In e na ional Jou nal o Social Science and Human Resea ch
ISSN (p in ): 2644-0679, ISSN (online): 2644-0695
Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijssh / 8-i10-14, Impac ac o - 8.007
Page No: 7669-7674
IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijssh .in Page 7669
The Socio-His o ical Pano ama o The Nguyen Dynas y in Vie nam in T an Thuy
Mai’s No el he P incess o Dong Xuan
D . Nguyen Dieu Linh1, Khuc Thi Thanh Huong2
1Uni e si y o Sciences, Thai Nguyen Uni e si y, Vie nam
2Hoa Nghia Seconda y School, Duong Kinh Dis ic , Hai Phong, Vie nam
ABSTRACT: In con empo a y Vie namese li e a u e, he econs uc ion o he social pano ama o a his o ical pe iod is no me ely
an a emp o ep oduce pas e en s bu also a way o engaging in dialogue wi h he p esen , aising ques ions o iden i y, memo y,
and esponsibili y. The P incess o Dong Xuan by T an Thuy Mai is a ep esen a i e e o in his ega d. Agains he backd op o
he umul uous ans o ma ions o he Nguyen Dynas y in Vie nam du ing he la e hal o he nine een h cen u y, he no el ec ea es
a his o ical landscape ma ked by bloodshed, in e nal s i e, and agedy. Th ough he a e o P incess Dong Xuan and he
in e wining o bo h his o ical and ic ional cha ac e s, he na a i e po ays no only he decline o a dynas y bu also he mou n ul
consciousness o an en i e na ion. The no el econs uc s a i id his o ical ableau o he Nguyen cou in he la e nine een h cen u y,
se agains he weakening o Dai Nam in he o ex o wa and diplomacy, om he F ench in asion in 1858 o he unequal ea ies
o Ha mand (1883) and Pa enô e (1884). A he same ime, i depic s he in e nal di ision o he cou be ween he ac ions o
esis ance and comp omise, along wi h he des i u ion and diso de among he people, he eby exposing he disin eg a ion o impe ial
au ho i y.
KEYWORDS: T an Thuy Mai, The P incess o Dong Xuan, Nguyen Dynas y, his o ical no el, con empo a y Vie namese
li e a u e, cul u al memo y.
1. INTRODUCTION
In con empo a y Vie namese li e a y s udies, he his o ical no el has consis en ly been one o he mos deba ed c ea i e domains
and has a ac ed signi ican c i ical a en ion. Since he Reno a ion e o ms o 1986, along wi h he loosening o s a e con ol and
he eme gence o new app oaches o his o y, many w i e s ha e u ned o he pas as a means o engaging in dialogue wi h he
p esen . F om he se ial his o ical no els o he ea ly wen ie h cen u y o mode n wo ks, he gen e has e ained a pa icula appeal,
as i allows eade s o e isi he pas while simul aneously e lec ing on he p esen and en isioning he u u e. In he con empo a y
con ex , as he demand o eexamine his o y in o de o decode na ional iden i y g ows e e mo e p essing, he his o ical no el has
p o en i s c ucial ole in connec ing collec i e memo y wi h indi idual consciousness. Schola s such as T an Dinh Su, Phong Le,
and Nguyen Dang Diep ha e emphasized ha ew i ing his o y in li e a u e is no only a ma e o econs uc ing e en s bu also o
in e p e ing, e lec ing, and shaping collec i e memo y.
T an Thuy Mai, a p ominen emale w i e in con empo a y Vie namese li e a u e, has le he dis inc i e ma k on he gen e
o he his o ical no el by choosing cha ac e s a ely men ioned in o icial his o ies, he eby explo ing aspec s o he pas ha a e a
once amilia and no el. He no el The P incess o Dong Xuan s ands ou as a ema kable case, o i del es in o he inal phase o
he Nguyễn Dynas y-a pe iod augh wi h uphea als and na ional agedies. D awing on he agic a e o a oyal p incess, he
au ho opens up a pano amic iew o he Nguyen cou in he la e nine een h cen u y, a ime ma ked by wa , u moil, and he ac u es
wi hin eudal socie y.
Wha makes The P incess o Dong Xuan dis inc i e lies no only in he econs uc ion o a his o ical igu e seldom men ioned
in ch onicles, bu also in he au ho ’s use o an indi idual a e o mi o he des iny o he na ion. Th ough he p incess’s expe iences
o loss and su e ing, eade s pe cei e he comp ehensi e c isis o he Nguyen Dynas y-spanning he mili a y, poli ical, diploma ic,
and social sphe es. The no el is no a me e eplica ion o his o ical eco ds; a he , i is a usion o a is ic imagina ion and his o ical
ac , aiming o ec ea e he spi i o he age while aising ques ions o humanis ic and e lec i e signi icance.
S udying The P incess o Dong Xuan om he pe spec i e o he “socio-his o ical pano ama o he Nguyen Dynas y” ca ies
signi ican implica ions on mul iple le els. Fi s , i a i ms he ole o he his o ical no el in e i ing pas e en s while
simul aneously illing in he gaps le by o icial his o iog aphy. Second, i highligh s he close ela ionship be ween li e a u e and
his o y, in which li e a u e no only inhe i s bu also ein e p e s and c ea i ely econs uc s he pas . Thi d, h ough he o m o he
The Socio-His o ical Pano ama o The Nguyen Dynas y in Vie nam in T an Thuy Mai’s No el he P incess o Dong
Xuan
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no el, he wo k aises ques ions ha emain ele an oday: he lessons d awn om he Nguyen Dynas y’s ailu e, he esponsibili y
o na ional leade s a decisi e his o ical momen s, and he ole o he people in sa egua ding he na ion.
Fo hese easons, examining he socio-his o ical pano ama o he Nguyen Dynas y in The P incess o Dong Xuan no only
sheds ligh on he a is ic alue o he no el bu also enables eade s o gain a deepe unde s anding o he ans o ma ions in na ional
his o y. This p o ides a ounda ion o analyzing, in e p e ing, and e alua ing he wo k in ela ion o li e a u e and his o y, as well
as be ween memo y and he p esen . T an Thuy Mai has con ibu ed o b oadening he scope o he his o ical no el- om e lec ing
wa , diplomacy, and in e nal s i e o po aying he communi y’s agic memo ies. This makes he wo k an impo an e e ence o
he s udy o he in e ela ionship be ween li e a u e and his o y, while also demons a ing he powe o li e a u e in p ese ing and
econs uc ing collec i e memo y.
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
To ca y ou his s udy, we employed a a ie y o esea ch me hods, wi h p ima y emphasis on wo app oaches: he in e disciplina y
me hod and he ypological me hod. The in e disciplina y me hod was applied o cla i y how T an Thuy Mai inco po a ed elemen s
o his o iog aphy, li e a u e, cul u al s udies, and psychology in o he wo k. This app oach helps o a i m he close connec ion
be ween cul u al expe ience and he au ho ’s c ea i e capaci y, he eby con ibu ing o an unde s anding o he cul u al-his o ical
con ex s ha in luenced he w i e and he ex s. The ypological me hod was adop ed o analyze he symbolic elemen s, image y,
and dis inc i e a is ic s uc u es o he no el, in o de o elucida e how he au ho con eys he his o ical sensibili y. In doing so, he
s udy explo es he ela ionship be ween o m and con en , hus cla i ying he a is ic s a egies h ough which his o ical
consciousness is ep esen ed in he no el.
3. CONTENT
3.1. The Nguyen Dynas y in Decline and he Vo ex o Wa and Diplomacy
One o he cen al hemes o The P incess o Dong Xuan is he econs uc ion o he his o ical con ex o he Nguyen Dynas y unde
Empe o Tu Duc. In 1847, Tu Duc ascended he h one a a ime when he coun y was bese wi h di icul ies. This was a pe iod o
comp ehensi e c isis: na u al disas e s, c op ailu es, amine, and successi e peasan up isings. Meanwhile, he cou lacked an
e ec i e e o m s a egy. I s conse a i e and insula policies caused Dai Nam o all apidly behind in he ace o he expansion o
colonialism. The h ea o F ench in asion became inc easingly e iden . Whe eas in he i s hal o he nine een h cen u y, he
ela ionship be ween Vie nam and F ance was one o equali y be ween wo independen so e eign s a es, in he la e hal i u ned
in o a hos ile ela ionship be ween a colonizing powe and he colonized. Du ing he i s decade o Tu Duc’s eign, ela ions be ween
Vie nam and F ance we e pa icula ly s ained, e ol ing mainly a ound he issue o he p ohibi ion o Ca holicism-an excuse
exploi ed by F ance o launch i s in asion o Vie nam.
The F ench in asion o 1858 is po ayed in he no el as an i e e sible u ning poin . D i en by he desi e o expand i s
colonies and con ol i al ade ou es in Asia, on Sep embe 1, 1858, he F ench-Spanish allied o ces i ed upon he Son T a
Peninsula in Da Nang, inaugu a ing F ance’s a med in e en ion in Vie nam. An expedi iona y lee was o med, consis ing o he
F anco-Spanish alliance wi h 14 wa ships and 2,350 soldie s, oge he wi h mode n essels such as he Némésis, which se ed as
he command ship, equipped wi h 50 powe ul cannons capable o immense des uc i e o ce. Exploi ing he issue o Ca holic
pe secu ion as a p e ex , he F ench launched hei assaul on Da Nang and subsequen ly ad anced in o Gia Dinh, o cing he impe ial
cou o con on highly disad an ageous condi ions.
The no el epea edly e okes i id images o wa : “… wo o h ee blood-soaked heads had been impaled on sha p s akes and
li ed high abo e he c owd” [4, p.183]. Blood, i e, co pses, he sound o cannon blas s, c ies, and wailing mingled wi h smoke and
he s ench o blood-soaked ea h. Fea , su e ing, despai , and ha ed pe mea ed he “blood-s ained ampled g asslands” [4, p.183]
- de ails ha no only unde sco e he ho o o wa bu also e eal he helplessness o he impe ial a my be o e he echnological
supe io i y o he enemy. Wa no only claimed li es bu also in lic ed las ing physical and psychological wounds upon su i o s.
The esis ance plunged he coun y in o u moil, wi h he Nguyen cou acing eno mous di icul ies and deep in e nal di isions.
This c ea ed a ola ile space in which cha ac e s we e o ced o con on ha sh choices and i econcilable con lic s.
The ie ce esis ance o he Vie namese people mean ha , a e many mon hs o occupying Da Nang, he F ench we e unable
o ad ance u he . In 1859, he F ench decided o edi ec hei campaign owa d Cochinchina. In Feb ua y 1861, hey cap u ed he
Ky Hoa ga ison, and by Ap il hey had aken My Tho. Meanwhile, in June 1861, Admi al Cha ne sen a p oposal o he Hue cou ,
decla ing ha F ance was willing o nego ia e peace i he ollowing condi ions we e me : eedom o eligion o Vie namese
Ca holics; cession o he p o inces o Gia Dinh and Dinh Tuong o F ance; pe mission o Wes e ne s o a el and ade eely
h oughou Vie namese e i o y; and he es ablishmen o Wes e n consula es in Vie nam. Among hese demands, Empe o Tu Duc
accep ed only he i s -g an ing eedom o eligion o Ca holics. Consequen ly, he F ench a emp a peace nego ia ions ailed.
In The P incess o Dong Xuan , T an Thuy Mai employs he his o ical backd op o he Nguyen Dynas y unde Empe o Tu
Duc o pose c i ical ques ions ega ding he cou ’s o eign policy in he ace o F ench colonial agg ession. Should he dynas y
The Socio-His o ical Pano ama o The Nguyen Dynas y in Vie nam in T an Thuy Mai’s No el he P incess o Dong
Xuan
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ha e pu sued concilia ion in o de o p ese e i s s eng h, o commi ed i sel ully o a med esis ance despi e he o eknowledge
o likely de ea ? Did he s a egy o seeking aid om he Qing oops uly o e ad an ages, o did i me ely in i e g ea e calami ies?
A e he F ench en oy Rheina a i ed in Hue, p oposing ha Vie nam accep p o ec o a e s a us and cede Hanoi, he cou , unde
moun ing p essu e, op ed o seek suppo om he Qing and elied on he Black Flag A my. Taking ad an age o his si ua ion, he
Qing cou dispa ched oops o occupy he p o inces o Bac Ninh and Son Tay. The mili a y con on a ion be ween F ance and
China subsequen ly escala ed, culmina ing in he dea h o Colonel Hen i Ri iè e a he hands o he Black Flag A my a Cau Giay.
Clea ly, he sp ead o Qing bandi s in o Vie nam con ibu ed o a s a e o pe sis en ins abili y, c ea ing a o able condi ions
o he F ench o expand hei in asion ac oss he coun y. A he same ime, his si ua ion, coupled wi h in e nal up isings, o ced
he cou o concen a e i s main o ces on supp essing domes ic ebellions and sa egua ding he h one a he han on esis ing
o eign agg ession and de ising s a egies o na ional de ense. Mo eo e , i compelled he cou o seek mili a y assis ance om
he Qing, which - as his o y shows - b ough abou g a e consequences. As Nguyen Van Tuong ema ked o Gene al Hoang Ta
Viem: “The second ma e is e en mo e wo isome: a p esen , in o de o igh he F ench, we mus ely on he Black Flags. Bu
he Black Flags only claim he p es ige o being emnan s o he Taiping Hea enly Kingdom; in u h, hey a e bu a band o b igands.
Wo se s ill, he Black Flags a e Chinese. Suppose we allied wi h hem and de ea ed he F ench - hen he s onge we became, he
deepe we would allow China o pene a e in o ou e y co e. His Majes y’s conce n lies p ecisely he e!” [4, p.62].
Th ough his eliance, he Hue cou e ealed o he Qing bo h he weakness o i s a my and i s impo ence in dealing wi h
he na ional c isis. This likely emboldened he Qing o in e ene mo e asse i ely in he a ai s o Bac Ky. These de ails unde sco e
Dai Nam’s double agedy: acing he F ench in ade s while simul aneously being subjec ed o Qing manipula ion. The ine i able
consequence was he signing o successi e unequal ea ies. The Ha mand T ea y (Augus 25, 1883) and he Pa enô e T ea y (June
6, 1884) a e in oked in he no el as agic miles ones, o mally placing Vie nam unde F ench p o ec o a e ule. Wi hin his
a mosphe e, eade s pe cei e no only he collapse o e i o ial so e eign y bu also he e osion o na ional con idence and spi i .
T an Thuy Mai ans o ms hese his o ical e en s in o p o oundly agic na a i e episodes, ende ing he pas no longe a d y eco d
o ac s bu a i id, haun ing memo y.
The esis ance agains he F ench unde Empe o Tu Duc was ex emely a duous and p o ac ed. Al hough he e we e
momen s when Vie namese o ces achie ed ic o ies, dispa i ies in weapon y, mili a y capabili y, and in e nal di isions ul ima ely
p e en ed hem om epelling he F ench. On July 19, 1883, Empe o Tu Duc passed away, plunging he cou in o u he u moil.
Exploi ing his si ua ion, he F ench decided o s ike di ec ly a Hue and quickly cap u ed he impe ial capi al. On Augus 22, 1883,
Empe o Hiep Hoa su ende ed. Jus days la e , on Augus 25, 1883, he Ha mand T ea y was signed wi h 27 clauses, ully
ecognizing Vie nam as a F ench colony. On June 6, 1884, he Pa enô e T ea y, ega ded as he “comple ion” o he Ha mand T ea y,
en i ely abolished he Nguyen Dynas y’s exis ence as an independen mona chy. Wi h his, he F ench colonial conques o Vie nam,
las ing nea ly h ee decades, was e ec i ely comple ed.
To speak o he b u ali y o wa is no me ely o e e o ma e ial des uc ion bu , mo e p o oundly, o he de as a ion o
he spi i -a auma bo ne no only by indi iduals bu by he en i e communi y. The su e ing o he na ion became he collec i e
wound o i s people. This e en was no only a u ning poin in na ional his o y bu also a o ce ha p o oundly shaped he li es and
des inies o he cha ac e s, pa icula ly P incess Dong Xuan. He li e, and ha o hose a ound he , was comple ely o e u ned by
wa . They aced dange , loss, and sepa a ion. The esis ance accele a ed he decline o he eudal egime while also b inging abou
a deep ans o ma ion in human alues and ways o li e.
The Dai Nam huc luc, compiled by he Nguyen Dynas y’s Na ional His o y Ins i u e in he o m o annals, eco ds e en s
concisely bu pays li le a en ion o hose ela ed o he an i-F ench esis ance in Cochinchina du ing Tu Đuc’s eign. F ench-
language sou ces, apa om wo ks by a ew his o ians, mos ly consis o no es, epo s, and le e s om missiona ies and
F enchmen who had aken pa in he conques o Cochinchina. As a esul , he pic u e o he esis ance in Cochinchina unde
Empe o Tu Duc has no been ully econs uc ed as i ac ually un olded. By placing he cha ac e s wi hin he “house o his o y,”
T an Thuy Mai eimagines and eshapes i s ou lines, o e ing eade s a mo e comp ehensi e ision o he an i-F ench wa -ma ked
by e o s, losses, and immense sac i ices.
Th ough T an Thuy Mai’s The P incess o Dong Xuan , he his o ical pano ama o he Nguyen Dynas y eme ges in a s a e
o decline, caugh in he agic o ex o wa and diplomacy. Unde Empe o Tu Duc, he dynas y sank in o a comp ehensi e c isis:
na u al disas e s, amine, and peasan up isings, compounded by he conse a ism o i s go e nance, which caused he na ion o all
apidly behind. When he F ench launched hei in asion in 1858, he cou p o ed powe less mili a ily and indecisi e in diplomacy.
Hal -hea ed comp omises, in e nal di isions, and he eso o Qing in e en ion only u he exposed i s weakness, plunging he
coun y in o a condi ion o “ acing enemies on bo h on s”: simul aneously unde a ack by he F ench and exploi ed by China.
Th ough T an Thuy Mai’s pen, he pas is no longe a se o igid his o ical eco ds bu is ans o med in o emo ionally
cha ged na a i e sequences ha compel eade s o e lec on he esponsibili y o a dynas y owa d he a e o he na ion. The
signing o he Ha mand T ea y (1883) and he Pa enô e T ea y (1884)-ma king he demise o an independen mona chy-did no
me ely close a ie y chap e o his o y bu also eminded pos e i y o he cos o conse a ism, he absence o e o m, and in e nal
The Socio-His o ical Pano ama o The Nguyen Dynas y in Vie nam in T an Thuy Mai’s No el he P incess o Dong
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di ision. In his sense, The P incess o Dong Xuan no only econs uc s he Nguyen Dynas y’s spi al o decline bu also aises
e lec i e ques ions: Wha mus a na ion do o a oid epea ing he agedies o his o y? F om he so ows o he nine een h cen u y,
he no el con eys imeless lessons abou he powe o na ional uni y, he necessi y o e o m, and he impo ance o s a egic ision
a c i ical junc u es.
3.2. In e nal Con lic s and he Disin eg a ion o Powe
Alongside o eign in asion, The P incess o Dong Xuan also ocuses on po aying he in e nal agmen a ion wi hin he Nguyen
cou . The con lic be ween he p o-wa and p o-peace ac ions is i idly depic ed h ough a se ies o ense dialogues. High- anking
o icials such as Nguyen T i Phuong and Hoang Ta Viem a e po ayed as esolu e in hei esis ance agains he in ade s, ye hey
a e hinde ed by he hesi a ion, and a imes he concilia o y s ance, o o he membe s o he cou . These disag eemen s p e en ed
he dynas y om o mula ing a uni ied and imely s a egy.
The no el also ec ea es scenes o popula discon en in esponse o opp essi e axa ion, ecu ing na u al disas e s, and
social injus ices. Images o peasan s leeing in panic, abandoning hei homes and ields, e oke a socie y on he e ge o collapse.
Meanwhile, peasan up isings, bo de bandi s, and ma auding o ces om he No h compelled he cou o dispe se i s mili a y
s eng h e en u he . Passages desc ibing he scene in which “ he schola s o Bac Ha, upon hea ing ha he cou had signed he
peace ea y, simul aneously cas down hei swo ds and wep wi h hei aces in hei hands” es i y o he sha e ing o ai h. Bo h
he people and he in ellec ual eli e los hei spi i ual ancho , and his o y i sel became a collec i e wound.
Th oughou Empe o Tu Duc’s hi y-six-yea eign, Vie nam was engul ed in p o ound uphea als. Widesp ead amine and
c op ailu es igge ed a se ies o peasan up isings, wi h mo e han o y ebellions occu ing in Bac Ky ( he No h) alone. No able
among hese we e he e ol o he empe o ’s own b o he , Hồng Bảo; la ge-scale mo emen s such as ha o Le Duy Phung; he
“Locus A my” in My Luong; and he iolen Chay Voi up ising igh in he impe ial capi al. A he same ime, he na ion aced a
dual h ea : he incu sions o Chinese bandi g oups plunde ing ac oss he bo de s and he looming dange o F ench coloniza ion.
Alongside he F ench in asion we e ceaseless up isings by he people ac oss he coun y, e ol ing om esis ance agains he
F ench o esis ance “agains bo h he dynas y and he F ench.” This dynamic acili a ed he apid collabo a ion be ween Vie namese
bandi s and hei coun e pa s om Qing China.
The uphea als in China also played a ole, as wa es o ou laws-some imes s a ing peasan s, a o he imes emnan s o an i-
dynas ic o ces, pa icula ly hose leeing he supp ession o he Taiping Rebellion-c ossed in o Vie nam. Thus, hey became a
sha ed scou ge o bo h na ions. In A B ie His o y o Vie nam (Chap e VIII), T an T ong Kim no es ha om he yea Tan Hoi
(1851), he ou h yea o Tu Duc’s eign, he numbe o “bandi s” s eadily mul iplied: he Tam Duong bandi s, he “Locus A my”
(led by Cao Ba Qua and Le Duy Cu), he Phụng ebels, he Khach bandi s and he Van Than up isings, among o he s.
Unde he Nguyen, in addi ion o domes ic up isings, bands o ma aude s om China equen ly c ossed in o Vie namese
bo de lands, loo ing and w eaking ha oc. In he o icial his o ies o bo h he Nguyen and Qing dynas ies, hey a e e e ed o as hổ
phỉ (bandi s) o cổ phỉ (pi a es). Se agains he backd op o F ench in asion om he la e hal o he nine een h cen u y, his in lux
o Chinese bandi s u he des abilized he na ion, pushing i deepe in o diso de and decline. Supp essing hese ma aude s d ained
he cou o oops and gene als alike. On he e e o F ance’s second mili a y campaign in Bac Ky, he si ua ion ac oss he no he n
and cen al egions- om highland o es s o lowland plains and coas al a eas-was one o un elen ing un es . The bandi s om Qing
China joined o ces wi h Vie namese ebels, lea ing he cou pa alyzed and powe less o quell domes ic chaos. Mo eo e , he Hue
cou was o ced in o he un enable posi ion o ha ing o igh he F ench while simul aneously comba ing Qing ma aude s o e ain
con ol o he no he n on ie p o inces-all while con inuing o ace up isings e up ing ac oss he coun y.
F om he 1860s onwa d, especially a e 1867, alongside p e-exis ing bandi g oups, he Vie namese bo de lands wi nessed
he a i al o emnan s om he Taiping Rebellion as well as insu gen s om o he local up isings supp essed by he Qing cou .
These g oups eg ouped in o a med o ces ha ose up in a ious places. Fu he mo e, he edeploymen o impe ial oops om
he capi al o locali ies c ea ed signi ican poli ical dis up ion in hose egions, la gely because he newly appoin ed o icials lacked
expe ience wi h he bo de lands. The Nguyen cou was hus compelled o dispe se many o i s capable gene als-such as Nguyen
Đang Giai, Le Tuan and Nguyen T i Phuong - o he No h in o de o handle un es , he eby subs an ially weakening he co e
mili a y o ces needed o esis he F ench in he Sou h.
In The P incess o Dong Xuan , he s uggle be ween ac ions wi hin he cou - hose ad oca ing esis ance and hose a o ing
concilia ion wi h F ance-is examined in de ail, pa ially illumina ing he in ense con lic s ha shaped he des inies o many
cha ac e s, including P incess Dong Xuan he sel . The esis ance highligh ed p o ound social con adic ions, such as he di isions
be ween opposing ac ions in he cou , be ween o icials and he people, and be ween he Vie namese and he F ench. These ensions
gene a ed d ama ic, compelling si ua ions wi hin he no el. T an Thuy Mai po ays hese con lic s i idly h ough he cha ac e s
and e en s o The P incess o Dong Xuan , gi ing he na a i e bo h his o ical dep h and li e a y i ali y.
Fi s , a en ion mus be gi en o he con lic s wi hin he cou i sel , pa icula ly be ween he p o-wa and p o-peace ac ions,
as well as be ween high- anking and lowe - anking o icials. The ension be ween he p o-wa and p o-peace g oups was he mos
The Socio-His o ical Pano ama o The Nguyen Dynas y in Vie nam in T an Thuy Mai’s No el he P incess o Dong
Xuan
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se e e, di iding he cou in o wo opposing camps. The p o-wa ac ion suppo ed esis ance agains he F ench, while he p o-
peace ac ion sough concilia ion in o de o p ese e he dynas y’s in e es s. Senio o icials o en held conse a i e iews, ea ing
he loss o powe and hus esis ing change. In con as , many lowe - anking o icials displayed pa io ic spi i and a willingness o
igh alongside he people.
Second, he e was he con lic be ween o icials and he populace. Many o icials p io i ized pe sonal in e es s, exploi ing and
opp essing he people, which ueled widesp ead esen men in socie y. O dina y people endu ed po e y, hea y axa ion, and
opp ession while also acing he dange s o wa -condi ions ha deepened hei hos ili y owa d he go e nmen . Some o icials,
ini ially conse a i e and opposed o esis ance, shi ed hei s ance a e wi nessing he ho o s o wa , e en ually joining he
s uggle. This ans o ma ion in pe spec i e no only enhanced he ealism o he no el’s cha ac e s bu also e lec ed a b oade
p ocess o ideological change wi hin Vie namese socie y du ing his u bulen pe iod.
Thi d, he con lic be ween he Vie namese and he F ench is also cen al. F om he s andpoin o colonize and colonized,
he F ench en o ced a b u al egime ha in lic ed g ea su e ing on he Vie namese people, he eby deepening he an agonism
be ween he wo na ions. A numbe o Vie namese, ou o sel -in e es o helplessness, collabo a ed wi h he F ench, u he
exace ba ing in e nal di isions. The no el’s cha ac e s a e equen ly con on ed wi h di icul choices-be ween compe ing in e es s,
be ween pe sonal emo ions and na ional esponsibili y. These con lic s gene a e d ama ic, in ense si ua ions, o e ing a u h ul
e lec ion o he complexi ies o his o y. They also e eal ha he esis ance agains he F ench was no me ely a mili a y s uggle
bu also an in e nal con es ma ked by sha p di isions, which makes he na a i e mo e compelling and d ama ic.
Th ough his explo a ion o social con adic ions su ounding he an i-F ench esis ance, The P incess o Dong Xuan
p o ides eade s wi h a pano amic iew o Vie namese socie y in he la e nine een h cen u y, while also add essing issues o
endu ing ele ance ha emain signi ican o his day.
The disco d among di e ing iewpoin s u he plunged he populace in o mise y. In Volume II, one passage desc ibes: “The
nex day, ye ano he shocking piece o news sp ead: he wo sons o P ince Tuy Ly, Mien T inh - Hong Sam and Hong Tu - had
bo h been execu ed! The son o P ince Tung Thien, Hong Phi, was imp isoned and died he ollowing day in his cell, he eason
unknown. Th ee oyal li es we e ex inguished be o e he e y eyes o he capi al’s people, lea ing hem u e ly e i ied. Mien T inh
was s ipped o his p incely i le and o ced o wi ness he execu ion o his sons be o e being exiled o Quang Ngai. Th oughou he
capi al, people hu ied along in ea , speaking cau iously, da ing no o ac ca elessly in he sligh es ” [4, p.233].
When he o icials signed he T ea y o Quy Mui, accep ing F ench p o ec o a e s a us, he Hue cou - unde p essu e om
he F ench Residen -Gene al - dispa ched Nguyen T ong Hop as impe ial en oy o he No h wi h he o de : “immedia ely cease
hos ili ies and awai he a i ica ion o he Quy Mui T ea y” [4, p.252]. The news ha he F ench had a acked he capi al and ha
he ea y had been signed e e be a ed h ough he No he n li e a i: “A ha ime, al hough Hanoi was occupied by he F ench, he
o esses o Bac Ninh and Son Tay we e s ill esis ing. Along he on lines, gene als and soldie s cas down hei swo ds and wep
wi h hei aces in hei hands” [4, p.248].
Wa does no de e mine who is igh o w ong; i only decides who su i es. Wa is no a deba e in sea ch o u h; a he , i
is iolence and o ce ha ul ima ely dic a e he ou come. The no el p esen s ha owing and agic images in succession, se ing as
a s a k eminde o he alue o peace. A dawn, he scene e ealed was one o ho o s e ching om he impe ial ci adel’s lag
owe o he ci y ga es: headless, dismembe ed, and disemboweled co pses s ewn ac oss he g ound, congealed black blood, and
swa ms o buzzing lies: “The ac id s ench o bu n lesh pe mea ed e e ywhe e” [4, p.260]; “C ows and ki es ci cled abo e,
occasionally swooping down, o cing he F ench soldie s o i e wa ning sho s o d i e hem away” [4, p.20].
In T an Thuy Mai’s The P incess o Dong Xuan , he heme o loss is depic ed as a cen al mo i , e lec ing no only he
iolen uphea als o his o y bu also he dep h o indi idual agedy. The wa s o in asion waged by he F ench colonize s in lic ed
de as a ing consequences, claiming he li es o coun less innocen ci ilians as well as loyal soldie s. Beyond he loss o human li e,
he cha ac e s in he no el a e also con on ed wi h b oken ela ionships and p o ound spi i ual su e ing. Ye , unning h ough hese
agedies, he na a i e simul aneously a i ms he esilien and indomi able spi i o he Vie namese people-a quali y ha enables
hem o ise abo e g ie in o de o endu e and con inue he s uggle.
The dis inc i e ea u e o T an Thuy Mai’s na a i e a lies in he abili y o cons uc an in e s i ial space whe e his o y and
indi idual li e in e sec . Whe eas many his o ical w i e s end o lapse in o igid e en -based na a ion, in T an Thuy Mai’s wo k,
his o y becomes a backd op agains which human des inies-speci ic, i id, and haun ing agedies-a e illumina ed. The helplessness
o loyal gene als o he despai o common people a e no me e ancilla y de ails bu mani es a ions o he hea y weigh o his o y
p essing upon indi idual a es. This e y in e connec ion imbues he no el wi h p o ound humanis ic alue: i explains he down all
o he Nguyen Dynas y no only om poli ical and mili a y pe spec i es bu also by unco e ing in e nal causes- ac ional di ision,
lack o consensus in go e nance, and, mos c ucially, he se e ing o ies be ween he cou and he people. Such a pe spec i e
demons a es ha T an Thuy Mai is no me ely a s o y elle bu also a li e a y hinke , one who employs he pen o engage in
dialogue wi h his o y and o pose endu ing ques ions abou esponsibili y and he su i al o a dynas y.
The Socio-His o ical Pano ama o The Nguyen Dynas y in Vie nam in T an Thuy Mai’s No el he P incess o Dong
Xuan
IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025 www.ijssh .in Page 7674
4. CONCLUSION
By econs uc ing he Nguyen Dynas y o he la e nine een h cen u y wi hin he pano ama o wa and in e nal s i e, T an Thuy Mai
has ans o med The P incess o Dong Xuan in o a mo ing discou se o memo y. The no el no only depic s he de ea o a dynas y
unde he p essu e o o eign agg ession bu also exposes i s in e nal causes: he disin eg a ion o powe , indecision in policy, and
aliena ion om he people. Mo e impo an ly, he wo k a i ms he ole o li e a u e in p ese ing his o ical memo y, enabling
con empo a y gene a ions o app oach he pas as bo h a human expe ience and a poli ical lesson.
REFERENCES
1) Kim T an T ong. (1968). A b ie his o y o Vie nam. Tan Vie Publishing House.
2) Le Phan Huy (Chie edi o ). (2011). His o y o Vie nam (Vol. 2). Vie nam Educa ion Publishing House.
3) Mai T an Thuy. (2019). The P incess o Dong Xuan (Vol. 1). Vie nam Women’s Publishing House.
4) Mai T an Thuy. (2019). The P incess o Dong Xuan (Vol. 2). Vie nam Women’s Publishing House.
5) Su T an Dinh. (2005). Na a ology: Some heo e ical and his o ical issues. Vie nam Na ional Uni e si y o Educa ion
Publishing House.
6) T ung Nguyen Van. (2002). F ench colonialism in Vie nam. Na ional Poli ical Publishing House.
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