The decline of the colonial rule in Vietnam gave rise to the development of the nationalist movement in this country. This paper is aimed at discussing the ideas of people who played a prominent role in the political life of this state. In particular, one should focus on the views of Phan Chu Trinh, Ho Chi Minh, and Phan Boi Chau who attempted to envisage the future of the Vietnamese nation.
Secondly, it is necessary to examine the opinion of the writer Vo Trung Phung who is famous for such a novel as Dumb Luck. Overall, each of these people recognized the harmful effects of colonialism. Nevertheless, some of them advocated a radical change of the community and even open rebellion, while others favored the gradual transformation of the society. This is the main argument that can be put forward.
At first, it is necessary to focus on the ideas of Ho Chi Minh, who believed that colonialism left the Vietnamese society extremely stratified. Moreover, in his view, people, who belonged to the lower classes, had no opportunity to climb the social ladder. One of his intentions was to eliminate bourgeois classes, which began to emerge during the colonial rule. Such a strategy was supposed to remove the inequalities in Vietnam.
This is the main reason why he supported the communist ideology, which played an important role in European politics at the beginning of the twentieth century. In his opinion, the nationalist movement in Vietnam had to be revolutionary. He relied on mass media to strengthen the cult of his personality. This is why he paid attention to propaganda that could influence the opinions of young people. Sometimes, he referred to Asian cultural traditions, for example, Confucianism.
He objected to this tradition because it could be used to justify the colonial rule. One should bear in mind that Confucianism is partly based on such a value as humility, and it was not acceptable for Ho Chi Minh. Overall, this nationalist did not express himself in new cultural forms. However, he can be regarded as a successful propagandist who could win the trust of other people.
Additionally, one should focus on the views of Phan Chu Tring who can also be viewed as an important figure in the Vietnamese nationalist movement. He believed that in Vietnamese society, a great number of people lacked political representation because of the monarchical rule.
In his opinion, the new government had to raise the overall educational level of people so that they could act as better citizens. He advocated the principles of democracy, especially how it was implemented in France. He did not want the French colonial government to leave Vietnam. In his rhetoric, he appealed mostly to intellectuals who were responsible for bringing changes into the political life of Vietnam.
Nevertheless, he did not strongly rely on mass media. One can say that Phan Chu Tring was also affected by Confucian tradition. However, he thought that this philosophy was often misinterpreted because many Confucian scholars used it this philosophy to justify the political oppression of people. This is one of the main issues that should be taken into account.
On the whole, he expressed himself in conventional cultural forms. He was a prolific writer. His essays were aimed at showing that the Vietnamese nation could achieve success only through gradual transformation. To a great extent, his ideas continue to be influential.
Moreover, it is critical to examine the ideology of Phan Boi Chau. He argued that it was necessary to stage a violent rebellion against the colonial rule. Nevertheless, unlike, Phan Chu Tring, he did not wish to eliminate monarchy. He did not believe that this form of government had been detrimental to society.
Phan Boi Chau was a supporter of Social Darwinism. In other words, he tended to compare existing societies to various species competing for survival. Thus, he argued that the Vietnamese nation could survive only if the government carried out rapid political and social reforms.
For example, he insisted on providing better education to women since they played a key role in the education of new generations. As it has been before, Phan Boi Chau advocated the idea of open and violent resistance to colonial rule. Overall, Phan Boi Chau was a supporter of such Neo-Confucian values as values altruism, integrity, and loyalty. He expressed himself primarily as an orator who could persuade others.
Finally, it is vital to look at the nationalistic views that were held by Vo Trung Phung, who is credited for the famous novel Dumb Luck. This author satirizes the values of middle classes which emerged in the colonial society. His book shows that the colonial rule strived to deprive many Vietnamese people or their self-respect. For instance, he mentions that some Vietnamese girl married a soldier who had raped her.
The author describes this marriage as “lawful rape” (Phung, 40). In this way, he compares colonial Vietnam to this marriage. Thus, it was necessary to change the tradition which dehumanized Vietnamese people. However, one should bear in mind that Vo Trung Phung did not try to achieve any political objectives.
Unlike, other nationalist discussed in this paper, he did not try to act as a social activist. He relied on the principles of modernism because this artistic technique enabled him to show the inconsistencies of the colonial Vietnamese society. He appealed mostly to educated people who could see the limitations of living in the society that is torn away from its cultural roots. He expressed himself primarily in the form of a modernist novel. Nevertheless, one cannot argue that Phung advocated a certain political movement.
On the whole, this discussion suggests that various people might have different opinions on the development of the Vietnamese nation. Certainly, each of them wanted Vietnam to cope with the effects of colonial rule. However, they chose various strategies for achieving this goal. Phan Boi Chau and Ho Chi Minh advocated a revolutionary change of the Vietnamese society.
In turn, Phan Chu Tring supported gradual democratization of the nation. In contrast, Vo Trung Phung strived to show that the nation had to get rid of the colonial ideology which dehumanized Vietnamese people. Phan Chu Tring’ strategy seems to be the most effective because, in this way, the government can protect the rights of people and their dignity.
Fictional Commentaries on Colonialism
The colonial regime changes the identity of many people. For example, the film Indochina explores the experiences of a girl named Camille, who believes that in the future, she will be a respected member of the colonial society (Indochina).
Nevertheless, the political oppression perpetrated by the colonial government prompted her to look at herself as a political activist and even a rebel who wants to oppose foreign governments even though this struggle can require her life. Apart from that, one should look at such a character as Jean-Baptiste, who is a French officer. He is fully committed to the government that he serves. Nevertheless, the outbreak of violence shakes his loyalty to the colonial regime.
Furthermore, it is important to look at the transformation of such a character as Tanh. One can see that he is susceptible to the ideologies that are popular in the Western world. In particular, he supports the principles of communism. Overall, he can integrate himself into a changing society and becomes a communist operative.
Additionally, one should look at the characters created by Vo Trung Phung. For instance, it is possible to mention Red-Haired Xuan, who quickly climbs the social ladder. To a great extent, his success can be explained by his rejection of traditional values established in Vietnamese culture.
Additionally, he despises everything “old-fashioned” or Vietnamese (Phung 38). Finally, it is necessary to mention a woman who is ironically called Mrs. Civilization. This character is incorporated into the narrative because the author wants to demonstrate that some Vietnamese people began to embrace only the innovations that came from Europe.
Nevertheless, these people did not wish to attach any value to Vietnamese culture. Therefore, one can say that the national identity of Mrs. Civilization is almost destroyed. This is the main point that can be made.
These examples are important for describing how the lives of people were shaped by the conflict of traditional Vietnamese culture and Western ideologies. Some of these characters can adjust to the new environment. In contrast, other people like Camille are forced to become the enemies of the colonial regime. Nevertheless, in each of these cases, life in a colonial country can alter the values of an individual. This is the main issue that can be identified.
Works Cited
Indochina. Ex. Prod. Eric Heumann. New York. Bac Films, 1992. DVD.
Phung, Vo. Dumb Luck: A Novel. Trans. Peter. Zinoman. Ann Arbor. University of Michigan Press, 2002. Print.