THE SOLDIER AND WAR MEMORY IN CHU LAI’S NOVELS

Abstract

Employing a primarily poetics-based approach and appropriate methods, this paper  examines the figure of the soldier and war memory in Chu Lai’s novels. The soldier is portrayed as a participant in war, a historical witness, and a “bearer of memory,” with that memory in constant dialogue with the present. Three main layers of memory emerge: romantic-epic memory; realistic memory exposing the brutality of war; and post-war memory marked by psychological crises. The paper contributes a scholarly perspective on Chu Lai’s novels and suggests interdisciplinary directions for studying war fiction. The findings are also applicable to the reception and teaching of literature on the subject of war.