Overcoming fear: Shifting Perspectives in Children's Views and Nguyễn Đình Thi's Contributions to Children's Literature

Abstract

Promoting goodness and moral values, and contributing to cultivating children's souls are the main issues that children's literature aims at. Therefore, "fear" seems to stray from the familiar educational theme of children's literature, and is not or rarely mentioned in pieces of work written for children. However, should fear be avoided in children's literature? How should we write about it so that children can receive it excitedly, thus broadening their understanding and helping them more steadfast in life? The Tet Holiday of a Kitten by the talented writer Nguyễn Đình Thi is a perfect answer to these questions. Using typological method, poetics, and interdisciplinary method, the article focuses on examining the narrative in terms of its journey, the theme of fear and overcoming fear, and the reversal in its way of looking at children, thereby pointing out the important contributions of Nguyễn Đình Thi to Vietnamese children's literature as well as the practical significance of the narrative in enriching life experiences and fostering steadfastness and independence in children in today's modern society.