The Fantastic in Vietnamese “truyền kì” Tales: A Semiotic Perspective

Abstract

This study examines and delineates the characteristics of the fantastic in Vietnamese truyền kỳ tales through a semiotic lens. The findings reveal that while the fantastic permeates various narrative dimensions, it is most salient in the construction of character and space. A semiotic approach facilitates the decoding of linguistic signals—particularly those embedded in character portrayal and spatial representation—thereby uncovering the roles and functions of the fantastic within the narrative framework. Far from serving as mere aesthetic embellishment, the fantastic operates as a narrative strategy that reflects and interrogates human realities and social experience