Cultural Stamp in the Novel Book “Vang bóng một thời” (Echo and Shadow Upon a Time) of Nguyễn Tuân

Abstract

The collection of short stories "Echo and shadow upon a time" by Nguyen Tuan has been evaluated as works that “has reached the peak of perfection”. One of the outstanding aspects of this collection of short stories is the unique culture that Nguyen Tuan has delicately represented and showed with all respectful, pitiful and regretful attitudes. Studying this collection of short stories from the cultural perspective, we aim to answer the question of what makes the very own mark of "Echo and shadow upon a time". Could it be the beauty of words, in the sense of art or the beauty of the soul, in the concern by the writer himself before the time? We take the standpoint from the concepts of culture, cultural code to differentiate each unique aspect presented in Nguyen Tuan's short stories.