Vietnamese Colonial Republican: The political vision of Vu Trong Phung

317 Pages·2014·9.507 MB·English

by  Peter Zinoman

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The publisher gratefully acknowledges the
generous support of the Philip E. Lilienthal
Asian Studies Endowment Fund of the
University of California Press Foundation,
which was established by a major gift from
Sally Lilienthal.
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VIETNAMESE COLONIAL REPUBLICAN
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Peter Zinoman · VIETNAMESE COLONIAL
REPUBLICAN
The Political Vision of Vu˜ Tro.ng Phu.ng
University of California Press
Berkeley Los Angeles London
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Portions of chapter 3 appear in “Hải Vân, The Storm and Vietnamese Communism in the Inter-war
Imagination,” in Southeast Asia over Three Generations: Essays Presented to Benedict R. O’G. Anderson,
ed. James T. Siegel and Audrey R. Kahin (Ithaca, NY: Cornell Southeast Asia Program Publications,
2003): 125–43. This material is reprinted here with the permission of the publishers.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Zinoman, Peter, 1965–.
Vietnamese colonial republican : the political vision of Vu Trong Phung / Peter Zinoman.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary: “This volume is a comprehensive study of Vietnam’s greatest and most controversial
20th century writer who died tragically in 1939 at the age of 28. Vu Trong Phung is known for a
remarkable collection of politically provocative novels and sensational works of non-fi ction reportage
that were banned by the communist state from 1960 to 1986. Leading Vietnam scholar, Zinoman,
resurrects the life and work of an important intellectual and author in order to reveal a neglected
political project that is excluded from conventional accounts of modern Vietnamese political history.
He sees Vu Trong Phung as a leading proponent of a localized republican tradition that opposed
colonialism, communism, and unfettered capitalismand that led both to the banning of his work and to
the durability of his popular appeal in Vietnam today”—Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-520-27628-4 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-520-95709-1 (e-book)
1. Vu, Trong Phung, 1912–1939—Political and social views. 2. Vu, Trong Phung, 1912–1939—
Criticism and interpretation. 3. Vietnam—Intellectual life—20th century. I. Title.
PL4378.9.V86Z99 2014
895.9′2233—dc23 2013030955
Manufactured in the United States of America
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In keeping with a commitment to support environmentally responsible and sustainable printing
practices, UC Press has printed this book on Natures Natural, a fi ber that contains 30% post-consumer
waste and meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).
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For Alexander and Isaac
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CONTENTS
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction: A Political History
of Vu˜ Tro.ng Phu.ng 1
1. Sources of Vu˜ Tro.ng Phu.ng’s
Colonial Republicanism 12
2. Capitalism and Social Reform 55
3. The Question of Communism 85
4. The Crisis of Vietnamese Sexuality 131
5. Banning Vu˜ Tro.ng Phu.ng 156
C onclusion: Rehabilitating
Vu˜ Tro.ng Phu.ng 200
Notes 213
Bibliography 261
Index 279
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