What messages would a young writer living in colonial times want to impart to the youth of the 21^st century? 

Anyone who’s undergone public high school in Vietnam would find the name Nam Cao (1915–1951) familiar, as his short stories ‘Lão Hạc’ and ‘Chí Phèo’ are both official texts in the Literature syllabus. As a writer, Nam Cao is widely recognized for his deep sympathy for less fortunate members of society, like the farmers and poor intellectuals who were oppressed by the rich and French colonizers. Still, the more I explore his oeuvre, the more I realize that there’s more to Nam Cao than meets the eye.

Nam Cao didn’t merely provide commentary on poverty and class struggles, he transcended these patterns to depict a much more complex universe where institutions oppressed more than assisted. He also ruminated on the root causes of misery and the need to seek happiness even during life’s most turbulent times. These seemingly historical ailments have proven relevant to youths today who also struggle to find answers.

Nam Cao, the voice of young people in modern times

The French began their colonization of Vietnam at the end of the 19^th century. The colonial administration’s exploitations and transformations brought about rapid changes in the local society and economy, heightening the clash between the Europeanization movement and indigenous cultures, widening social inequality in rural areas, and depleting the people’s wealth via tariffs.

That murky historical landscape was the backdrop for Nam Cao’s formative years. He was raised in a middle-class Catholic family in Đại Hoàng Village, Hà Nam Province in northern Vietnam, where the majority of villagers were farmers. Growing up there, he witnessed first-hand the ruthlessness of colonialism and the insatiable exploitation of rural resources that led to the widespread suffering of young people in the countryside. The misery compelled him to craft vivid characters inspired by the real people he knew in Đại Hoàng.

Nam Cao’s personal life was just as grueling as his characters'. He lived with his grandma, a querulous woman who traumatized his wife to the point that she had to run away from home. His constitution was poor, so he was often sick; and he lived in poverty due to the stagnant economy exacerbated by World War II. These tribulations affected how he viewed the world, and dampened his spirits. Timid by nature, Nam Cao rarely shared his struggles with others but chose to express them on the page.

It’s crucial to note that Nam Cao was considered a young writer during this time; most of his works were written from age 20 to 36. Many of his stories revolve around people who are young adults.

'Chí Phèo' and 'Đời Thừa' — Two of Nam Cao's most iconic texts, as published in 1976 by Văn học Giải phóng Publishing House.

How do social confines shape our lived experiences?

There once were two prevailing schools of thought explaining the development of human personality: first, it was believed to form at random; then, people thought it could be the product of lifestyles. Nam Cao offered a different alternative: personalities and behaviors are affected by political, economic, societal, and traditional conditions.

According to French geographer Pierre Gourou, the seemingly bucolic exterior of northern village life in the early 20^th century obscured much livelier dynamics: power plays, wealth disparity, jealousy, and even calculatedness. Such village politics “institutionalized” the inhabitants, pushing them to blend in to survive amongst the unwritten rules, losing themselves in the process. It has never been easy to stay near the fire without getting singed. Nam Cao’s portrayals of two young fictional characters, whom I will discuss below, serve as shining examples of these machinations.

Slices of life in rural northern Vietnam in the late 19^th century and early 20^th century. Images via Flickr user manhhai.

The 27-year-old loan shark of Vũ Đại Village in the iconic short story ‘Chí Phèo’ epitomizes the degradation of humanity due to village politics. Nam Cao reminds readers early that the titular Chí Phèo was once a harmless peasant. Over time, he became obnoxious, quarrelsome, drunken, and even slashed his face to seek sympathy. These shenanigans weren’t expressions of his inherent villainy, but the results of his victimhood. Jealous power figures in the village made false against him to get him jailed and benefit from his misfortunes, while he had adapted to using violence. His behaviors also stemmed from the ostracization and evasive attitudes of other villagers, who sought to excommunicate him from their town by painting him as a demon in the eyes of others. “Perhaps even he wasn’t aware he’s become the demon of Vũ Đại Village, wreaking havoc on the villagers’ livelihood,” Nam Cao wrote.

Chí Phèo and Thị Nở, as depicted in a painting by Hoàng Minh Tường.

A similar example is Lộ from the short ‘Tư Cách Mõ,’ who had to survive in a label-hungry Catholic congregation that was all too eager to practice cancel culture. Lộ was an honest man, so he was assigned town crier (mõ làng) to help with errands for a decent wage and tax exemption. His position stoked the envy of his neighbors, who found ways to exclude him from community events and labeled him “unscrupulous” and “greedy.” Alas, Lộ eventually decides to embrace his notoriety to survive. Nam Cao ended the story on a note of realism:

The stories of Chí Phèo and Lộ beg the question: How many times have we decided to label someone negatively to remove them from our community?

Portrait of an anguished generation wallowing in a material world

“Amongst the young people living in poverty, woes often get replaced quickly by qualms.”

That was how Nam Cao depicted a generation of young Vietnamese forced to face two inevitabilities in life: anxiety and pain. The pain came from multiple sources: poverty, sickness, betrayal, condescension, and having to bear witness to the pain of loved ones. Lão Hạc was pained by poverty and worry for his son. Chuột in the short story ‘Nghèo’ was depressed because of diseases and debts. Chí Phèo was miserable because of poverty and hatred from the village. Hộ, writers who were the main characters in ‘Đời Thừa,’ and Điền in ‘Trăng Sáng’ were agonizing over their failure to follow their passion when their families were struggling. In contrast, Phúc from ‘Điếu Văn’ bore the pain of being cheated on by his wife. Hồng, the child character from ‘Bài Học Quét Nhà,’ was the target of her mother’s sharp tongue, which could pass for child abuse these days. Tragically, the first three in this list sought relief by attempting suicide.

'Mua Nhà' and 'Trăng Sáng' as printed in a collection of Nam Cao short stories from 1976.

Besides giving voice to the less fortunate, Nam Cao also showcased a society in which materialism was gaining influence rapidly. Community dynamics became self-centered because of the potential for personal benefits and financial gains. A good example of this shift to pragmatism is this sentence from the short story ‘Một Chuyện Xuvơnia’ (A Souvenir Story).

Another instance of society's reverence for material goods is observed in the actions of the impoverished father in ‘Một Đám Cưới’ (A Wedding), who made a secret agreement with his neighbor regarding the marriage between his daughter and her son. This “contract” only revolved around the sizable marital gifts without any concern for the young woman's happiness and agency. The overt reverence of material values in this era turned people into self-serving individuals who brushed aside the discontentment of others.

Humanity has always toiled with the desire for happiness while surviving in a treacherous world. Youths of all eras, born with a yearning for goodness, on a daily basis must face health problems, traumatizing relationships, cutthroat competition for jobs, as well as the general worsening of the economy and living environment. It’s no wonder that generations of readers feel like Nam Cao is speaking their truths even though his writing was published nearly a century ago. Still, he didn’t stop at simply depicting these social ailments, he also provided mentorship on how contemporary readers can seek solace amid life’s vicissitudes.

Guests wearing nón quai thao, a traditional headwear, at a Catholic wedding in Nam Định at the end of the 19th century. Photo via Flickr user manhhai.

“I want to be a good person!”

That poignant exclamation from Chí Phèo is a striking starting point for us to dissect the pursuit of happiness. Could one follow one’s passion and live a contented life in a society rife with misdeeds, restrictions, and pragmatism? According to Nam Cao, the answer was yes. He believed that we can find our peace, and suggested three tools to seek it: acceptance, altruism, and love.

First and foremost, acceptance is the beginning of one's journey to discover happiness. If one is feeling shaky in their career, doing what they detest, or feeling exhausted by family conflicts, they need to stand up to face the hardships head-on. Điền, the writer character in ‘Trăng Sáng,' is believed to be the embodiment of Nam Cao, relishing the sight of a night of full moon outside the window, while his wife was nagging and his baby was crying inside. During trying times, it’s often in our nature to fight or flee. The more he ruminated on the matter, the larger his frustrations and denial grew. Eventually, Điền opted to immerse in his emotions, accept his fate, and even turned that into motivation to write.

Next, nurturing a sense of altruism will help mend hurts and appease pains. Nam Cao used the story of ‘Đời Thừa’ to reflect this message via the relationship between Hộ and Từ. Hộ, a struggling writer, hoped to produce meaningful works. He adored Từ and supported both her and her child. Nonetheless, he was prone to angry outbursts every time he felt creatively stuck. Once, he promised to treat the family to some roast pork but forgot and returned home drunk out of his mind. Every time, Hộ felt remorseful when he sobered up. Despite his questionable behaviors, Từ’s affection never wavered; she still loved him, understood him, and pacified him when he cried from his struggles. It was the generosity of Từ that kept the relationship together after all the friction.

Lastly, love is the savior of all, according to Nam Cao. The classic case of this was the romance between Chí Phèo and Thị Nở, both social pariahs. Chí Phèo, the outcast of Vũ Đại Village, received support, affection, and care from Thị Nở, a woman that the village deemed “so ugly that even fiends wouldn’t touch.” It was their love that awakened Chí Phèo’s humanity to reassess his identity and start bettering himself. He felt true happiness while with Thị Nở. Just like that, their connection was a shining example of the most basic factor in human happiness: unconditional love.

Reading the world through Nam Cao’s words

Today, Vietnamese readers are exposed to many Nam Cao works, not just within the confines of textbooks, but also in cinematic adaptations, like Làng Vũ Đại Ngày Ấy. The more one explores his oeuvre, the more his brilliance shines through. Nam Cao examined an ageless hurdle of the human condition: pains we face on the road to happiness. His works highlighted three main themes: how society affected human identity, anxiety and pain in a materialistic world, and the pursuit of happiness. Building off that, Nam Cao provided ways that his characters and readers can heal on their journey by practicing acceptance, nursing their kindness, and building the courage to love.

Làng Vũ Đại Ngày Ấy, a movie adaptation of the short story ‘Chí Phèo.’

Born into an anxiety-ridden world, young people are always susceptible to feelings of precarity and disconnection. Reading Nam Cao might not provide immediate relief, but one might find something that resonates with them, or gain a new outlook on life to rekindle their faith that joy does exist in life.