Jump to first page Southeast Asian Literature Philippines, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thailand, Burma, Laos.

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Southeast Asian Literature

Philippines, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thailand, Burma, Laos

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Introductions Role of Literature in the community

that reads them Different Genres Themes Highlights from the different

countries

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Topics of Discussion Roles

Literature is Education Literature is Hope Literature is a subversive act

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Literature is Hope “Even in hopelessness there is

hope” (Prof. Grant Olson) Poem (Burma) “Let’s Go to Tahiti” Short Story (Vietnamese) To Live Novel (Philippines) Noli Me

Tangere “Writers hope to bring the spirit of

reform into all spheres of life”

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Literature is Education Living History Gives a voice to the people Conveys quality of life Geography - Rural vs. Urban Shows people land and relate to it

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Demonstrate in Culture Shows how complex everything is Pictures ethnic conflict

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Literature is Education Explores relationship between Men

and Women and identifies gender role

Political Power and its corruption

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Literature is a Subversive Act A medium for change Writers and Readers alike join in

the act Promotes Social Responsibility

and Social Consciousness

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Genres Traditional Oral Literature- Folktales,

Proverbs, Riddles, legends Religious Narratives and Literature-

Buddhist Codes and verses, Jataka Tales

Narrative Poetry - Epic Stories

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Non-narrative Poetry - songs, love poems etc.

Historical Novels Contemporary Literature - novels,

short stories, poems,

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Themes Animals and Forest Supernatural/Mythical Beings and

their journeys Gender Roles

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Strong Familial Relationship, loyalty and Identity, Ethnocentricity

Prostitution Rural vs. Urban

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Poignancy of Love Relationship Wheels of Fate Importance of Reciprocity Struggles between humanity and

poverty

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Strength of Human Character Political Corruption Nationalism and anti-colonialism

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Other themes

Fortune Telling Karma, Justice, Responsibility and

Retribution Nature, Society, and Humanity

uniting together

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Sadness of life River is life and society the will to love

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Philippines

Literature based on expressive Culture epics myths legends, tales riddles, proverbs and rituals balagtasan

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Philippine Epics

Cultural Values and Universal Themes of Epic Poetry Miraculous birth of the hero his precocious strength magical powers

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herculean deeds extraterestial journeys to the

underworld and sky world his death and resuscitation

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Epic of Romance Epic of Migration

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Vietnam Literature

Rich, varied expressing over the centuries.

Depicts humor, realism, and irony of the Vietnamese people

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Themes

Oriental Philosophy - a system that harmonizes the natural and social world that includes humanity in the center uniting with nature and society.

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Oriental Philosophy discovered not only the three directions of time (past, present, future) but also a 4th direction - the direction of spiritual life.

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Oriental Philosophy that Influence Vn Literature

Buddhism Confucianism Taoism - that is mainly a

combination of folk beliefs and high regard of nature

Animism (10th Century - where strong winds, the waters, and the mountain were worshipped

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Principal Tenets of this 4 Oriental Philosophy “Nature and society and humanity

unite with one another in a harmony of beauty. The link of human generations and thousands of living creatures never ends. (Phuc Cu De, 1999)

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NONE turns HAVE - NONE means endless, boundless, immense, infinite, numberless in moving and changing movements and the developing process of everything.

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HAVE is not simply possessive in meaning but it means the limitation of changing and the developing process ofeverything. (Phuc Cu De, 1999)

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Man = Great Universe = Great Nature and Society

“Nature, Society, and Humanity Unite with one Another in a harmony of beauty.”

“The link of human generations and thousand of living creatures never ends.”

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Genres

Anonymous Literature (Oral) Legends Proverbs Songs that depicts aspects of

traditional society

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Folk Literature (17th and 18th century) Fables Satirical and narrative poems Verse Novels

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Verse Novels first verse has 6 feet 2nd verse has 8 feet 6th character of the second verse

rhymes with the last character of the first verse

these novels are recited and sung from village to village

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Texts indicate chinese influence, chinese characters (Tom language) and chinese conception of literary style

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Modern Literature - texts are evidence of realism as a repurcussion of 30+ of warit also shows a literary dichotomy created by the partition of Vietnam in 1954.

“Through literature, writers hoped to bring the spirit of reform into all spheres of Vietnamese life.”

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Thailand

Religion Jataka Tales a.k.a Aesops Fables Fate and Karma Buddhist Concepts of Merit and

Demerit The Theme of Rice - gather as

much as you need for one day

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Indonesian

Ramayana - The Journey of Rama Purpose: To conquer evil with

good Important Notions: Meditation,

Power of Language, Hierarchy/caste

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Laos Secular texts - much richer than

religious texts popular and classical lietrature are

well known at all levels of society although authors names are unknown and texts are undated and undatable 1. Stories, legends and poem of

oral tradition are satirical in tone Stories called sysva have strong

moral and education content

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3. Tales that comment on the naivety of the peasantry, the greediness of the wealthy and the demands of the royalty

4. Judicial stories which include commentaries on ancient Lao codes

5. Historical Legends - e.g. History of Khun Purom which recount the legendary migration of the Tai Peoples from China to Luang Prabang

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6. Poetry that are predominantly Buddhist and inspired to the licentious

7. Classical Lao Literature - written in prose and verse form, lenghty and not original. Themes include handsome priest, the heroin is a beautiful princess and the antagonist a demon. There is also a Lao version of the Ramayana

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Burma

Buddhism Anti-government, expose’ of

government corruption