Berkeley and further who have made this journey joyful: Rebekah Collins, Alec Holcombe, Jason Picard, Jason Morris, Martina Nguyen, Charles Keith, Haydon Cherry, Leslie Woodhouse, Julie Pham, Hanh Tran, Hang Dang, Anna Skrzypczynska (my blue plum), Travis Wilds, Maria Vendetti, Celine Piser, Billy Heidenfeldt, Juan Caballero, Cari Coe, Jonathan Repinecz, beautiful Maia Beyler-Noily. Your care, friendship and feedings sustained me. I owe tremendous thanks to folks in Hà Nội who helped me find my way: Lại Nguyên Ân, who dedicated much time to helping me find resources that urged my research on; Phạm Xuân Nguyên, who connected me with writers and works I would not have had access to, and who made sure I did not have to drink alone; Nguyễn Thị Thanh Lưu for helping me find those journals and publications, and going steps further to photocopy all that material for me; Nguyễn Đức Mậu, for fortifying me with important resources; Đỗ Lai Thúy and Chu Văn Sơn, for engaging me with novel perspectives that informed my work. I especially thank the poet Dương Tương, a rare soul. Our walks and talks affirmed the core of my research and gave me back what I had lost—inspiration to keep going, to get back to poetry. I would have been lost in Hà Nội if it were not for the following people: Đỗ Hoàng Diệu, whose warmth, wit and friendship gave me footing to do my early research and connect with needed resources; I owe Jason Morris and Lương Kim Thuý a great debt for giving me a home and family during those initial research trips, and especially during my long stretch of fieldwork. Jason’s compassion and empathy saw me through difficult and frustrating moments. Thuy’s incredible saavy know-how and compassion helped me navigate life in Hà Nội; I am immensely thankful to the beautiful Giang Trang and her wonderful husband, Trần Vũ Hải. These two housed me as family, so that I could wander Hà Nội in search of materials, but mostly, myself. Trang’s friendship gave me heart, and her voice gave me nights of guitar and song and dice of pale blue bones. I also thank Nguyễn Qui Đức, Nguyễn Huy Thiệp, and Bảo Sinh for their stories and friendship. I am fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people and constant support. I thank: Zachary Shore, for being a great mind, a brave ear and a ready shoulder. He offered me four words that held me to the finish: “Boldly go, my dear.”; Daniel Roselle, the General, for his strength and sureness, and for accepting the heretic, whether I burned, or floated, or sank; Mandy Bliss, for her wonderfully creative ways of being thoughtful and going the extra loving distance; Maria Vendetti, for always being ready to help however she can. Her, love, strength and friendship got me across many finish lines through the years. She is my bon courage; Esme Watson for being sunshine, sweetness, and always keeping the bulbs lit so that I could see myself; Jonathan Blum, for immense thoughtfulness and stories that resound deeply; Kareem Abu-Zeid for his seeking and believing in me; Michael Waeger, for complete kindness and helping however he can; David Julian also; Kevin Liau, for friendship, insight and quirk; Nashira Dernesch for beautiful words, strength and inspiration.