JoLIE 2:2/2009

 

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L’HUMOUR, REFLET DE LA CULTURE D’UN PEUPLE: L’EXEMPLE DE LA LITTÉRATURE POPULAIRE VIETNAMIENNE

 

 

Minh Ha Lo-Cicero

University of Madeira, Portugal

 

 

 

Abstract

 

Humorous and satirical stories in Vietnamese popular literature began during feudal times.  The stories characterize the inequality of that society, which comprised two fundamentally opposed classes: the ruling Lords and the Serfs.  Funny stories thrive when there is this type of social condition.  In this way the Vietnamese Serfs created numerous stories to amuse themselves by ridiculing the bad habits and vices of the Lords and by exposing the injustice and oppression of the feudal regime. The humor of these stories has two opposite effects: the two classes are divided because the oppressive feudal yoke is denounced, but the Serfs are united through sharing the caustic humor which characterizes these stories.

Humor reflects a people’s culture and is manifested through their language.  In Vietnamese popular literature, humor is not always easy to understand if you are ignorant of the traditions, habits, culture and spirit of the country.

 

Key words: Humour; Popular; Feudalism, Vietnamese popular literature; People’s culture.

 

 

References

 

Bakhtin, M. (1970). L’œuvre de François Rabelais et la culture populaire au Moyen Âge et sous la Renaissance, traduit du russe par Andrée Robel, France: Tel, Gallimard.

 

Duby, G., & Mandrou, R. (1968). Histoire de la civilisation française, 1 Moyen Âge – XVIe siècle, France: Armand Colin, Agora, Pocket.

 

Feray, P.-R. (1990). Le Viet-Nam, Que sais-je, N° 398, 1ère édition, 1984, 2ème édition mise à jour, Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.

 

Ngoc, H., & Corrèze, F. (1982). Anthologie de la littérature du Vietnam. Préface d’Yves Lacoste, Paris: Éditions l’Harmattan.

 

Pham ,V.B. (1997). Truyên Cuoi Viet Nam, Vietnamese funny stories, Vietnam: Hai Phong Publishing house.

 

Dinh Gia, K. Chu Xuan, D., & Vo Quang, N. (2002). Van Hoc Dân Gian Viet Nam [Littérature populaire du Vietnam].Vietnam: Nha Xuat Ban Giao Duc.

 

 

How to cite this article: Lo-Cicero, M.-H. (2009). L’humour, Reflet de la Culture d’un Peuple: L’exemple de la Littérature Populaire Vietnamienne. Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education – JoLIE, 2(2), 143-152. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29302/jolie.2009.2.2.15

 

 

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