Friday, April 18, 2008
Vu Trong Phung's Dumb Luck: Synopsis
Dumb Luck is a brilliant and controversial satire of 1930s Vietnam. The story centers on the character of Red-haired Xuan and his meteoric rise from the streets of Hanoi to the heights of colonial society. Along the way, he meets a range of characters, from sex-starved widows to venal monks to pseudo-feminists (and their Confucian husbands), all desperately trying to make their way in a period of tumultuous economic, social, and political change. Few escape Phung's acid pen and his determination to expose hypocrisy and superficiality wherever he finds it.
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Dumb Luck is a masterwork of Vietnamese literature that uses its hero, Red-Haired Xuan, to reveal the hypocrisy and flawed ideas in French influence in Vietnam. Vu Trong Phung is a true genius who uses his pen to cut beneath the thin surface of society and reveal the problems that were plaguing his society.
Through characters such as Mrs. Deputy Customs Officer and Mr. Pill, a reader can gain a sense of how mixed up the beliefs in Vietnam were. Mrs. Deputy Customs Officer owns one of the most popular tailor shops in Hanoi, used specifically to change Vietnamese people into modern, westernized individuals. She stresses the importance of European fashions and the use of tennis to help create a healthy and fit populace. She seems to be the epitome of westernized Vietnam, yet she still continues traditions that are predominantly Southeast Asian and Vietnamese. Out of respect for her dead husbands she remains unmarried and chaste, symbolically representing the Vietnamese importance of death and the close ties that the real world has to the netherworld. She also puts great faith into Buddhism, praying to a Buddhist temple for a son and being granted that wish. She refers to her spoiled and rotten son as Master Blessing, master representing Buddha and blessing, representing the blessings bestowed upon her by Buddha. She also stops praising her son at one point, believing his short sickness is being caused by evil spirits who wish to do him harm, considering he is the first born male in the family. The preoccupation of her belief in evil spirits, Buddha and the dead clearly show a strong divergence from her overall duty of spreading western culture to the masses.
A character that shows the hypocrisy of the “Europeanization Movement,” is Mr. Pill, the fashion designer at the European Tailor Shop. Through the exchange between Mr. Pill’s wife and Xuan the reader can clearly see the changing of Vietnam and it also highlights Mr. Pill’s idiocy. Xuan convinces the poorly made up middle aged woman to dress more modern, more western, to entice her husband. The woman recognizes the “sluttiness” of the new modern clothing but wants to be transformed. “The female customer nodded her head vigorously. ‘Yes I will do as you say! I will Europeanize myself and follow the ways of civilization! I vow to dress progressively! Call your tailors and show me the changing room.”’ Through this exchange, Phung shows his contempt for the westernization of Vietnamese culture and how easily society was persuaded to follow in the European style. When Mrs. Pill becomes Europeanized, Mr. Pill enters the store and sees his wife has become modern. He grows furious and angry at Xuan for transforming his wife. “When we campaign for the reform of women, we mean other people’s wives and sisters, not our own!” Mr. Ill clearly shows his reform policies extend only to others not his own family, showing the overwhelming hypocrisy of the movement. It ties in greatly with transformation of Vietnam to a more westernized society. Though the populace, as Phung states, may talk, dress and eat western, they cannot let go of their traditional beliefs brought on by their Vietnamese culture.
This book is true work of art and extremely hilarious. The dialogue is witty and sharp and anyone interested in the changing society in Vietnam in the 1930s would be wise to pick up this book.
“Quote”: Page 63
“Quote”: Page 70
Site on the influence of France in Vietnam:
http://www.geocities.com/vietnamrp/french_influence.htm
Also Western Influence in Modern Vietnam:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2006-09-06-vietnam-hotels_x.htm?csp=34
Dumb Luck is a beautiful satirization by Vu Trong Phung. He paints a society in 1930's Vietnam which struggles to mix ancient beliefs with the Europeanization movement. the main character is Red Haired Xuan, who climbs from a nothing man to prominent citizen in the span of five months. As he climbs the social ladder, he comes into contact with many characters who have an internal struggle between the old traditions and the new movement. As Xuan climbs the social ladder he does so by excelling at aspects of the Europeanization movement. He becomes involved at the tailor shop and gains respect by those who are part of the modern movement. Another huge part of the story is the rule of sports in the modern movement. Xuan is a skilled tennis player and becomes a "professor" who teaches many people in high society. Later in the book he becomes the hope of Tonkin in the tennis tournament for the King of Siam. In two instances though he ignores the French language. He asks for a man to talk in the native tounge, and initially ignores the French writings about widows being unchaste. He wants the native tounge to be respected, but repeatedly cuts down other old customs. Over and over again he makes fun of Vietnamese traditional clothing for being plain and dull. This is evident in his exchange with Miss Snow's ex-fiance. many characters in this novel have the same conflict of Xuan. They are upper class and have become so due to the moderization movement, but they fight to maintain Vietnamese traditions. The Novel paints this picture beautifully and it is understandable that the novel was banned in Vietnam until 1986. It is a great satire and a great read.
"I must play sports, otherwise I will get old." Pay attention to this statement. One must participate in a sporting event to save one from death? Dumb Luck illustrates satire against the western thought that sports can save the world, let alone Vietnam, during the French colonial era. Dumb Luck puts the sport tennis in the fore front. Tennis? Can tennis save Vietnam from utter destruction? Dumb Luck shows that the French thought it could. Not only tennis, but western culture could save this menial country from certain doom, so as the French thought. Dumb Luck shows how the French manipulated Vietnamese culture and twisted it to make it look like French culture. One problem with the French and their western culture; it is in no way near anything like true Vietnamese culture. Vu Trong Phung knew this.
Red-haired Xuan is consdidered by certain people in Dumb Luck to be a "professor" of tennis. How can one be a "professor" of tennis? The very word professor means a person who has the highest academic rank at the highest academic institution. One can argue that sports in the western world are looked upon as religions. In truth, the western world blurs the lines between what is true philosophy and what is competition. Dumb Luck present this blurred reality that sports can change everything. Sports can create stories, but what else? Can sports change humanity for the better? I don't think so and Vu Trong Phung knew this as well.
Tennis courts are more of a symbol of the exploitation of Vietnam's people by the French. When the French gather their money from the scarred hands of the Vietnamese people they spend it on tennis courts. What was so wrong with Vietnamese people before the French went to Vietnam? The French had an idea, lets take advantage of these people, teach them the "right" way to live, and tell them their way of life is wrong and our way of life is "right." After which we will build tennis courts. Now the French probably did not build lots of tennis courts, instead the French built mansions for their colonists. But to put it quite simply, the French were not so bad in Dumb Luck. For instance, "If so, is it a great victory for sports! A harbinger of progress for Vietnam! And a sign of prosperity for for our race!" I guess sports can increase the the vitality of one's own race. Can it?
Red-haired Xuan is Vietnam. Vietnam is thrown around like a cabbage patch doll during an eight year old girl's sleepover party in Dumb Luck. The cabbage patch doll likes the attention, but soon all the attention plays havoc on the material fiber that holds the cabbage patch doll together. If the cabbage patch doll is lucky, it will survive. Maybe the girls will fall asleep and put the cabbage patch doll back in the toybox where they found it. I hope so.
A great read and a funny read, Dumb Luck is at its core fiction, but at its true meaning, it is far from fiction. The colonial era in Vietnam was a tragedy for the Vietnamese.
Both quotes page 39.
A short history about french indochina:
http://www.vietnamwar.net/
FrenchIndochina.htm
good site for a look at Vietnam today:
http://academic.hws.edu/pge/infocus/vietnam/video_segment10_today.html
Dumb Luck is one of the most intriguing books about Vietnam that I have read. The lead character, Red-Haired Xaun, displays how one ordinary Vietnamese peasant could raise in stature during French colonial rule. With his ability to speak French and his knowledge of the ordinary Vietnam, Tennis, and communicable disease he parlays this ability in raising his social status. During French occupation it was very difficult for the regular Vietnamese person to get a head unless they were willing to totally except French rule. The goal of the French was to “Westernize” the Vietnamese, and if one was willing to except the rule they could gain privileges others could not. Red-Haird Xuan struggled between the two sides while in one instant he would welcome the change, in the next mock the French. Red-Haired Xuan’s character is a representation of many Vietnamese people during this era struggling between change and their culture.
I really enjoyed this book. I got really into it and was able to read it in two sittings, which I rarely do with books. At first I was not sure how I felt about the main character, Red-Haired Xuan. After the book continued I ended up liking Red-Haired Xuan. The style of writing in "Dumb Luck" was very modern. I felt like I was reading a book that took place last week. You got a feel for different classes of people through Red-Haired Xuan's experiences on the street and through his job.
Vietnam was going through dramatic changes during this time and Red-Haired Xuan was smack dab in the middle of many of these changes. I thought some of the major and most apparent changes were amongst women. Vietnam was in the process of trying to create equality between men and women. The more modern Western ways were spilling quickly into the Vietnamese world. Women were freer to wear what they wanted. I thought that all of the scenes in the store were so amusing. The different words that they had for different out fits. The more skin you showed the more men would want you. There was even an outfit that completely covered their body and this meant that you did not want a man. This part reminded me of the mindset that many women have in America.
Many of the characters in this book were heading towards moderninity. Noone really knows what to do or believe. I think that many of them are confused and are not really sure if they should jump on this new band wagon or stick with the old ways. This would be so odd to go through this period. I felt like I got such an amazing view of this time through this book. I thought it was funny and very enjoyable.
Dumb Luck was a good display of the transitional period in Vietnam's history. From beginning to end, it is evident that Vietnamese citizens are not used to western ideals and culture. I feel that red-haired Xuan is comical and assimilates well with the aura that the French bring into society. Vu Trong Phung uses the names in Dumb Luck effectively in that it makes it seem as though people are trying hard to fit into society. By this i can use "Mr. and Mrs. Civilization" as an example. It seems as though many people don't know their true identity because of the evolution that is taking place in Vietnam. In the clothing store, many of the women were seemingly uncomfortable with the new styles in clothing that the French offered. The French were trying to bring a sense of sexuality to the table with the new styles of clothing that were significantly more revealing. I enjoyed experiencing this aspect in Vietnamese history through an intriguing novel and I look forward to reading the others.
"Dumb Luck" is a madcap look at the incongruities of Vietnamese life in the early decades of the 20th century. The story revolves around the feckless Xuan, who scales the social ladder in a matter of months through a series of improbable tribulations. Beginning as a ball-boy at the local tennis club, where he comes into frequent contact with local European (and more interestingly, Europeanized Vietnamese) elites, Xuan rises through a series of sales jobs, hocking everything from STD treatments to risque clothing, ultimately saving his country from war by throwing an international tennis match and presumably securing his own future as "tennis professor" if not diplomat.
"Dumb Luck" is a monument to aspirational identity. Any character developed at all is seeking to become something that they are not, more Eastern or Western, more respected or wealthy, perhaps universally, more modern. While their aspirations are held to be generally worthy of pursuit, it is often difficult for characters to accept their achievement by their own family members, with the inevitably disruption to traditional modes of living. Beyond the capricious play of Fortune with the lives of the characters, comedy is generally produced by the fact that no one seems to have the necessary exposure to evaluate the products and ideas which surround them in bewildering abundance. Is it really "modern" for women to wear highly revealing clothing? Are French-speaking Vietnamese sophisticated, or tainted by imperial corruption? Finally, and little mentioned elsewhere, the plot is advanced by very Asian ideas of face, in which Xuan, once pronounced an expert, must become one lest the person elevating him be revealed as wrong or deceptive.
On the whole an interesting read, but of limited perspective. As a work of fiction, it's difficult to evaluate to what extent "Dumb Luck" is really representative of Vietnamese experience.
Dumb Luck is a great representation of the cultural confusion that took place throughout much of Vietnamese history. This particular time was especially pragmatic for many Vietnamese because of the introduction of western norms and practices. With the influx of western culture, many Vietnamese rejected what they were familiar with in order to present themselves as westernized peoples. Things like sporting events and fashion were what caught the attention of many of these people.
This book uses a light hearted and comical style to get its point across to the reader. By using descriptive names for people instead of classical names, the author is able to paint a more vivid picture of the characters. The supporting cast, in my opinion, is just as important as the main character, Xuan. While Xuan is a great example of the evolution of a westernized Vietnamese person at this time, the cast of characters around him is what helps the reader to stay entertained while Xuan encounters his many new experiences.
Dumb Luck also illustrates the importance of the French occupation of Vietnam. The author tends to mock the French in subtle ways which may have in fact been the attitudes of many Vietnamese. While they shun the French in some instances, they seem not to see that the French are the ones who presented them with their newly coveted western ideals. This specifically is what leads to much of the confusion for the people. The playful style of writing however, is what makes Dumb Luck such and interesting and all together smooth read.
Dumb Luck did a brilliant job of illustrating the chaos and uncertainty of Vietnam during French imperialistic occupation. The blending of Western ideas with the dominant Confucian system created an intriguing lifestyle for both the Vietnamese natives and there French invaders. While throughout the course of Dumb Luck both groups of people were able to co-exsist, tension was undeniable
The most entertaining aspect of the book to me personally was the inclusion of tennis which was mentioned several times. Tennis was at the forefront of Western ideals eclipsing those of Confucian beliefs. I did a bit of poking around online about Tennis in Vietnam today and found some facts that are pretty interesting. There is what some would call a Tennis Revolution occurring in Vietnam. Vietnamese tennis had been in the Dark Ages until very recently. It was extremely difficult for any tennis star from Vietnam to rise to the Professional circuit. This was not because of a lack skilled players but because a lack of Tournaments in Vietnam to enter. The season used to be only roughly a month long, and offer very low purses to winners of tournaments. The other main problem was a lack of sponsors for these tournaments. AS recently as last year two major Vietnamese corporations have begun to sponsor tournaments with increasingly large prizes.
Dumb Luck as a novel illustrates the cultural and psychological tug-of-war that much of the educated, elite in Vietnamese society experienced during the 1920s and 1930s. A constant tension between “the Old and the New, the Individual and the Family, Self-Sacrifice and Political Awakening, and Oppression and Liberation” is witnessed through the novel’s various characters—Red-Haired Xuan, Mr. & Mrs. Civilization, Mrs. Deputy Customs Officer, and Miss Snow just to mention a few. These tensions represent the ideals of Confucian society that stand juxtaposed with the desire to modernize one’s country and still retain a sense of Vietnamese-ness. This is represented through the Europeanization Tailor Shop with its more revealing and ‘modern’ garb for women, changes within family hierarchical relations and obligations, representations of the village as traditional and the city as modern, and changes in language and its use.
Historically speaking, Dumb Luck helps to convey to the reader the challenges and pursuits of the Vietnamese elite during this period—the search for new identities, new communities, and new ideas. At this time we see the emergence of different conceptions of nationalism, feminism, and political and economic ideologies. Dumb Luck read alongside Hue-Tam Ho Tai’s Radicalism and the Origins of the Vietnamese Revolution helps to cement the historical occurrences, writings, and protests that Hue-Tam Ho Tai speaks of in such detail. Clearly no novel can be a suitable substitute for a true historical study, however, certain novels can provide a backdrop that is somewhat easier to grasp than some scholarly works—especially during times of such political, cultural, and psychological upheavals when history is not so cut and dry and easy to manage.
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