Humanitarian depth and historical reflection in Chu Lai’s novel “The Red Rain”

Abstract

This article focuses on analyzing the humanitarian depth and historical reflection in Chu Lai’s novel The Red Rain. Inspired by real historical events—the fierce 81-day battle at the Quảng Trị Citadel—the work portrays human beings with complex psychological struggles and private lives, depicting in detail the pain, tragedy, and aspirations of ordinary individuals, rather than idealizing them as heroic figures as in pre-1975 epic novels. Soldiers are depicted not only with imposing and majestic appearances but also with the full range of psychological traits of ordinary people. Historical events are no longer presented from a one-dimensional perspective; instead, they are reconsidered, deconstructing the idealization of war and prompting reflection on the responsibility of each individual in the face of history.