Short stories by Thạch Lam from the perspective of the aesthetic of the tragic

Abstract

Thạch Lam is one of the prominent writers who contributed to shaping the prose style of the Self-Reliance Literary Group (Tự lực văn đoàn) during the years 1932–1945 of the 20th century. His short stories embody the distinctive characteristics of romantic literature from this period while also bearing his unique artistic imprint. The gentle yet profound sense of tragedy, subtly melancholic yet haunting and poignant, is a hallmark that defines Thạch Lam’s creative style. This paper applies aesthetic theory to study Thạch Lam's short stories, focusing on the aesthetics of the tragic-one of the fundamental aesthetic categories. From this perspective, the researcher recognizes that the tragic aesthetic is expressed through the contrast between the real world and the world of dreams. At the same time, it also emanates from the depiction of natural landscapes in most of Thạch Lam’s short stories. Investigating the aesthetic category of the tragic serves as a foundation for reaffirming Thạch Lam’s unique literary style-one that, while influenced by the Romantic literary movement of 1930–1945, also bears the distinctive essence that the writer diligently cultivated throughout his literary career.