FAMILY MOTIF IN KHAI HUNG'S NOVEL GIA DINH FROM THE THEORY OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Abstract

Khai Hung is one of the outstanding novelists of the Tu Luc Van Doan group. The novel Gia Dinh by him is considered one of the typical works. The novel reflects cultural tensions between traditional and modern values in Vietnamese society during the early 20th century. The family motif not only mirrors social structures but also reveals internal conflicts, particularly intergenerational tensions. This article analyzes the components of family motifs and examines processes of cultural transformation. Through that, we analyze the conflicts between generations as well as the consequences and causes of cultural transformation. Some methods are used such as: historical - social method, interdisciplinary method, reflexivity method. In terms of theory, the article contributes to the application of the theory of cultural anthropology to the study of Vietnamese literary works. This contributes to the debate on cultural aesthetics. The analysis reveals three primary components of family motifs (generational structure, power dynamics, and educational paradigms) and identifies two major cultural transformation patterns in the novel (progressive types of people, pseudo - Westernized types of people). In terms of practice, the article can be used as a reference in the research and teaching of literature and cultural studies.