Nhất Linh - Đi Tây

8/20/2019 Nhất Linh - Đi Tây

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ROKEN JOURNEY: NHAT LNH'S "GONG TO FNCE

Translated from the Vietnamese by Greg and Monique Lockha,with an introduction and commenta by Greg Lockha

ITRODUCTIO: Nh Linh's Going o France

Nh Lh wa the e ame of Nguy Tg Tam he Vieameewite who wa bo C.m Gg tict H Dg oice 906iGoig to Face) i a humoou emictioal accou of a i whichhe mae to tuy ouaim a ake a ciece egee bewee 927 a 930. F eiae i Hao betwee Augu 935 a Ail 1936 the

oua joua bong H6 Cuom i ha become the be kow taeloy moe Vietamee iteaue. Mo ecety eitio hae comeom Sg Mi he Vieamee mg ubhg houe i Aioa whichtil aetie the wok a a iteeig oe fom befoe the Wol Wa I

u he iteet of Going to rnc oe ot oly lie atu a a aeltoy. It i alo a aie a a uch i a ou a a ew ki of wok ealy moe Vietamee lteatue

Each week a he talmet aeae i Cuto the lee of heVieamee tie floate u a ow oe hee way ie whichheae the oy ee Fgue ). Thee eeee the ea uo which ocealie wee ail ig O oe ie of he ea wa a ylie aig of the Sigle

ila agoa i Hao a o the othe wa heEiffel Towe. Jut below he wae we lea ha heo i by Lg Du' a amug e-ame whichNh Lih ao a he t-eo aelleaao.Thi ame coey he iea of a aimle ighheae waee Fuhee ice the Vetam

3

Our graiude is due to Jim Gordon, whsuggested ha the ranslation publito avid arr, D- hi�n, and lexaWoodside who read an early drat owork and kindly oered valuale commto irginia Hooker, who read he same

and provided some valuabe theorinsights; o Chistopher Goscha who kproduced a copy o the oicial tanscrnotes that the French Secret Police madNht Linh and aso the ast photo ouhermore we woud like to hankbt or her hepul reading o he mscrip.

Fi aic i ofh kyinan in C ofLng Ding rn


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74

1 I hav in mind hr Bakhtin's classicationo such picarsqu novls as Htid GilB d Santin 714, 24, 1735) bysag and Mll Flan (1722) y anil S M M Bakhtn Sch nand thr lat sa, tans Ve W. McGustin Tx.: Unvrsty o Txas Prss19), p0.

S my ntructon to liht f thcapital th m Vitna clsicstrnsatd y Grg ockart and MoniquLockhart (Sngapor Oxord Unvrstyrss 995.

NHAT LINH

ese rseri f e wd mi' is lg w sylles wiey e de f wes wsig er emkme e ssetwee e wy es d e me Lg D' des smeig elssreges e f selfsire w wi e r dles e sre rme f e ey w e mde rss e se

Going to France is e e sdrd kd f rel sry i wi

er is pi mig i spe. Ee g Lg D's rels reespl desi f e wrds e s drw i e d imperi sppre g Sigpe Clm Sez d e Mediee Fr s js s m se f e wd reeig im. Cmig fm pse y Lg D's respses e s impersl fes fmde wrld sde Viem fe mke m seem e Tis s pis ppe A e sme ime wee ere e my kes GoinFrance ge ifeirt iei d Fre girls wi spfrm e e wreess wi Lg D s f is Viemese e'kwrdess'. I ese jkes e is mgig ge sefd msysig y g sir lge. B e mi isse e

s e ew wld eels im Lg Ds s f s jreyeme eexely emesed w is ii sr f imselfFrm is pespeie i s pssile ele Going to France e k

f ' rre sddely ppe i Viem e 930s ms rspes reprge b6ng s) Ideed e Sg M edii desrieswk well s " tiu tbuypb6ng stropbng, siil reprge wi idies s semi wk i s srgy grded l ey Tere e weer w ress wy I w si is essy e si i er e dmery spe f e wk s e dsssed e rse f spes eprtge esewee e is i s primly e sil e f e wk ses i pr f

e wrks f epge d reprtge els i e perid s wel s fe eges were slly wre i e nbt k (diry frm

Ee g Lg D desies Going to Fnce s di is iseessry w we ge Te wrk is peslised e; wilepes d seis f e sry fllw e sges f Lg D's eFe d k ey e gie ded seedigs: WiigLky Seme Pispy Regii Te pi is s edd eessily id e ex e sme sese f eie rel ser imper prje s e ded eres f ms e eges frmpeid dPm Q's 922 Dry f Jey Fe f sPr f e res fr is my e N 's Going to Fnce ws

wrie i wel fe is jrey w ilded lg reeye sFre Hweer is ps e f i is pry i ly reifessese Going to Fnce ws wre wi prlr lie gedmd e s free f eil relrig.

A slie fere f l e er wrks f e I m we f i e


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GOING TO CE

A saent feate f all te te wks f tael I am awae f n ealymden Vetnamese teate s tat tey wee witten y g fals peple w ad een empweed y te lnal egme. Nt Ln was alsa eately peged stdent, wse tip t Fane was fnded y tena attes. T ts extent s jney was an mpeia ne t Yete was yng and pweess ten, and t s well knwn tat e nee fetmftae wt s plege Mee, a few examples f fa taewtng wl pemt s t glgt an mptant pnt: Ung Ds tae styas etan pltal mplatns tat ae ted n ts sate f s wn paympeal jney and, y extensn, n ts sate f tse y g als

Tee s etanly n m f sefdle n wat may e te st mdenVetnamese taege Ts s Tng Vn Ks Voyage to Tki i theYear t Hi 876)4 w, gen te lnks eween mpeal nqest,knwedge, and tae, appatey ad ts geness n a wk f espnageTe text f Voyage, w may nt tsef ae een pat f te atal spyept asng fm Tng Vn Ks tp, was nt psed n Sagn ntl1881 n a lmted edtn. Hwee, te dated entes f ts ptal, lta,

and demgap sey f Tnkn was mmssned y Dpe, teAdma Ge f Cnna, at a tme wen te Fen, w adnqeed tat egn n 1859, wee tnkng at te annexatn f Annamand Tnkn, tat was t fllw y 1884

A me ngenal, qasa wk s Ngy Tng Hp's tteknwn as Capital ojFrace (897) A ae wk f tae t appea wtndated entes, t eets te knd f ltea espnse t eatfl senew Cnfan gentleman ad penned f entes n assal petSmetng new, wee, was tat Hp, a lnal edatn fal n afatndng mssn n te metple, nw wte s pems n Fen, atetan n Cnese Vetnamese. Hs ant f Pais ts nssts f ty

sx Fen qatans w wee pnted n a las edtn wt edte ntesn Fen and Cnese. Few Vetnamese d ae ead ts edtn eenf tey ld ae fnd and affded t, t tes may well ae een takeny ts ews f te ee oque :

h watr ar blu and th vgtation ink;h vning swt t bhldl ar t walking Gat ladis romnad;

and bhind thm walk th small ladis

Less pet, t stll eletng te style f Pas n te 890s s te ttle f atd example, Strollig Arou he le y B an Vn, plsed wtdated entes n a lttleknwn edtn n 929. B Tan Vn was a eted

t ntepete w, afte seeng a panspee n Sagn, gt a ankdaft wt s pensn and set sal n a apanese steame n Ma 99 fenye wld ps efe etnng me. Hs taege, w ssmla t a nme f tes wten n te 920s and 930s, nssts f a

4 See editon translated and edited byHoney (ondon Schl of OrientAfrcan Studies, nersity ofLondon, This is a blingual edton.

Nguy g H�p Pa capitaleFnce ueil d (Hanoi: . H. Scder, 1897) Other nineteenthcentury accounts are rng Mnh K, De Sai

Pa (Saigon: Reget Curiol, 1889;nh Bo, Relation dun age dloique {d}Phan Tanh (SaHunh Km Danh, 1916.

Ths s quatrain I hae selecteduotation because t is such a ne pand because Walter Benjamin actualyt at the beginning of his wellknown e"ars, captal of the nineteenth cenSee Walter Benamn, Rection(YSchken Books, 198), pp.462.nglsh translation here s that which apn ths source

Bi Thanh Vn, Do kh hon (c p, 929 Phm Qunh hp du hnh rnhk Diary of a ouey to rance,Phong58(922, folowing. QHuyn, ao hnh rnh oueLaos, Nam Phong 5 (March 1922) Lc, y hnh short accoua trip to rance!, ranslated from Hnby nh Vn St (Qu Nh 1923), 9pVn c also wrote two wors calleIch im [Touring Siam], and nghdu Ich Tourng the East. Phm QunthngPa[Tee months n Paris (HNXB ng Quan 1927) rVinh, Ph du [Story of a trrance (Chn Tin 1932) or tae wVienam see aso Phm Qunh, Mi Hu [Ten days in Hu, Nam Pho918) Mt Thng Nam K A monSouthe Vieam Nam Phong 17 Hereafter the joual Nam Phong is noN


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76 NH LNH

detled ut f hs itiery, s wel s reetis hw Vetmfrs mpre with thse ther utries The Mughmlke ese wwhh Bi Thh V mpeted his vyge gives his ut erhm: der wth the Cpti ht with the Freh Csu BueAres

It s gist suh kdp tht the plitl sige Lg Dut my thus e see. As he trvelled dek ss d hd his stwidely dssemited i Customs, hs view is muh mre shky th ththe hgh fls. But t s s mre demrt, d s ths mprtdifferee is fmuted the lughter selfdut, Nht Lh is estlsh ltertve t the det perspetve f the lte texts. We re tdeg i Lg Du's text with the develpmet plti tesi ewthe prevlig mperi uture d semi, depedet ti e. Tti vew, hwever, is t shrpy fussed the wrk There is mest, i ly euse esrship the press ws qute sti the 930s d wud hve mde suh sttemet mpssile. Yet, s ly mde tertive t lil ulture, this depedet tl vis ipiet my etures f the sty.

A umer f these wil e reveed the mmetr t the trsltiThere, y trstig Going to France wth er ther trve texts, mtly y the hgh mdr Phm Quh, I iustrte the kd f ptfit tht existed l ulture. Hwever, s t es the emerge the t, the etrl eture f the sty is its sttus s stre. Fr riss t des frm Lg Dus duts ut the wrld, it ffers essetdestilisg rtique the ll rder he leves d the lks kwith sme dethmet fm Fre

As we wil see, ths retspetve vew s expressed i my wys: ew sese siety tht s implit Lg Du's rdil use f humurthe rmti idividulism d humism he ssumes i his sttthe str d the ir ply he fte mkes the rhetr f vilstd the si reliy kwrdess Mrever t mes ut siusy ddt, d therere trsfmig, purpse r whih NLih wrte his stre r Customs

Customs, whih Nh Lih eg t edit i 932, ws the rst stirur i Vetm. As suh, it ws pty mdeed the Freh juRire, d s ssmed i the trdit limte f Freh lpiy O the e hd, the l regme stmuted the ide mdpgress Vietm s t deveped ites with mder fetures peitted stdets t study i the metrple O the ther hd, it s wkw tht the ew regime stl sught t miti trdti ustms i pereived iterests f ptl d si stity. By luhg strttks ld ustms, Nht Lh's jurl the sme me mgedirumvet esrshp d mke lique ttk the regimutil t ws lsed dw i 936. A seditus, trsfrmig ged t


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GONG TO FRCE

med wt stiil impses t ete te ets f Going to France dte t tism eet i tis pp des m t exp wyN Ls telge s sed tes fm te lil e despite teisstdes f w

Ne f Nt Lis wks wee ty epted rte Vetmfte 954 we te defet f Fe lism d te diis f tetry led t te sedy f slist elism tete d rt. Fmy yes Mxist ts depled is mt ddlism f lyese e ws pmiet meme f te tlst Vt Pty wid ppsed te se f Cmmsm i te 940s Hwee g wt ismy es Nt Li's Going to France ted t e we kw test wee iteest Weste-stye ielsm emed stg. Te itV Pi s sggested tt it ws mde f te ms wks ttemted fm te st y s ts s Hg Hi Ty d L Tti. Tse w wet West i se f feedm fte te f f Sgd te pit et f te ty 975 wd te e-fmN i's telge lg wt my te pe-945 wks i te es ppsed t te te) sist disse.

Reety wit te ed f te Cd W mes twds mket emy d pd deepmet Vetm tis std-ff etwee teSt d Nt s fle wy Sie te md-980s ts i H emelwed te pp t Nt L's wk s tey e i tepp t te s-ed mtis f te pe-Wld W II peid Teegt-lme et' mpti Vietnamese Romantic Pse 9309 pised i H i 989 epted Nt Ls mj s esf te 930s: Autumn Sun 934) e Breaking o/es 934) nerence 936) d T Friens 937) wi l pe stess te feedm f tedid Ts did t me tt tee ws spe t epit mstege ike Going to Fnce Neerteless te mpilt dd te teexistee f te wk d ts tdty essy sgt t eitte tewites wse lter didism d ee sped te 930s yWeste stdes.

I is tdt essy t Vietnamese Romantic Pse Ngy HKg explis tt te Weste-style ididlsm w ttted tesewtes ws t smply mti idlgee. Rte t ws spet f t memet wi ws isepe fm mism d ts eryew pp t te plti d si pems f te wld t ws eemet f te wep tt mde ltete ws fgig te stgglegst ld es my fts Isf s it teds tmtilly t fs

te ide f te mde t i det ete wt te West NtL's tege is wt edg s t epitmises imptt t egetedspt f ely mde Vietmese ltet: te se f mi ste witte ii mde

V Ph, itratu in South Vitn ralat y V D(Mlo: Vtam Lagag Clt Plcaio 1992) 163.

Vnxuing 7n �[Vitam omatc pro 8 o (ao qi, 989). Vtam tith o mtio a Nng thu 9

Qn tut 93) nh lng 936) n (93).

Vn xui ng 7n o, 8 19 I, . 9.


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Details of Nh inhs bioaphy come from Nht hjnh, Chn dung Nh Linh [Aporrait of Nh Lnh (Saigon, 1971; reprnted. Glendale Calif: \i Nam, n.d.; rong p nc Lc Vn an [n thekitchen of the Sef RelianceLiterary Group ch n hc terary Studies988599-110; 1989: 72-82 NeiLJamieson

Unandng inam (Berkeley Calif:University of Califoa Press 1993, IndexS. D OHarrow, he growth of modeVietnamese prose ction with specalreferene to the roe of NhLinh in the

Lc Vn an," diss. (School of Orientaand Afrcan Studies, University of ondon1965

wo of hese, NguygLong (Hongo and Ngyn g Vinh (ch amwold also become prominent writers in the1930s

I Anoter work NhLnh had in preparation

arond te time he was writing Gong onc also epressed the deep anguish he felt for the poverty of Vetnamese peasan�See Hai v p" [wo aspec of eauty] inT [Darkness (Hanoi:


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GOING O RCE

(onfn stoms, loe story wit n nontroersl tetment of oldles Dng ts perod T sys tt N Lin spoke often otwitng to e, nd ing to wite, preopton tt reeted ot isdistste fo te oonil ery nd desre tt ws ommon mongy dwellers t te tme: to e pofesson tt wold ge tem tefreedom to mke tei own lies. Howeer, wen e left te ery in

1925 Nt Lin st stdied iey in dssed rilwy woksop wiosed te Indoin Ats Institte rn y te oloni delist VtorTde. Ten, n 1926, e egn to wnder: to onn were eeme mrgnly inoed in rdil ntionlist polt tites efoeesping ofi note y eeing to mod nd Los Tere e siedy drwing te pors of lo mndins nd pinting senery for trelling tetl tope

An mpornt pr of Nt Lins mottion for tis ot of trelndotes ltermy e dsened in A Dem ofT Lm, n enest so storyw e pised in is ntology of 1927, jst efore e eftfor Frne. Tis story st eels s pssion to nd ost topi Its nrrto,

wo lments s wsted ife in te rery, eeies st one dy fomn old fiend fom s stdent dys nmed Tn L Te ntor ells owTn L d deded, pon te det of ot s prents to ndon isree n w nd set ot n ser of te prdse e d dremt of On tedy te two frends ped, Trn L d sid:

I am nw a lnel haw returnng hme vit m aren mb tetha I' ll be a waneer Ill am all ver the unt aveng the muntanan ve I'l n lnger have a hme I nen t n w a I mi wthele n he wa ha will give me he rtun bh tu an teah an t eamine human natue Wearing rugh eaan lhe nt d gng bare Ill mae m lvng a g21

Fortntely, Nt Ln wold lern to write ess sty tn ts Bt I ettempted to mntn in tnstion te strnge stted qty of tis pssgeese of te sense of dslotion it oneyne w sggests teselfdot of geneton orn nde foregn le wi reets te stystiwren noled s Nt Lin strgged wt te ytms of s erlyedton in ssl poet to eome moden pose wte; nd wid led m y 1926 into restess life of witing, trel nd potil tiism

As it tned ot Tn L fond s topin drem t te emote igeof T Lm Bt tis only inesed te ntos dsstisftion wit is ownnipid pety-ogeos life in te iy, nd prepes s for te longproession of wnderes nd gonds n te mte sol noels Nt

Ln wod wte fter is etn from Fnewere Ung D deses slfe s gond In tese noes tee wold lmost lwys e sometingof omeless sdow' nting te nestrl tom; someting of teprooted wndeer wo feels e n only seek liing mong ordinypeope be goes If Nt Lin wrote to e nd ied to write, tis ws

his is u Mcfs ar paraphse o a m omplex erane made by Lnh a tme. See u M, Kitchen, pp99, 106.

Harrow, Mode Vietnamee pction, p55 ses the term 'oonia ide to desri arde

20 h Linh, "i: mqng Lm [A dr

o Lm], Ngi quai [he spinner (Hano, 1927; reprint ed., Mi n.d [980?]) pp242.

bid. p.24. It is lkely hat as David sggested to me, ht Lnhs onstrtio rn Ls wanderns has en inle by a amos event n Rssian histoy872-74 rsade o the arodnki,

edated people who went nto the v to hep enlhten the masses. n at awhA dream o Lm e ilk pi

ontans a tenpage pee entited S � mng t [rth om the moths oyong hs onsists o or very s

senes m a pay by Leo ostoy, w Lnh tanslated into Vietnamese Frenh transation o the gna R anya Filmonova tels me hat hs is earliest lear evidene she knows o Rinene in mode Venamese wriin

any ase ht Lnhs seleton o a tenpage work or translaton presm ress on a wider knowedge o R teratre (n Frenh) han jst the see tsel and both he hmble settng smpe mora o olstoys senes seem sstent withhe going to the peope oarodnki.

22 It has been sad, perhaps rst by L M, hat Linhs prose sye was de aeted by his immerson n gyn ass e taleofKi, at an early age seems right to me.


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8

Nguyn Cng Hoan i vi vn a i[My ife as a aie Hanoi: B Vn H,1971) p53

Nguy Duy Din Nh Prait,p33 See also T M, Kicben p02

N Thnh, Pit, pp301 The oup consise mainly of his bohes

Hong o Nguyn Tng ong) anNguy Tng Vinh o n Thch am)an fiens T M H Tng Hiu) ThNguyn Th ) an Khi Hng TnKhnh Gi)

Nguyn Cng Hoan My le, p53 asosays ha Nh inh as egae by Vin a fien of Tnh Vn Phs as apeson ih conicion" (nJi c tmbuy A sho nes iem publishe inCutm, No2 23une 1932 enile euing om ance" hins a N inhsunhappiness a ho he colonal egimeee is eue suen� I els o one nh Thin ho ha been ne animpisone fo fou monhs in ance ae

isibuing aica pamphles n epaiaion he as aain impisone in Vienam fo no payin his ne ance

T

caus nihr his opian ram nor h harsh rality o h morn wwoul go away.

Nguy Cng Hoan who knw him or h l or Franc says hno sm o know wha h wan o o hr. Apparny h jok asuying nava or lcrica nginring an vn invn spcia signaor hs coningncis on in which h rw his nam so ha i look

smok coming ou o a ship unnl anohr so ha i ook lik a colgraph wir. Bu whil his shows his inrs in hlping o mohis counry hos who knw him s say ha his main aim was o sjournaism an asks ha wr rla o i.

Wih a scholarship wVicor ariu may hav hlp him gain) rom h Ovrsas SAssociaion Hi Du Hc) run y high manarins in Hu Nh Linh hus o Franc an spn hr vry aciv yars hr.

h scinc gr h ook a Monplir was ign o pknowlg o morn civilisaion an giv him aching qualicaioournalism ail. Accoring o his iographr Nh hnh h also smuch im xporing various acs o Frnch culur poliics liraur

an o cours journalism an h pulishing inusr. his is no somha h slprcaing humour o Going to Fnce wou suggshn his is a comic sair wih a as on ohr wis h unxpcsomr ning in which ng Du hinks o ah.

I mus rmmr ha or som rason Nh inh i no wGoing to Frnce unil 19353 v yars ar h rurn hom on h opigne Prhaps h was iniialy oo usy ring o salish himo hink aou rcoring his xprincs Immialy ar his rurn hin ac kn o s up a raically nw kin o journa which h wan ng i aughr) ar Ie Ri I woul giv opportuniis o unknwrirs an pulish joks humorous pros sairical pory an caro

inrsprs wih srious romanic soris. Furhrmor h hop i w h nuclus o a nw lirary iniiaiv srssing iniviual roVinamwhich vnuay i lowr in his amous Sl Rlianc LiGroup c Vn on) o h 193s. Bu h govrnmn urn his applicaion o pulish ughter an i was no uni un 193 hnally ha h opporuniy o ak conrol o an xising pulicaion. hisustos a sruggling ucaional journal

Early hins o wha woul vnualy Going to Fnceappar wh rs yar or so o his ouas ransormaion. h rs was in h o a caroon in Augus 193 which sairis h rurn o h Frnchspasophisica rom h mropol s Figur ) Nx on 1 uly 1933

Linh pulish a halpag rpor h ha wrin aou a rain rip o Sn nil ourism a Humorous Rpor on h Mounain MinPopl which clvrly s h rar ci whhr or no h woVinams rporr is aughing a h minori popl or vic vrsa. So wNh inh was vr usy wih ohr mars h sms o hav ormula


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GONG O CE

pln to write work ike Going to Fncewel before he did so And one effetof the sow gestton of the story s tht it relets the hnge of mood thtme over Vietnm from round the time of his return

There is fmous pssge n the seond h pter of Going to Fncewhhexpins how the frther wy from Vetnm ng Du trves the more deentFrenh peope seem to be However, this shift n perspetive mkes him fret

bout his eventul return n ft, the bloody Frenh olonil represson ofthe ntionist uprisings t Yn Bi in 193 nd the Soviet movement n Ngh nd H� Tnh on top of the eonomi stritures of the Gret Depression,hd reted ferfuly pessimsti tmosphere n the ountry The st setionof Going to France, meodrmtilly enttled Not Ded Yet, But , is thuspreeded by some (stil humorous referenes to ng Dus indvertentssoiton with rd Vetnmese students n Frne nd his deporttonfrom the ountry Ths orresponds n re fe to the deporttion of some thirtyVietnmese students from Frne n the roundups tht folowed the uprsings of 193 t lest Fig

S William J Dkr e fnaalm n Vetnam (haca Lonon: Col nri Pr 19pp76; Brc Mcarlan Lkhart f the Vetname mnarch, Coon Sotha Aian Sti c Vt no.15 (Nw an Conn: Ya nir 1993) ch5

one of whomTrnh Vn PhNht Lnh

knew personly

u oh ophica a Augu 93)

capion a:By the mddle of the dede there ws so

widespred press ritiism of the Court in Hu,nd of Ph�m Qunh, the Frenh puppetDiretor of Emperor Bo �s Cbinet nd theMnster for Ntion Eduton Ths ritiismfolowed the disppointment of ntonlst hopestht, with the rse of the young Frenhedutedemperor to the throne in 193 progrmme ofmode reform woud estblish Chmbre desReprsentnts du Peupe The restortion of

some mesure of indigenous ontrol over bseonomi, defene nd foreign poy mershd so been ntipted However, when Bo�is binet reshue of My 1933 fled toprodue the desired reforms, it ws gin lertht the Frenh hd no intention of permingsubstntl hnge ing France bringsLng Du bk from hs journ with heightenedsense of the gulf between modeity nd thepremode power of nient ustoms, whhthe oloni regime ws determned to mintin

in VietnmIn the mjor novels Nh t Linh wrote round

the time he ws working on Going to France,the lsh between old nd new deveops intofullblooded soil onts tht re nevereffetvey resolved

Moh My a on whi youv n away uying oou aoa youah ha i Iv bn aon h aing ai ou u

Son: Ch Maan ch Maan jouoi voici av.Moh: h a Go! a y on gon a oo boy! i you

oh!


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8

Nh Lnh n [h bakng ofts Hano B H Vn Go DChuyn Nhp, 19), p190

S n hs s bfo th lma of th nolwh a out nds hatLoan ony adntaly klld h boosh husband whn, n th

ous of a qua, h fll on a papknfthat sh happnd to ha n h hand aslng opn th pags of a book. t may baddd that th book s a symbol of alyth knd of dsupt mod duatonthat th olonal gm fad.

hs dos not nssaly lnk Nht Lnhwth th phlosoph poponnts of thnh shl of th absd suh as ay,baus h s a omplatd dhotomyn Gds thnkng btwn h authntand th absud, whh mans that hsabsud sats an b ntptd as a payon unauthnt lng h ngaton of hs

phlosophy of th nddual psonalty. Inoth wod t would aso b msadng toaly Gd wh th phlosophal ponn�of th nh ult of th absud

I

n these works, torrid fmy crses precptted by the desire of ymodern, educted women (nd men) to void rrnged mrriges mrry those they love usully resut n the fure of the fmiy to hve tYet Nh inh coud so see tht, n Vietnms feud socety, the emncpyoung hd nowhere to go Hs iberted heroines nd heroes of the mid thus drift round imlessly, enlemoned in wek Autumn Sun (3

enclsped in unstisfctory pltonic reltonships s in e Breaking o(3) nd nerence (37) cking n effectve ending s thewht these novels ll leve behnd is , s hve ndcted, sense of removement tinged with ntimtons of deth " cnnot stop must mwys move on to nd strnge new scenes, sys Dng, the shdwnderer n e Breaking o/ Ties, who then nrrowy voids kilng hnd his grlfriend, on, n speeding cr

nsted of the thin vei of hppness whch s drped over the end otempestuous nove, t might so hve been concuded wth chpter en"Not Ded Yet, But The reson why e Breaking o/es ws one most popur books of the decde, however, s the sme reson why

to France is the best-known modern Vietnmese trvelogue both wwere rooted n modern vson of socety tht encompsses the romnindividul freedom

Here, Nht nhs interest in French iterture, especily in the wrtAndr Gde with ts humnist nd often selfconscious commitment tindvidu, is of importnce For nstnce, Nht nhs Autumn Sun is inconspicuous wys trnsposition nto Vetnmese culture of GdeSympboniepastole ( ) Athough t bers no superc resemblnGoing to France, work ke Les Caves u Vatican (), Gdes sfrce bout plot to kidnp the Pope, coud only hve heped to deNht inhs tste for the bsurd But whtever the structur or the

inluence of French models, the trnspostion tht tkes pce in Vetns cutury specic n soc nove ke e Breaking / es, or ev ess ndependent work ke Autumn Sun, ides of ndivdu freethough prtly inspred by French writers, wys py on semntic eis very remote from theirs

n Nht inhs modern writing, individu freedom sti mens ibefrom the ncient restrictions of Confucn fmly vues n the trvel it sti mens ibertion from poverty nd bckwrdness n both csemode of expresson is ironic, becuse the semntc ed is stillso specithe modernsing impuse s nowso strong From ths perspective, the strof the modern Vietnmese romnce, both serious nd stric, les in it

c pcity to contest, if not yet overcome, deeply entrenched wys of thbout the ncent customs tht buttressed the coonil regme


118/169

GONG TO RCE

The Vetnmese term for stire, tro phng is not used in premoderntexts nd probbly did not stblise in mode usge untl the 20s nd30s When Nht Linh beme editor of Customs he ssoited the ide oftro phngwth "using lughter s wepon (ti ng ci lm khz He ws

lso onerned to represent vrious kinds of spel Vietnmese humourmishevous , rened, btter ntellgently mokng Suh tegoriesnd others nluding orse nd srsti, whh did not suit Nht Linhseduted tstewere lerly very old But the twentethentury onstrutionof tro phng suggests strongly tht they were beng reorgnised ndpolitlly foussed n wys tht were new

One wy to pproh this hnge is to ompre the delred method ofNht Linhs stire with the delmtion of premodern omedy suh s thtt the end of e Quael o the S Beasts seventeenth or eighteenthentury work whh uses niml llegory s mens of poltil ommentThe subttle of Going to France desribes it s Dry of ouey Abrod

(using lughter to over the truth nd the lst lines of the llego my betrnslted:

A tale at leisure is penndto conrm he facts of if.But still al his is said in jst-please ead it if you wih, for fun an laughs35

By deliming nd overing the truth both works re ttempting to softenther impt so s not to be too disturbng But wht s the differene? hedifferene s tht while the truth nd the fts of life re impltly the smein the premodern delmton, they re mplitly seprted in Nht inhssubtitle

Notie how the premodern omedy onrms the fts of life (s! i)t the sme time s it dislims its tle of them Beuse the rel story is oneof brutl injustie it would be dngerous to tell unless it were trnsformedinto n llegory tht moreover is told in est We my sy, therefore thtthe omedy funtions by disliming wht it ssumes nd llegorillyonrms the essentil truth o the fts of lfewhih is lose enough tosyng ustoms

Menwhile, Nht inhs stire sys he s tully using humor to coerthe truth (s! th!c) or him th ruh nd the fts of life re neither heembodiment of eh other nor the sme Nor is the truth something o beonrmedt lest by the fts of life This does not neessily men thtNh inhs stire differs from ll premode omedy in this wy Yet thereis muh evidene tht by the 20s nd 30s ertin seprtion of tthnd ustoms oinided with oss of ondene tht ws qlittielydiffeent from nything ietnmese writes hd grppled with before

33 M, Kichen pp. 0 , 1

34 See Lc sc nh cne quahe s es, a la eto ry gy Q y, rJslae y Sah hg, V Sees o.4 (YCee or eaoa a ea S187. hs wo he amas whoeeay hogh orespo wh

sx mstes he o oee, olely b he am ow a

aep he o. he p who has hs o p a age eas ay opes Mase theepo ees he ae, Uos sese a seme pp.23

I. pp.4. hae hae Sah hs Esh asao.


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84

V di [T Ba D{i Pass], aang c C{ C Groo ar wo sus Bo or i sripos o go-rapal aurs, wi sogly suggstrot ts Ty r sowat likBrowgs "Mtg at gt, wi a ra suaously as a ouy aross a sas a a so s or a

srpo o sua irours Howr,H Xu Hg uss or ulgar laguagtha Browg or H Xu HUgs ps a otay guy Xung th HXu Hg try (Hai:Trg i H Tg Hp, 1986, pp25, r s arguay so roy i tsor a pul r io wh ts Mauri Dura, 'de la ptevietnamienne Xunng Eolrais xrOri 968

Pa Ki, "Ci i a o rg ui: { g og k Cayng mi [ laugr o t go

a otal a ough wl raigTe itt of e Ph n tn vn[Wos Jou 84, 28 May 191, pp58

Ts a was al wt y guy V "G g [Laugig at ay-tig], ng dng tp ch [IoaRiw], whi appar i May 19 aotiu to 1918 T art appars io.22 a s rprt i DUg QugH, Vi�t Nam thi vn h tu [SltVitas potry a liraur (Hai,95, pp856

NAT INH

Sometime, in nove ike Nguy D ixteenth-enty ColetoSupeatul Tale, t i pole to nd tre of rm tht my towith rony Ao, hrh prody nd moking ghter tht involved poitommn rtim w etny ommon n pre-modern folk tertrt w n the poetry of gre lke H Xn Hng, the fmo nineteeentry ort onne Yet i feture of thi mokery t diretnwhih gget ondene tht the ntitution eing moked re trothn the moking om nd tht, therefore, the mokery wl not reoThi fther ugget tht the pre-modem moker who ived in proxmty to their udene ould lte the degree of tolerne peted, nd then delm or ue gr retrnt o not to e too ditr wold rge H Xn Hng doe f thi i o, then, t reonugget tht, even when t i mkng pointed ommnl ommenty, modern mokery nd ughter, nd even thetre, n e oneived politil deve for the ventng of pleen nd the reee of ommteniont the me time, of oure, entertning

n H Xun Hng e, the euy of muh of her e nd(eroti) work lo onvey the ene tht, for l t imperfetion, life ientirely lk But ee he offe no prti terntve to the oof her rdiue, he n no wy ontet the ft of lfe n ny e, heen no evidene of nything lke Nh Linh roni indiretne n mode text, whih gget profond, perplexing dot ot the trture of the unvere nd, think, pont to undment hft infunton of lghter n terture

The work of mny writerpoily egnnng with thoe of TrXng (1870107)oud e tken to pot the hnge in humoeniiity But one whoe work tke u to the hert of the mtter i PKh n 3 he plihed n ey out lghter tht w ommon tof diuion n oonl Vietnm Prompted to ome extent y rritFrenh oeton, mny were kng why Vetnmee eemed to ugnythng, no mtter how grve or inppoprte the tton ppered tnd wht th might men W it, mny lmed, eue Vietnmwere h gente people? Or w it , othe id, ee ghtethe rt thing to dtinguh hmn from nim

Wthout othering with the rt propoton, Phn Khi ey ontthe eond one y ying tht if peope lghed when it w nppropto do o, then th w the ughter of "ghot nd pirit, nd tht, toextent the nmhumn dtnton w dimnihed The ey foed epeiy on how the wrter H Bi�u Chnh (88558) hd

wth ughter n e Bttee ofLe(22), hi trgi nove out n oroy Thi work ptly modeled on Hetor Mllot Sa Fame (nvolme, 57) However, the ene fom e Bttee ofLe to wPhn Kh drw ttention hve no re pre n the more entmFrenh work


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GOING O FRCE

Tee cene incude one were a doctor aug ead off wen eearn tat te oy a no ome; one were te oy and a friend cap teirand and laug wldy to terrore a pg and one were te oy laugloudy at te tuttering peec defect of frend After reviewing teecene an i concuded tat ye Vetnamee did laug wen it wainappropriate ut tat ady al t reveaed wa cruelty and tupdit and

te low leve of civiation of te people Of overridng mportance in ani' view owever wa anoter queton aout H Bi�u Cndecripton of al te crue laugter were tey ntentonal or unntentonal

an coud not conclude tat te decription were unintentonaecaue ti woud ave aumed a virtualy impoie ape n terary convention and tate He tu repied tat H B�u Cn' decrption were"intentonal ecaue a a "realt writer e wa conceed to ow watte lve of umle people were ike Relected in ot te quetion and teanwer terefore a cear awarene tat a lterature tetoayrecorded te dituring augter of te mae ometing new wa appeningBaically ti augter wc ad away exited ut ad een anctoned

n way tat an eay mentionwa now eing arneed ymode literature And for t to appen t necear to e aware tat aarge part of wat made lterature mode wa t new capacity to repreentan equal wide vew of wat from only around 00 came to e caledocety' (x h{

art of te tremendou mportance of t new contructon i tat tewriter point of view can no longer e ancored ecurely n te fact of lfeor in te cutom t viewed Saken y te conquet and te ene ofitorcal contngency t generated te od idea of famiy and vllagecutom wc empaied te ierarcca nature of uman relationipwtn toe relatively narrow communa categore wa tef in crii n

fact te cri wa uc tat a new noton of ociety wa now crytalingT expanded ocal vion empaed democratic lateral lnkage eteepeople eyond te od communa categore t one tat produced newdea of te indvidual indvidua freedom and muc ee ncludingfreeloatng pont of vew Becaue of te reultng wide range of vionmy argument ten tat te ful force of aurdity and lack farce couldnow e employed n writing From around 30 Vetnamee lterature waready for te emergence of atire wic proaly reac teir mot riantf iarre egt in V Trng \ng nove A Fouate Le 36

t doe not requre an anay of t very lack atire to ene te ironyn it ttle Moreover t important to note tat wile Nt n' Gog to

Fe wa more eeganty ourgeoi tan V Trng \ng' rutlecomedy aout a low-ca vagrant te writng of ot tee mportantatrt ared a quality tat wa commony found intermnged wit ronyat te tme acute elfconcioune

I wll ealig wth aowok

40 V


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8

eande . Woodsde Cmmuniyandevluin in md Vienam (BosonMass: Hoghton Mln, 976), p.79

HeTam Ho a Radialm and hein fhe Vienamese luin (Camrdge, Mass Harvard nversty ress1992) p173

Lnhs dea of ung sate nto aweapon was no unprecedented, n thesense tha may of he old tet hadught o t ther wrtng rushes ntoweapons as sn as the rench nvadedBt ther pect was one of defence andconservaton. hey dd not mean to release laughter especally that of the people, whhwas conscosy used y N nh to foserme ltcal and socal change

Marshall Berman A ha lid melin ai h nce fmi NewYork, 1982 eprnt ed engun Books198) p17.

N N

ndividulism is s Aexnder Woodside suggs in his discusimndrin poery clus vey old in Vitnms iterture. Howveens of his kind of individulism i tht y contr wih the modrnit ws more intopective Ancin exts could circule to om extenthe mndrin poes primrily wroe for hemselv or for their felowwer unlikely o chllenge heir uhority. n modern imes writr su

hoe in Nh Linh SlfRelinc Litrr Group coninued to work inclus. However the nue of ths clus hd chnged in lest one crpc they no longer tended o provide the reders s we s the wof th xs tht ht were producd y hem. As modern priningcommunicion tchnoogy prmied the wide dissemintion of socity s whol provided h rdership for heir wriing As he wrlionship wih hi reders undeen this socil trnfomtion iinvile h th writers sens of himself ws lso ound o chng

As he sought to voic he mocking nimnts of he mss xpndd viw of ocit the siri much s h rious wrir wforcd to expose himelf o h soci chngend hisoric coninge

ht produced h modrn urn seing nd is freeoing redeoutid the clu n on wy this is he sourc of he freedom wprmitd the fexpression th modern rdicls ofn founexhilring. n oher wy howvr i uully mens tht th wriong wro for th e or for he ke of cusom. This usully mdpoor nd confrond hm wih n imperson udince whos rsponscould no prdit. Ripped from h cocoon of communl conempiowritrs selfconciousnss w urned insid ou y his wid viion ndudinc i ecm xtali in he new socil conscioun Further s h now fcd oci or h word on s n individuconruction of it endd o com elfreexiv. A wih Lng Du the

rvld him s much s he rvd it. n sum he ecme n uncindividul in n impronl world ut one who now hd the cpci o dhimf wih irony n essnily rexiv trop

Nh Linh uh in Going to Frnccould no hn hve n "hof lif i hd o n individul conrucion of hm on in hi ccomic surdity. Evn more his or Lng Dus "ruh cully revolv h dngrou dnil of he cutomry "fcs of life nd hi is diuing rvoluion h i hd o msked y h rlively diny pon duced cgories of "humour h w concernd o uom: "mischivou rend ier "inlignly mocking Yirony hr is h h defeniv rproire is lo rvoluionry wep

h Linh comic ire ws in Bns word ou he modrn slof Bur on nd Chrlie Chplin ou h nd o "mk h n o h unmking h is going on

Lng D nrrive of h wv in hu mk dpy dividdcommimn o h mircle of modrn cinc nd y xnihioric progr which prciv o h individur in ohr kin


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123/169


124/169

GIG T FRCE

"Jking mpeiin which encuraged ppular paricipain in he merrimenby ffering pries fr he bes kes Thusands f readers submied enriessuch as

Teache: What i an exampe f a metic anma?Pup A gTeache Anthe?

Pup Anthe g?

Man in a babe' chai Dn't te me me tie abut mue an pehangng themeve; it make my hai tan n en

abe That' why Im teing yu

A by ha faen int a ive an been ave by a paebyy' fathe (uhng up t the man wh ha ave h n Wee yu the

ne wh ave my n?Man: Ye that' ighty fathe (gaing at the man We what ae yu waitng f? Why nt

yu jump back n an get hi hat a we?

An Ameican minae ting pat a hp with hi pivate ecetaywhen he ntice a beautfu aeg in the hp an immeatey g ntit

Miinae: Can I buy a ki?Saeg (tate but t miing an cme Ye Si t' ct 0

fancMinae OK hee the mney Nw et me have the gSaegi (tunng t an ugy wman wth a ckmake face: OK gve

him the gMinae (camy tuning t hi ecetay: Cme hee an cect the

g

A jke entite "Mutua Hep abut tw men n a tanA Damn t! Ive gt my cgaette but I've fgtten my matche That geat! Ive gt matche but Ive eft my cgaette at hme. We can

hep each the ut n thi tip

Fit thief Yuve jut ten a vey nice hatSecn thief N I bught t f tw pate

Fit thief Whee i yu gat the tw piate?Secn thief te them 49

While Nh inh was aware f Gides sairic farces he French schl fhe absurd Le Rire and harlie haplin ms as he edied Custos we knwha French Fou Rire cmedy recrds were als reasnably wellknwn in

Phong Ha N 32 p12 25 N32 p6 2 y 33 p 27 1[p]


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9 NH NH

Vetnamese twns and cities. In any case we have cmFig "X X?: H L wh h ig h w

the mprtant pint abut the grip that a satire ke Lus had n mde pltical and scial chnge By encaging laughter thrugh publshing ther wn kes humrus stries uasts at stoms were cnscieducating peple in the new cncept rny ndeducatin culd nt be dvrced rm ether the presencthe cnial regime r its crruptn.

T kOwigy Fch r c hong H6 a Augu 93

S Pbog H 3 Ja. 1936, p.7 ad 29May 1936 p.4 o om poitd xamplo t h trm oi hich acommoy d ca dd a to complicad tcat, ra', c',oica. ,ch a alo d, ca dd a o dcl o ttacatc' ioical' Fo a xampl o h o m roca ( ) i ogo e h jok D mak iCoomo a a o ciighi Bdha

S o xamp, a ry cl jokitld " tl" o So] Pbog H 8(g. 932 p.5.

am ot aa ha it a i h l o Chapl ml ih alhoght ch a ma ok o Capli may ll do o.

Many kes n ig to Frae abut mde civilsaresnate with ther exampes published n the pageCustomswhere rny relates Vietnamese backwardneslnial (mal)admnistratn In bth the travelgue andjurna many jkes shw that slw public clcks trains unhygenc lving cnditns and even cannbawere cmmn surces humur. here was as wspread cmc nterest n the questn where peple n tlets were suppsed t urnate and deecate n

hygenic mde wrld excelent exampe such may then be cussed in the mage L t' a hppular Customscartn character whm Lng u mentn passing in Goig to Frae.

he reerence s a relatively simple ne in which Lu cmpares himse t the Customscartn characterscrawny peasant wh arund Nvember 193 cme

twn armed wth a mdern umbrela (rm which he smetmes hangsshes t save the leather n them) But Vetnamese readers wuld as hknwn that bere lng L t had a rtund sder in Customs carths was X X the butt many slapstck kes Furthermre they w

have knwn that the mdes r L t and X X wh became cesymbls urban humur r the next thirty years were Laurel and Ha clever cartn 1936 which pays n the emptiness recurring chygiene-ce campagns t mprve lcal cnditins s thus based ntranspstn these internatnal cmic characters int Vetnamese cculture (see Figure 3)

n the cartn X X asks L t what the sgns are n a wall n them Bl ithely assuming that French culture s ust like Vietnamese L reples that they are French paralel sentences Since Vetnamese parsentences were usually dspayed n estive ccasins and bre auspcmessages n Chinese characters the array irnc swtches which

cartn makes shws hw absurdly -beam L t iseven as he hlights a central ssue he let-hand sgn prhibits the psting sgns nwal thereby cntradcting tsel; the ther prhibts urinatng againstwall thereby ering a glss n the absurdty cal regulatins as apply t backward Vietnamese cndtins where sanitatin was unuhis was a ll the mre telling as the reader the cartn realses smet


126/169

GONG TO FCE

he uneducaed L o and X X do no: ha he Venaee ranlaonof he rench gn are round he wrong wa!

A aude o coonal rule were beng oulded n L o age clear ha he noon of cvlaon and backwardne are nerdependenn he colonal dcoure. However he ke pon for are ha hnerdependence whch produce he ronc aburd vew, becaue of wha

gh be decrbed a he uppreed developen he joke hghlgh. hecoand ha a Cutom- educaon gave ordnar people of heunvera anguage of cvaon' and he ocal one of backwardne' huugge he need for radcal change n he ron ha e up n he nerplaof he wo.

B wa of furher exape h wa never ore o han wen, for a fewda n 1936, Charle Chapn acual ved Vena. o knowledgeChapln v o Hano and Sagon durng one of h rp o he ar Ea nAprl 1936 no o far regered n Weern wrng on Vena. hereee o be no record of h recepon n Sagon. Bu n Hano where heaed for a few da cheerng crowd gahered o wach h have a drnk

a he averne Roae: "here' Chare! "here' Charle cred anwhe oher coened on how dfferen he ooked fro h age on hecreen. Bu Cutom knew an (even hough wa no aware of heroube ha Chapn' prolearan pahe had o recenlcaued h n Aerca) celebraed he occaon wh he Fg

Th rtn n inrvw n PhH, 1 My 936 n pg n ppTh pm n nthr rp by Thpp h llwing w n 8 1936 pp3 8

th m tm my hv briginlly ggt by Chpn· lm GRh 1925 b Chplin h t

nnibm in h Sir Nv n mwhn h m h m n pnin n whr h ving ggCh n J k b n t n pint Chrli l p h t invn nh Chi hlln Jm h hkn iy wh m rChl b pr h Vnm nnibl j h h 930 B it n mh tw ptly mth S MCb Charlie Chaplin Lnn: Rb978) pp44 147

publcaon of a fronpage caroon. M produced a poe,"Charle Kng of Clown and Nh Lnh ounger broherh


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2

Phong H 8 May 9, p8


128/169

GOIG TO FRCE

aibue i iecy o Ph�m Quh i Goig o Fce hus usig a babeioy uee by Ph�m Quh Sce Ph�m Quhs wiigs peseea hghbow accou of Fech cuue, whch coul o have bee moeemoe fom Lg Du's, i was possble o ea Goig o Fceas a paoyof hem.

Alhough he subile of Lg Du's wok, Dia of a ouey Aaduig laugher o cover he ruh, sogy suggess ha was a paoy ofmpeal cuue, iec eviece ha Nh Lih ha Ph�m Quhs Diaof1922 a avelogue of 192 speccally i m oes o exe muchbeyo he opeig emak efee o he above. Howeve, eihe hesaus of Goig o Fraceas a paoy of Ph�m Quh's ocial ave-wiig,o he poiical sigicace of i, ecessaiy sas o a cosciouscosucio Wha s mos ieesig a mpoa abou he elaoshpbewee he exs of he wo auhos s ha, while each was well awae ofhe ohes wok, hei exs epese opposie poles i he cooial iscouseof cviisaio' a backwaess' Wih o efeeces o Fech a, Rosues, achecue, Napoeos ombo o Pesie Gambeas picklehea i he Paheo i s quie possibe ha Lg Dus so acuayae Ph�m Quh, as cosisey pesee images ha couee hsow Bu eve if Ph�m Quh was o sesive o he oy of hisopposio, he wie poliica po was ha he opposio exsei hecoloial cuue

As cae ealie, hs s bes emosae i a ieexual eaig,such as he oe have evelope he commeay o he asaio Wha wa o show his commeay, whch us as a seco ex aog hesie, is how Lg Du's ex ca be ea whi a iea seies of ohe exswhose poliica impcaos ae eihe sympahecally ieove o atagoscaly ieocke wh i ee, a ieexua eag of he o auhosw show wha a sepaae eaig of he exts cao ha hey aesucuay, if o cosciously, iecoece i elaioshp o hecoacios of he cuue

Ceai hsoica eves also com hs As Cuom catoos aatcles coiue o ampoo impota people, Nh Lh was well awaeha ocial vexaio wih a he laughe migh eup a ay ime Thus 1935 he foue Ngy Nayoay , a gee oual patly moele o PariMach a a i se by se wh Cuom fo a few mohs so ha heSelf Reliace Lieay Goup wou have a faback posiio if Cuomweesuely close ow Because of is high ug coss, Today ha sooo suspe is ow opeaios. Howeve, he iave ha bee a wse oe,because i was o ifcul o evive whe, Jue 193, Cuom as NhLihs Fech Sece Police ossie of 194 puts i, "diiveme ierdie.I s geealy expaie ha he immeiae cause fo he cosue was aatice i which Hog �o shaply iicue he maaae, a hiscou well be ue Bu i s also woh emembeg ha as Cuomwas sucha effecive age of a moe aoal, social asfomaio, is closueoccue abou six weeks afe he as salme of Nh Lh's Goig oFrace.

e say appears , p.5 NL's qotato s e js beow e te rs stamet o Going to Fn

Hate Commssare e Frace por Dr. e a poce et e a Sr, Sao, e 5 94, o 64/60/s, Note M HC, C,e CD Sao Archi Nationa dFStion Out M ars Coseer o Cato 23 Dosser: arts potqes aes VNQDD I s o cear e repoce kept a osser o t L 930s bt case o s promece e rec eres ayt cooa s ay cera ta earer posorces ee ts 194 oe.

N�t T Poit, p.4; JamesUndetaning Vietnam, p.58. TKitchen, p73, seems to mx poca esrro te cosre 936 wt sotat acay ook pace 939.

Fig ih h g fbuf h Chri Chpi cumAdh Hiry much


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94

i n H chiu ng, Bmtrng.

S 60 ng sng Tnh T Tme Mgzine, 9 y 963 pp.323Nk y 2 963 pp434. r a

aco o srrdig sicis Jaso Udending ienm,p242.

Fi tract fm the arice that appearedin Time Magzn on 9Ju 3(nted with iion)

Nc

Sh Vim eis ad iian nam Nen Tl Tam hs o y te of whky Dih as wk. F whie he adrinking wh hem hs he in "My so, I v hay i id. m ing o de . ddy he k , w o hia w died ming. In hs Jss w f ha f nide

�i Tam, S w oio d iD Ido-i's wr ai Fh. af ideen nS4 insingy dechnt with t uaran le ofS V Nam', Pidet Ngo Dinh

i. Flh is nm char Tam nd 34 oh with iring o ePidt in n bivc aepin Ncb 196. It ws jt t daysbf u ia ha Tamcomit suicid, a he explainwhy in e ef bhi. 1e ar Dd of iais ns of he a wf he ion io he has eCommuniss, he e p his nd ki yf waingt . pl w a tp 0a

·

c " mt c A t J

NHA INH

Postscipt

In h la 13 Nh Linh wn on diing Today and bgan o whisky o sav off a cing oium addicion H wo mo novlsrinds(1937) Two Godn Aoons 937) and Wit Butty (1 9A las h s of hs suggss a dg of soluion ha was absn

his ali woks and his may b sn o gu his involvmnaionalis oliics duing and us af h Scond Wold Wa His asdssing u lik Adolh Hil in h aly 1940s may b sn o do hi

His Sc olic dossi of 194 is a clumsy documn, which conos and unconmd assions Bu i dos no accualy ha onof his oliical missions o China bfo h Augus 1945 Rvoluion, Linh "accomanid H Ch Minh o Kunming al i h sam ya Hsvd fo sval monhs in 1946 as foign minis in H Ch Munid fon govnmn Howv h bok wih h communisbfo h was schduld o lad a Vi Minh dilomaic dlgaioanc and lf again fo China

Si ll wih no symahy fo h nch coonialiss, h sa ou much o194654 anco-Vinams wa in Hanoi, issuing h 1930s novls oSlf Rlianc Lia Gou In 1954 h wn souh o liv lagly in isoland gow ochids on h banks of h a M iv a Dala H coninuwi oducing among oh hings, a hvolum roman uv bon his voluiona aciviis along h SinoVinams bod in Aong t an 7Rivr 961 I conains qui a lo abou sih aly 1 960s h bcam involvd in a faild cou agains Ng in h in Saigon his was bcaus h hough Dims ssion of oaciviis would lad o a communis vicoy

hn bfo bing bough o cou fo his ol in h cou, h d

song admixu of whisky and vona and ook his own lif on Sunuly 1963 housands in Saigon knw of his suicid wihin wo days, hough no nwsa dad o un h soy His childn ushd cohis suicid no o Amican ounaliss in h ciy and acs of i aad in m and Nwsw "I kill myslf as a waning o hos who a amling on ou fdoms S igu 7.)

Not on th ansation and Oigina xts

h folowng anslaion has bn ad v lagly fom h ovsion sialisd in h wklyPongCusoms hld in h BibliohNaional in ais and on a micom coy in h Mnzis ibay, usNaiona nivsiy h sis conaining Gong o n ns fom P no151 31 Ags 1935 o no180 2 Mach 1936 owv ha ga in h sis in aly 1936 nos 171 o 7 (7anuay28 amissing o his ga h anslaion has n mad om h 1981] Mi diion


130/169

GIG T E

One ohe ga ext becaue the lat wo eode whch aear n theSng i edition are alo miing fom he oigina Pbog H6a ext. Theeae the eiode which te of Lng Du deotaion from Fance and hiunhay reurn home t i therefore oble hat hey wee cenored andonly ubhed in late edion eecaly nce thi wa geing coe o hetime Pbog H6awa cloed down in June 19. However t may ut be hat

he avalable Pbog H6a erie incomlete. f o he a wo inalmenwhich aear n he Sng i edion would originaly have aeaed n Ail a the noducon ae above

n any cae twentyhree of he eemng thtyone oginal eode aeavaiabe and o t ha been generaly oble to comae the orginal PbogH6a and he laer Sng i ediion. Thi aer verion omeme rodevaiant reading and in ome cae hee vaant have been folowed heewhen hey eeent clea edioa imrovemen on the origina ext wichNh nh wote unde he conant of deadine n addiion while aimingfor accuacy in he ranlaion we have neverhee eded out ome thee ecen of the oigina tex o a n our view o enhance raherthan unnecearily

detact fom i readability Omon are marked by hee eli ont inquare backe: Original ine dawing ha accomaned the ntalmenae eroduced in he correonding ace in he tranaion

GOIG TO FNCE

g Lka

16 En ra 2031

-Diar of a journey abroad (using laughter to cover the trth)

Afe euig m aa e s fee basq u

I s l whe weve ge ha we w v p ug fLg Du a aa

BEFORE MY DEPARTURE

Waiting

had ought ocial ermion to go aboad fo ove three monh buhad t l no received a ey en my day acing around he houe boedand futated Evey ve minute would look out the window and wachthe ee vendor aing by chanted The counry awat he heel of thewandee·

ng Dus ant s t t n o a oy t mnn roman o, nt Momns o sr moon [Gpb cbnh ln m was o N as auor o e akng of934) an t o uss t tm 'Ing

o ony t a o wanrr Bnng w a n tat may ransa Ygo you way an ' go mn ts oo arng an wat mgt rman atrmong an y so gty susn nuaa o t ms tat t as ng roman nto t na Canssy ong Dus om raraons ooyag aross was to ran


131/169

96

• Other pops whch Lng Du uses to ge hisstory going ae the mode deas of he

'y and the 'glfiend Alhough of adffeen oder, boh hee constucts su-faced n he apd ial change tha foowedhe conquest of V eam The 'y emegedas a member of a new sevant cass whchealy Fench admnsaos needed fo arange of domesc, inerpreting and otheasks The 'irlfend was a sgn ha in henew SCey it was poible fo young menand women to friends and not onlyhusbands and wves as before

Lng Du was awae hat no a depaueswere as dfcul as hs A ndcaed in heInoducion he had ead Ph�m Qunhsaccoun of he mpeal msson he made toFce n 922 If he comic complicaonof ng Dus accoun of hs depaue aehus ead n andem wh he comfotingaurances of Pm Qunhs we gn osee that ng Dus ex n be fufully

inepeed as a paody of the mpeal vewof he knd pojeced by Ph�m QuYnhAlhough is complcaed n cean waysP QUYnhs accoun s poc and ous-y conen ha, n he e of "Geat ncehe only dumen needed to vs thempeial heaand were a passpor aavel euison and an deny cadand that was all (P58, p254

NHAT NH

I wen on chaning his line unil a friend of ine od e wih gesarcas ha he poe he hadn wrien i ye. hs ade e shuand recie no ore.

Pctising to b a Wait

Afer ha had a grea idea: I would appy o work as a oy on oaship. Being a oy cerainy woudn e dicul and raher han oney on he fare woud ake soe as I worked y passage o Fraherefore I old y grfrend o lend e a rass ray and two glasses so could ran yself o ecoe a waer ·

I pu two glasses ll of waer on he ray and ran around he house fro dawn o dusk iagining ha I was seng on an ocean lner. Froo ie I iled he ray as hough I were standng on a ship ha was roon he waves. Aer pracising for a few days no only was I far fro eI aso had o drink he waer o quench y hrs. hen I discovered ha wanever see passengers fresh waer and iediaely old y girlfriend o

wo gasses of iced coffee so ha y pracice would e ore auhenicBu y ase for iced coffee ony ade e ore hirsy and fro

on had o carry four glasses.Findng ha I also go sick of coffee I soon replaced i wih wine

advanage of using wine was ha any ies I fel yself swaying as hohe ship was in a sor and his had he addional virue of preparngo deal laer wh sea sickness

I have said ha y econg a oy' I would no lose oney onpassage. However gven ha y ehod of raining had already cossoe oney i was no ong efore I reased ha I would soon spen had saved for y rp o France onsequenly I gave up a hop

ecoing a oy i was a a aer of desiny; u so oo fro ha was he fac ha I ook a liking o drink.

A Luc Schm

Meanwhile I had sen en rave applicaions o he auhoriies u hreceived a word in reply. I hough ha was possiy ecause had say applicaions ha I waned o go o France o asor Wese culuo sudy he iracles of French science and o research asrongeography and phiosophy. Perhaps hey hough was a oasl i

up sor of fellow hen one day y girlfriend asked e o go and haphoograph aken for a souvenr and I had an idea.I led in an applicaion fo and addressed o he Province

raher han o he Ridet Supeur as efore. I pu on a se of Vienaclohes and a whe ha and carrying he applicaion for I wen oprovincial adinisrave uiding. enered he secrearys ofce osequiand said ha I sough peission o go o rance.


132/169

OI TO FRACE

epted t spek ugh pidgin Fenh he Pvine hief ked te s if he wee thinking f Fenh sying: "My dear Sr yu wnt gt Fne, but yu spek Fenh ike Spnish w.

went n: wud like t g t Fne t sudy phtgphy.he Pvine hief eied ne sund: Ahis en he ws pbbly thinking: "h sunds O.

He sked "But why ust yu g the wy Fne sudyphtgphy

gve isky epy "Si beuse he i f y uses e Fenh hught shud g Fne t study nd fuly quin yself wih hede

his de n sense t l . Bu he Pvine hief isened wh sidnd iediely signed the neessy ppes f e g. fe piing be by it nw tued ut th hd suddeny bee e phtgphe+

Faw Pay

Wih ppvl t g Fne sd ping ws nw unvidbe.§ Suhpings e usuy eebted with pies dwn u sws nd thisiediey de e ve n fnts: wte ne y gilfiendnd went ut nd bught fu btles f hpgne S th dy we dnkhpgne nd swlwed u es lthugh we dnk e hn weswwed Lite by litle we nished the st btle.

My gifiend (wh hs get piy f h) sbbed: "he e y he e wn t dink hpgne

sid "Me t.

S we ied gethe s we nished he send btle lked up t he upbd whee tw unpened bles std ndfelt little wied. sid suvely: "Pehps we shudnt ke uselves nysdde sdness is ve dging

My gifiend pu he nge he ips nd s if suddenly wken f de, bus u "Hw bu nt ging Fne. Wh's the use f ging?

"Yu igh be ight.My gilfiend lughed: Yu sying hee, h elly wuld be sething

f e elebe Let e dink se e t eebte he f h yue sying

We nished he hid ble

But ne we hd dunk he hid ble, eised h wuldn be ble sty wuld hve g wheve hppened. hd btined peissinll y fiends hd hed he news tht ws ging hee ws n wy uldhnge y ind nw. My gilfiend knew this . Ou hppiness tuned sdness. She begn y gin nd he fuh bttle ws dined ike thehee befe it.

Wih he fu bttles nished we felt th u sdness hd epilysubsided

Whatever the diculties of th e deparng Du's ques for a mode career nothing new A early as 1865 sudents fhnchina had en sudying a ahschs in souhe France. Fom 9 mothers had gone aboad to seek mknowledge in France, hna Japan

ater the Soviet Uon Like n Du mos famous of these migrs H6 h Mhad worked in phooaphy Also 1was a good year for N ih o goFance For dedes French cooa poregardin studen ps to he metopoleshifed eicaly beween foserin pin French culture and fear of he disrupconseuences of overeducatin he natBu as a ush of naional pride infopoicy in the riod beween 1925 and the main resricio on studens aveto France were hat they should havsuitable education and a rich famiy o

he expeses. These nauy ecuded mpeople but then again Nt ih, whfamily was not ch received a scholaro go Vienamese suden in FnceSco Mconne ward jou:ducation /Vitnams studn in F (New Bunswick: TrasacPublishers 1989).

he farewell' ceay had a poined liesicance in Vietams unsetted colosocia hisory A he same time thprivleged mddlecla sons who neverhome ofen emerge fom noves of he as dissoute rakes who hang around d

lit champae parties Nh ih knewlife wel and aways liked to pary wsickened him mos I might also mioned here hat when he let, Phm Quhad a ·vey happy" farewell pary aHaiphong Hotl de a Marine which conducted more in he old-fashioned wih sining grls rather han irlfriepresent


133/169

98

Besides the farewells dance hal ls nightclubs, and hotels such as the Mikado nHanoi and he Splendid at Haiphong, wereanother sign of emerging modeit Thiswas even connected with a lie tourism asNguyn B Chnh's rst mode VietnameseGu t Han of 1923 indicated in is

desiptios of hotels and scenic places Sotoo did the rise of the suitcase' as aconspicuous literay motif by he 930 In94 , Nguy un even published a stoycalled The new suitse Ci va-y miwhich conms he impotance of thismiddle-class posseion At the same time,however that story conveys deep inklingsof the resless movements of the age, oneshat hough not eplicit in the narativewere mosty generated by he migraion ofpoor people who caied miseable bundlesto he south, a shing population of landlessasans who slept on the side of the road

itnerant semi-slave-labour gangs who buitraiways and oads and worked plantationstil they dropped n fact, the rise of thesuitcase as an emblem of the middleclasswas dependent on all his mode movement

Just as he suitcase' and he girlfriend'became romantic ititutions in the novelsof the 1920s and 1930, so too did a numberof pleasant places where lovers met The Ng Road and he beach atD S were twof hese However the one where ng uchose say gbye to his girlfriend, the

Thin i Road had a reputation for beinghe most deserted road in Haiphong at leastafter Th populaised it in his bookAne Tn L R With the soft sheen ofFrench impressionist painting in the background, one can imagine the falling leavesSince h s book was published in 193Nh inh must have read an earlier verionunless he was insental in popularisingthe manic advantages of this avenue too

NHAT LINH

e Sh Weighs nchor

fer drining he chapagne boles dry and shedding al our ears I wresolved o say goodbye o y girfriend so ha I coud devoe yself ooher friends. For hree days wen ou wih he everywhere fro hThin o ng Hng Vin hen fro ng Hng Vin o he Splendid Ho

If y rip o France was going o be anyhing lie ha round of errai would be ver easy o ae. Sadly he day had coe when I had o go doo Haiphong o cach he ship and a big crowd of friends cae o see off My girfriend and I had o escape fro he by siing in he HaiphoZoo and wandering along he desered Thin Li road where we cried as ie o our heas conen.

4 p he ship pulled in he gangplan and weighed anchor. Whhanderchiefs luered in he breeze. I iagined ha I was an envoy goo France wih peiions o he French Governen ha were vial o desiny of our counr. efore I could adop a less haughy persona I o reind yself ha was a siple radesan going o France o sphoography.

s he ship gradually pulled away fro he wharf I forgo al aboufriends and xed y eyes on y girlfriend who was sanding here gazbac a e. s he ship oved farher away she becae saler and saunil she looed no larger han a child a vase a cae and hen coplevanished. When I could no onger see her I began o fee hungr.

Dejection

Of course I was raveing dec class and his was no wha iagine

On an ocean iner he area ha doesn have cabins dining roos ounges is he dec. Traveling on dec eans raveling wih he sy aboyour head and wood beneah your fee. The sy is he curain and a dchair he sleeping a To forge y cares and wai for dinner ie puup a dec chair and wached he clouds ha raied across he sy Reahose who ravelled dec cass also had cabins and buns bu i would hbeen beer o up ino he ocean han go down o he. Feeling hirswen o a waer pup and puing y ouh beneah he spou gul

After the farewell he departure was pobablynever as one imagined it would be When he

left in a troop-ship for Fance in 9 17 CorporalNguy Vn Ba, the ctional author of a weknown colleion of semictional war lettersdescribed how "perhaps a thousand menwere ammed into a steel ship where eachhad a bunk and bedding that was full of bugsand eas There were two meals of beef andrice each day and frequent complaints abouthow the French cks did the rce Uean MarquetLe d nnam(, 1929 pp 1213

/After his farewell paty wih singing g1922 h


134/169

GOING TO FRNCE

own som frs war a rmn m of oo of ars I s wmy grlfrn a fw ngs bfor an four bos of ampagn. Ian Alas, gorous ms ar ovr"

A nnr m, I wn own o galy an afr askng for a pa ansom foo I sa n a ornr. r oun ps of gr n r asI a an I fl anw brnss of a an as for my way roug

bfn vnng a an an gon bak ou on k I an on

sps ralng an look ou ovr war so a wavs oul arr mysoul bak o my grlfrn an my ars woul fal no sa. wasparularly sa wn oug a by now my grfrn woul b sngw som or man an sppng ampagn ryng o forg m. Bs ma sor from Huesoo a ralng an lk m, was probably nkngof s grfrn baus s fa ook as oug a bn bn by anns. Evry now an n wou l ou a avy sg, an murmur soflya ln from a un w a Nam Bn an anor s up an sps salng

I no a vry v mnus solr sg agan an sang sam rfran anor s up an sp s salng."

Evry vnng was sam an un wn on for abou an our was alray n a sa moo an s rra m n vnng I oulnsan any ongr an, soppng bs m I sa Don you s Sr sp s alray salng. Bu was 1n no o unrsan

Forunay afr w sopp a Sagon a man was no ongr anywr o b sn wn sp s sal for Sngapor

W sp soon o arrv a rs forgn por I bgan o ror somsrang sors n my nobook. An on srang ng a no on ls smo fl was a foun nrby asy o bra. I on know wr s

was baus w wr n opn sa or wr was baus ar I nowbra was ffrn from a w I a bra for so long

AROAD

Singapore

Bfor w a ropp anor a Sngapor on of sp oys gavm som av B arf f you go no Sn ra bo or yoll b bya ar #

Hs av was nxponal was lk a w a mor gvs al wn gos o n sr o pla or a w a pasan woman

§ Accodi o Phm Quh accounoag fm Haipon to Saon took nit and two da oa Saion Sinapor tk wo wol d

# Vitam ad n trallin to Sininc t 1 Vitnam ailor adwrkin t Frc imprial ppin rnc th 16 and, a thir linitic gimpl, t ad t wll workd outDu Sinh r : or Gii to a coa coupti Sn a whic i mtralitraton of h Enli am. Por pac nam in th tt ar pr tona pla witin imilar ranltra


135/169

1

Wa n, SingapE.] Brady Cin, Naina

Libra fAui-dudwih sin

itnam travlr hav uualy nmrd wih Singaor Ph


136/169

GONG TO FCE

o e s Hee ey use e wngs o e e uomoble ome ey use em o e peope ws e eene

Suenly I sw n uomobe n m seeme o be on ollsonouse bu en s e uomobe so sg e e m sppeelegnly ou o s wy I oug s ws n wnng o see ppen gn soo ee wng o e nex m ne me long n

sue enoug jus s I egne o ppo see o o one se Iooke own s n sw e m n on ubbe weesBeoe ebong e sp I wen no n Inn sop o buy p o

pyjms . 1 I ne w I wne by ponng o p Wen e sopowne sowe em o me I sook my e n pone o some oesHe en sowe me p w spes e ozon spes wee puplen e ve ones wee geen Ae l e ponng n gesulng es S s s vey goo p."

Ts supse meI s ou n spek Annmese"Cenly I ve n Hno o een yes."

So w bg smles on ou es e wo o us sook ns Te Innmn ws ve enve o me emembeng Hno w eon nsowng ge pesue vng me n Annmese Te esul e emne$1 o p o pyms wo $5, n I wou le n ou ow goo eywee. By e me I go o Coombo e vel spes ompeey elevng e puple ozonl ones o sugges se o pson oes By eme I ee Aen e ozon spes so ompeey sppeeMy pyms une we Te goo ng bou s ws ey ouno e ny moe

he dagon-y hat was, of course head-dess o high mandrins such as PhQunh (e gure 5 nroducion). he jheefoe suggess te bawadness wen with he mposion o he cololce se in Vietnam

n one of hapn's ms, lie is imponed n Sng Sing. Bu his only added o

abundant stoe of prson okes and sotha ciculaed houghout the rench ema a me when Devls sand soies wewde crcuation Meanwhile on Son Psland o Puolo ondore whch ng menons owards the end of hs soy lahe hea o e vas ima penal esablmen n Venam This was patly he nsaon or one of t nhs st stoes, "silk spinner 92, n the anthoogy osame name, as we as o a myriad sookes, and carns by ohes A g cussion o prson lterature can ounDavid Ma, Vieame raiio o

5 Berkeley ali: Univesityaioa Pess 981.

amp fa Csts can ab

pn ch uiv fng Dama n Ha Janua 93)


137/169

1

• he mephr f the "mquitaryingmalaria erm immediatey ugget amoe cientic atinale at wrk the demytictin f illuin which mde rvelmeant f Ln Du wa bund t haveimpicatin ht extended we beynd heSinae tafc Summing up a it de theway h elats wih Fench peple chned

accrdn t the ditance he wa frm renchcnial Vietnam he cenral imnce fLng Du' Phiphy parph ha indeedbeen nticed by Aleande Wdide inCommui ad evoluo i mo Vie-am, p4:

Nht Linh's saemen � a cear reveain ofhe imprance f he discvery, y inelleuas his generan, ha e ine quiesand he ecipral scial and ehnic anagnisms f clnia Vienam were associaedwh e idisynrai cnvenins and laws ne specic seng, n wh any universal

deermnsms . ha culd never be chalenged

Put anther way Ln D u wa leain nhi vyae that the cnia experience culd lked at irnically and elf-eeXivelyfrm different in� f view

The paae fm Sinapre COmtk aut fur day and eem en thave been a ruh ne. Phm Quh (wherute tk him ut f the way rm Sngapret Penan t Cm in March 19) pentmuch f the Indian cean cin cnned h cabin a e hip rlled n hih windand bi ea which ailr caled thecaere. Thee aucepan cnditn arepaly ceated in aea f the ndan ceanwhere hue wave ure t the uface frmdeep ean current ha trike umeedmuntain and cntinenta hele

N N

Philosoph

Te arer e sp sa le rom Venam an e loser go o Frmy experene was a e more een people on boar were In e Cea ey no wan o ook n my reon In e Gul o am, ey oa me w san as oug I were a mosquo arryng malara germ

Europe Wen we enere e Inan ean er eyes sare o benee w genleness an ompasson an ey began o reognsI was a uman beng w a ew brans Crossng e Meerraneansuenly regare me as someone wo was as vlse as em an bo ave some respe or me Wen I reae Frane sel, I ampresson a I oul bully em A a sage I was very appy Busll worre abou e reurn rp!

Two Fen

Aer n ra b, I saw on e ekw was my prvae erro

anoer wo Inas wane o make rens w em bu was unabFrom e me ey ame on boar ey no sop akng o ea oan so I oul no ge a wor n Tey were sng bese e ek w I rene, an rom one ay o e nex ey sa ere angoer, alkng

ne o em wou begn A-ra, a-ra, a-ra, ara a-ra, a-ra ara aI no know wa a mean, bu a s wa I ear Wen

e a alke or long enoug, e one wo began soppe leanly was e seon ones urn o onnue Ara a-ra, a-ra a-ra, a-ra a-raa-ra"

Te seon man spoke or a ong me en soppe wen e rs

a s urn aga ey wen on lke a al e meAs er alk sen me a lle ray, ompare e soun o w

gurglng soun o an upene a bole o waerey alke as nensely as a Bu wen wlg approae e

slen an urne ogeer o ae e same reon : a o e senen ey bowe er eas ono e wooen ek, murmurng asperorme er rual A ese mes I oug a peraps ey were ao e sun

Colombo

Aer rng ou a sorm or a ew ays e sp reae Colombo

e sp o vs e y beause a ear a ey mae very goourres

I wen no own w anoe Annamese suen, eene o no ese amous ses Aer we wen a ew srees we ame o a ousea sgn ouse e oor wen n an nan srp w no uner


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GONG TO CE

Pane on e sgn was a rooser sanng n a ang re sun lappngs wngs an crowng w s beak we open. Lookng no e ouse Isaw a sma able an a few sools

We enere ung our as on a peg an sa own feelng pease wourseves A boy came up o us an n a naural one of voce wcsuggese I a passe roug Colombo many mes I sa conenly

curry cayPeraps e waer was a le eaf because I saw m l s ea asoug e a no unersoo. I sa agan more ouy Curry

Te waer repeae wa I a sa Cur-rFrom e look of m seeme a e no know wa cury was

I explane n renc my fren explane n Engs an e sl sook sea

I suenly fe sy curry! Bu wa kn of curr ou can ea curry byself an e wor cay s a Cnese wor for ccken no an Inan worPeraps seeng wo cusomers come n an ask for curry e boy soosarng a us ng o nk wa counr people w suc srange ases a

come fromI cae e boy a secon me rase my arms an crowng appeem lke a rooser cocka-ooeoo.

Te boy us soo ere w s eyes wenng. I m sure e oug awe were compeey ma.

Ts lef me feelng perplexe. Peraps roosers n Ina on crow orcrow ffereny from ose n Annam. I en cange o a urkey cal Coco-r-co.

Te boy repeae Co-co-r-co.Pease w s repy I connue Co-co-r-co cur-ry co-co-r-coTa was ver clear explc no maer ow sup e was e wou

unersan a I mean o ccken cury Bu e boy sl refuse ounersan. He smle rase s arms an appe em as e sa Cury co-co-r-co. Ten e sook s ea. We sook our eas oo an bengregne o no asng a famous ccken curry we soo up ook our asan ef.

nce ou e oor we ran no an Engs poceman wom my frenaske n Engls Coul you el us were we can n ccken curr

Evewere Ten wy n ey unersan wa we wane wen we wen n

ere an aske for Te poceman ooke up a e sgn of

e rooser en ooke a us w a smle ons face D you go n ere

es Wy are you surprse! J Te poceman a a goo aug an

ol us Ts s no a curry ouse s asoccer club!

1

: n e ona ext, ng sas wo ca s a Cnese wo o Howee, ca seems coseto te Canonwo g H, wc means ccen', ot eas e a te ea o oen

ot ccken cu n mn, an n eaeess o o ts mxe u te Cntems.


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14

• When hm Qunh sa Colom heremarked ha a sange' difference eenColom and enang or igaore as hahere ere no oreign shos here The vasmajory of comerce as un by he indig-enous ole hemselves (NP 59 333).When he as here 929 Bi Thanh Vnmade a similar observaion Slling unde gl 8). Meanhle like ng Du,hm Qun and hs ve cabn maesvisied a Buddhs emle. They hired a carfrom he Colombo Tous Ofce for ysx ruees over eny Venamese iasesAer ouring he ciy, hey en u ahoel on Moun Lvna o cl off and visieda big saue of he Buddha enering Nananearby oever, he accoun makes nomenion of ng Dus he lady, he longreclinng saue of he Buddha he menionsin female fom.

Lng Du's anecdoe abou he he lady

as bably nsired by a visi o or a soyhe heard au a famous eighmeelongrclning Buddha in he ancen elaniyaTemle, ony en kilomeres fm cenralColom oever, his Buddha s no infemale fom.

In conras o h


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GOING O CE

Bu al s was ony a ream. Wen I woke up I rease a yeserayI a rea a book by a man name Monfre wom e Arabs a bannefrom anng a Por Sa an gave me su a ngmare a I was oo afrao sembark a Aen

Djibouti

Djbou as wo man feaures: 1 . ea brg gI was so o a no a sngle ree grew ere. Before we go off e sp

people sa: n orer o ave sae on eer se of e sree ey a opan maon rees a were mae of n an pane green. An wen youwen no a resauran an orere beefseak ey broug ou w a paeof sala mae of n srps of pasry-oloure green I knew ese soreswere exaggerae bu ey eranly suggese ow o was a Djbou.

As for e lg was so brg a sor-ge people geng off eboa no onger neee er glasses an people w normal sg a o

wear gasses o see. n ouess ays one oul see leary people oeng rewoo on a mounanse 1 komeres away No one sa f eyou ear ose people laugng an alkng as well

or me e brg g also lumnae e n w e peopelve. As I passe roug e marke I oul see swees an akes overeby lous of bak es. I ou aso smell e sen omng from e saksa people ve n on eer se of e roa s mae me omesk. eomparson I a n mn was w e ounry markes n Venam wereno forgeng e buzz of blueboe es fla baskes of nooles an akespos of prawn pase an baskes of jak fru gave off a srong snkng smellw sprea n e ar an mnge w e sen of swea from unwase

oes. also saw an emaae beggar raggng a wakng sk an beggngn su a pful voe a you oul never forge one you ear . I ansay a al of ese ngs a Djbou a e famar smel of my ounry.erefore pease allow me o ange e lne of poe w says: Humanfeengs are e same everere" o Su pfu sufferng s e same alover e worl"

Bamboo Fan

Wen I lef Djbou o reurn o e sp some lren followe us w

fans for sale I boug one mae of bamboo splns oloure green an re.A European ame up o me an prase e fan sayng was beaufu. looke a an sa nffereny I suppose so bu s a prmve navekn of beauy."

e European en sa n a serous one of voe Bu s fan omesfrom Inona"

: Unke the ognl publhed veonSng M edton ha ng Du demafo two hou a den and ncludeunaeng pagaph on that por, wN nh may have eded nto he teome ge hmef: emembden wa a huge k ha gave off he oad wee mde of k he ho

wee made of and f hee wavegetaton t wa alo made of . ncae he mupe nt of vw, wpoduce much of he ony n he toryalo puce he palpae ene of doaon th ecu n N nh' wtnme when a compexty of pepcbewde hm Hence ng Du' nghtmae and the ange enpeplexy ha ae a when he tlhmelf n he cafetea n Pa.

§ he voyage fom Coombo to denabout a week, and fom den to Dj

abou wo day. t Dbou ng Duohe Vetname ave we becnvoved n a naatve of the foundthe Fench colony thee. H accoun ohea fo example, may ead a a conaon of Phm Qunh obervaon nha he place " all deert and he cl a hot a lame. o ng Du n ae pegued n Phm Qunh efeo eel one.

Ye Phm Qunh gve a tonge han ng Du of pacpaon n a empe ory: "Peope ay h twenty ago when Djbout aleady had ad

houe hee wa no a ee n he eown l hat thee wa wa planted Goveo Palace: a ea tee made oteel and paned geen o gve the mpethat t wa eal [P 59 p.337J. One ehe lgh! y vcaou peaue n h ecng how, n the lated camblecolone he ench clung adoncahe ho of fca. coud alo have a elef o nd a pe ench coonyVenam alhough ng Du dd no feeway.


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1

B Thanh Vn had noed n Colombo "a

few nohe Venamee pedla ellngohe pod Sllin aund helo, p8. Some may have made t toDjbou t

NHAT NH

I ooke aefu an saw ha he fan ea ha ome fom m ounA a momen hee was no oub a m fae ha a pmve nave kof beau.

An so I ef Djbou wh a peaefu memo.

e Suez Canal

Afe Djbou he shp began o ene e e Sea I was so ho I oueo anhng n m a o ou I when we enee he Sue Cabeause I was so bus ookng.

Leavng he open sea an eneng he ana e shp seeme o beoagae as onnuous bew s sen A sho sane no he Canabew s sen oue wen ame up o a ege sapng ou he booA nghfa when anoe vesse ame fom he oppose eon m swas a aue w sgnas. Lgs ashe on an off as f e wo shps wwnkng a ea ohe. I was as ough e wee oung an wou o

ogee n an embae a an momen Founae when he o shps aose ogee was ea e wee n ffeen annes an he bnke a eah ohe as he passe

Two lags

Po Sa I pa spea aenon o he Egpan ag. I ew evewhove he po as hough he Egpans wane o show off e fa ha houn ha jus beome nepenen an ene ha a ag Sannhe ang of he shp bese an Egpan who a aea been o Faa few mes o su I aske nave Is ha he Egpan ag?"

Tas oe."

I pase Is ve beaufu bu he hee sas wh appea n esen seem a e funn. Even ough on af e moon appeas oe haf s hee so ou an see e sas n a poson"

The Egpan une aoun an ooke a me a s oug wa I sa wgh bu ve smpe-mne. He hough fo a momen hen suen asme Wa oes ou ouns ag ook ke?"


142/169

GOING O RNCE

I rpl: I is a yow lag w a orional r ban"

A an"Ys"A an lk a on ussan lag"T wo of us link as oug w unrsoo a or wl Bu

aualy w n

An wa abou yllow on your ag Prsumay 's aus poplin your ounry av yllow sin"I rpli: No ylow is oour w somims gv o sky"T Egypan was asons: T sky ovr your ounry s yow"No T sky ovr my ounry s blu, us as i is r Bu w al

sky ylow aus of is assoiaon wi our wor for avn' Hogtbi. Hog mans ylow, tbi mans sky

T Egypian rpli A ylow sky! Tas vry funny"H a akn is rvng Ti for aBu I in' giv up Ylow sky mg funny Bu wy is you Sa

blu

• T sp f Por Sa an was aou o nr Mirranan an wpass sau of man wo a bui Su Caal Mr ssps[. J n Mrranan i urn ol u I now fl mor ivls

rmmbr ng w pass Sromoi volano I svr somu wan i o rup an warm m up

Baus I an broug a lank I a o bar war for a fways

Tn on morning wi sun rising I saw saning on orion aral of Nor Dam la Gar an Suspnsion Brg of citof Marsills

a arriv in ran

am unawae o e esence o a yea wi a ed and in Vienam. ee some symic siicance and ioe coou sceme a eaed o conoay iics od was e empeos cand ed ad a numbe o aiainuding a wi e Soie nion. ncase, ng D uses e a soy o ais

kind o naiona as opposed o impidea a is isi o conies ike encoaged.


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18

• GoveorGenea Saauts 97 Code ofPubic nstucton esured that educaedVetamese had read and heard much autFrance. Some had even deam aut tP\m Qun said his anding a Marseileswas the ealsaion of "a longsanding yeaing o see te "specace of he civisaton

of e moe counry q q"Meanwhle a tickle of Vetame tvel lers had en visiing Fance snce a eas725 In hs yea a Veamese ChneseFencsaking okinese' conver of theAugusinian mssonary, Roo arozz,s kown o ave aced as inteee a aPais unaic asylum for a Chinese nmaewho had no ead hs language spoken foove two yeas onahan D. Spence, eqestn fH [London: Knopf 19 pp.1920]). Over te nex two centuies erewee a few oca dipomaic exchangesween Vetnam and France Scholay

excanges began in 60 wen he scola-mandan Nguy rg eached Fancewi he elp of a Cathoic isop. Ae heSuez Cana opened in 69, numeous Vietnamese studen wee educaed in Alges as wel as in Caoc scs in te souh ofFrance.

Ye he development of a szeabe Vietnamese colony in France ds no pedaeWold War when some 1000 Vienamesedaees passed though Maseiles some togh a he font but most to work in ammunion facoes and be used in earlyexrimen in ayorism', or assemblylne

manufacturing ecues. oday, in Mar-sees Vietnamese s spoken as freey asArabc in he sees aound e sh makes and hee is a concenation of Venamese esaurans in ue Haes Deacroix hee isof cour, a age Venamese commuiy nvaious pats of Pais, whe he otal numberof Vetamese n Fance is aound 250,000

NHAT LNH

. E

Mas

Wen I ane on Fren so an looke aroun a e senery, I see anyng sange a all. e vegeaon ouses obes peope woug I a seen em a before; seen em n a former fe. s mank a I a been a European." I on say s boasfuly, beaaong o e orne of enarnaon I mus ave been oome bysns as a European o rebr as a lowly Annamese poogrape

ravelle on e ek of an oean ne. Peraps wen I was n el , my kea forgoen s uy o make me ea e speal e guel a wou emy memory. Bu afer nkng abou arefuy, I knew s was noeason wy Frane was so fama o me. I a ea many books aFrane an seen many panngs of ·

Wen I arrve e s ng I was o n a room an ave a se seon ng was o n a resauran were I ou no onyoiaaisse, e mos famous soup on ea bu also ea a Marseleome egon.

As soon as I sa own n a esauan a waer (a Fren one, of owose ress was moe snguse an mne ame owas me I ga

sar, bu en onrolle myself. I knew a peope from Marseles wfamous fo er bg ak an so I ee o ge n rs

I ll ave a bow of oiaase. I ave ome a e way from Inoo ea a soup. I am jus off e boa an I wou be graeful f you ask e ef o prepare kly so a I wl ave me o ns anbak on boar befoe e sp ups anor an sas bak o Inonaafernoon"

he Misa is th cold nothwes wind thatbows off he soue Fench Alps and acosshe Mediterranean povinces of France in

winer. f, unfotunaely it was no blowingfo ng Du when he ae is aase, hewould ave been one of he few Venameseeve mss t. u hen, he was ing moreroncal an a cional chaacer lke CopoNguyn Vn a who anded Maselesn the auumn of 197 wih ohe problems

/"ey tk us staigt to e old cadel here wee many nasty ats. Here the also bady cooked by the occdenal c

(s p.2.) Phm Qun arved isping of 922 wihout ete ony orplain. He smply ook a tam to he "avbut clean San ouis Hotel, and went ea at a neaby esaurat run by a Frenc coonal who had bult oaChnchina (NP 63 pp.2267).


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GOIG O E

war sow gra rsp for m o ar rg Sr m sr yoav ouiaaie n yor

Nhất Linh - Đi Tây

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