Thị Mầu as a Symbol of Feminism in the Modern Vietnamese Culture

Authors: Do Thu Hien (VNU University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam)
Speakers: Do Thu Hien
Strand: Language, Gender, Sexuality
Session Type: General Session

Abstract

Thị Mau is a character in the folk story Quan Âm Thị Kính from the 17th-18th centuries in Vietnam. This work has countless variations including poetry, stories, plays… in Vietnamese culture. Along with the popularity of Quan Âm Thị Kính is the circulation of the image of Thị Mau as a symbol of freedom and aspiration for love between men and women in feudal society. This article will study the existence of the symbol Thị Mau in the modern Vietnamese culture from the perspective of reception theory. The variation of the character Thị Mau is a proof of the movement of feminism in the modern Vietnamese culture.

Keywords: Thi Mau, Femenism, Vietnamese culture.