Communist Review - During the cause of national renovation, Vietnamese writers, poets have probed into and exposed themselves to real practice to gain transformation in their perceptions, mindsets, writing styles, which reflect years of national struggle to overcome post-war consequences and gradually adapt to market mechanism, growth and integration. These shifts marked such a positive recovery of local literature that researchers regard it as “Renaissance”, opening to a new chapter in the Vietnamese literature termed contemporary literature since 1986.

2.3. Drama

The early years of the Renewal witnessed a breakthrough in contemporary drama, which was considered the first important "turning point" with prominent authors such as Luu Quang Vu, Xuan Trinh, Tat Dat, Hoai Giao, Thanh Huong, Nguyen Khac Phuc, Doan Hoang Giang, Cao Mau, Xuan Duc, Chu Thom, Nguyen Huy Thiep, among others. During the period of ten years or so, between 1978 and 1988, Luu Quang Vu composed more than 50 highly influential plays with the mention of social problems, the outdated management mechanism, the emergence of new models of production; the fight against negatives in all aspects; the battle against corruption, bureaucracy, and power abuses; especially, human status in social life was emphasized. They significantly contributed to the renovation of literature, the artistic mindset of writers, poets and the masses. Luu Quang Vu’s plays embraced the touch on the course of life, the sympathy for human dignity without any avoidance of "sensitive" topics. For those reasons, they gained the attention of the whole society. Many of them are still performed by troupes, attracting a large audience until these days.

It can be said that contemporary theater transformed theatrical life, closely attaching it to the real life, in which "the humanist aspiration of the artists harmonized with the accountability of citizens”. In 2000, two plays by Luu Quang Vu named I and We, The 9th Oath were  among the winners of Ho Chi Minh Award for literature and art. Apart from Luu Quang Vu,  Xuan Trinh with A ruby-colored dream, Half a day in the afternoon, Thinking of yourself, Two mothers, Xuan Duc with Mission completed, The game, The missing person, The express train in the night, Death is not easy, Chu Lai with Hanoi in a windy night, Memory of fire, Eternally  awake waves(co-authored with screenwriter Chu Thom), Vo Khac Nghiem with Counter tragedy, Eternal rule, The female thief, Nguyen Huy Thiep with Gentle spring, Pink spring, What left is love, Family, Prophet, Lotus blooms on April 29  made impressive strides in the years prior to  Doi moi period.

The second "turning point" as of 1997 when the policy of socialization was promoted and in 2002 the autonomous mechanism in stage was implemented. In this period, there emerged two tendencies in drama composition as follows: The tendency to reproduce old plays, probing into fairytale, folk, historical topics; the tendency to meet the entertainment needs of the audience and to earn money to feed art troupes. The former is considered to be the "mainstream" of contemporary drama that exploits folktale themes such as Da Trang, Once upon a time, The hundred-knot bamboo. Besides, then artists continued to pay more attention to emotional circuit for the topic of history and revolutionary struggle, which conveyed their messages about contemporary life. Among these artists, Huu Danh who believed in the necessity to add local identity to literary works did succeed with southern-imbued screenplays such as  Retained popularity, Tears of theocracy, Le Cong; Pham Van Quy marked his composing career in 1986 with  The endless lifeline, The executioner of the death penalty, contributing to the creation of a bright "miracle" in some theaters in the South; Nguyen Quang Vinh with Ho Chi Minh, Red memory,  The riverside love story , Sand breast, Street eyes; Nguyen The Ky, who had endless aspiration for the topic of history, culture, and artistic innovation impressed audience with his maiden work - The love story of Khau Vai - and subsequent encouraging ones of the theater field like Mai Hac De, Dawn, Teacher Ba Doi, Fire flower Truong Bon, Legendary Go Rong hamlet, Thousand years of white clouds. The latter, albeit with humble contribution to the flourishment of contemporary theater, has fueled the diversity of theatrical landscape since 1997 up to now. The composition trend of the drama at this "turning point" stage is creation in accordance with "elected owner" - "electing ownership" with full autonomy in the non-state form and for commercial and entertaining purposes in a segmented structure. Typical works including Forensic costume, New moon, 3D inn, Men - who you are, A dream, Dreamy butterfly eyed to physiological laughter, skipped or ignored humanistic, cognitive and educational criteria of literature and art.

2.4. Literary theory and criticism

Ushering the period of innovation and integration, Viet Nam has seen encouraging achievements in the recognition of modern theories and methods of research and theoretical criticism in the world and application into local literary research and criticism. Modern theories such as Poetry, Comparative Literature, Type of geometry, Self-study, Discourse theory, Psychoanalysis have become familiar tools of most critics. Generations of researchers and critics such as Tran Dinh Su, Le Ngoc Tra, Vuong Tri Nhan, Do Lai Thuy, Huynh Nhu Phuong, Phan Trong Thuong, among others have created a trend of renovation in literary criticism and research. Among them, Tran Dinh Su with Poetry, Autobiography and Do Lai Thuy with Psychoanalytic Criticism, Cultural Anthropology made a considerable impact on successors of multiple generations.

Traditional literary and cultural values, ​​which were once considered with unreasonable points of view have now been expanded and studied from the angle of cultural values, artistic values, bringing about extensive social impacts. Many writers and poets who were involved in the Nhan van - Giai pham affair (1956) were reevaluated, receiving the State Award for literature and art such as poets Hoang Cam, Le Dat, Tran Dan, which shows a democratic, fairly open atmosphere in contemporary literary and artistic sphere. Even the literature in the South between 1954 and 1975 was also systematically studied, evaluated in a more scientific and fair way. Overseas Vietnamese literature, with its positive humanistic values also gained attention of and recognition by critics and researchers.

Given the achievements in literary theoretical and critical works, it could be affirmed that Vietnam's contemporary literary theory and criticism has attained new stages development. The last decades of the twentieth century to the beginning of the twenty-first century witnessed the appearance of valuable works and monographs of authors like Ha Minh Duc, Phong Le, Phuong Luu, Nguyen Van Hanh, Tran Dinh Su, Mai Quoc Lien, Ma Giang Lan, Dinh Xuan Dung, Tran Dang Tuyen, Phan Trong Thuong in the creative application of world literary methods to research authors, works, trends, the tendencies and schools of Vietnamese literature effectively.

Since the very first days of the renovation, literary theory and criticism has witnessed the logical generation transition. A generation of young theorists and critics with cultural, foreign language skills and ability to absorb and adapt new ideas from Western theoretical systems (albeit outrageous at times) and apply to each compatible literary space to decode the work. They are Tran Manh Tien, Tran Huyen Sam, Phung Gia The, Phung Ngoc Kien, to name a few. The aforementioned advantages have created breakthroughs, firm foundation for them to discover peculiar literary space and objects. It is worth noting that each author has a sense of renewing themselves, avoiding overlap. In their own "path" and roadmap, each person attaches great importance to learning, inheriting the theoretical and critical traditions of previous generations, discovering and proposing new research directions.

Despite tremendous efforts made by those involved in contemporary literary theory and criticism, major and oriented impacts on literary sphere have not been achieved yet. A host of literary criticisms are still academically inclined. Having once affirmed their prestige and position, some are now less active, stepping back "behind the scenes" to study, research, write cultural-cultural history, and produce biographies due to their old age and fragile health exacerbated by the fear of conflict and criticism.

In the last over ten years, literary theoretical and critical activities have not been uniformed in different domains (folklore, modern literature, literature of ethnic minorities, etc.) and frequency. The current major critical tendencies are constituted by traditional criticism, foreign theories-based criticism, and normative, extreme criticism. Among them, traditional criticism tends to be based on the principles of Marxist aesthetics, literary and artistic lines of the Communist Party of Viet Nam. This trend closely follows the practice of composition, contributing to the implementation of the task of national construction and defense. Those which applied foreign theories such as Poetry, Structuralism, Semantics, Psychoanalysis, Modernism, Reception aesthetics, Postmodernism, Style Studies, Linguistics, Autobiography, Ecology to analyze works (old and new), opening up new approaches to works and authors. In general, this trend is set mostly for the experimental purposes.  The most obvious manifestations of extreme criticism are contradictory expression and full rebuttal. This criticism often takes advantage of democracy, in the name of ‘critical’, “finding new things” to promote unstandardized composition.

Vietnamese literary and art criticisms in the past period could be grouped into three main trends, namely professional criticism, media criticism and composer criticism. Professionalism is based on the quality of the article and the active contribution of the theorists and critics to literary creativity as well as to the public's perception and aesthetics. While professional criticism seems serene, media criticism has gained momentum. The positive side of media criticism is the sensitivity to point the work and the author's name, many books through the lenses of the editors and "critics" have reached the public. However, due to the lack of professionalism, the credibility, sharpness, and understanding of the reviewer become the drawbacks of media criticism, which is worsened by frequent untrue, uncontrolled advertisement.

There is a wide diversity of the movement trends of contemporary literary theory and criticism, the trend to re-perceive and re-evaluate the achievements of past criticism, theory and composition; the trend to supplement or propose new elements; the trend to apply modern and postmodern theories to decode the respective literary and artistic spaces. The works of well-known authors such as Tran Dinh Su, Do Lai Thuy, literature doctoral theses have been defended in the direction of approaching new theories with various approaches is the manifestation the development and innovation of the contingent of literary theory, criticism and research in our country in recent years. Since the start of the renovation (in 1986) up to now, the research methods, research trends and research tendencies of theorists and critics are very diverse, updated and creative to a certain extent. Various forms of composition and research in the world are recognized, evaluated and applied quite appropriately, ranging from familiar theories such as Poetry, Style, Cultural Studies, Psychoanalysis to newly introduced ones such as receptive aesthetics, autobiography, structuralism, existentialism, feminism, post-colonial criticism, ecological criticism, irrational literature, literature Fanciful learning, Phenomenology, Hermeneutics / Hermeneutics, etc. Apart from showing interest in the trends, theoretical tendencies, and world literary criticism, each author consciously chooses a few intensive fields of their fortes to shape their styles and establish their positions in the theory, criticism and research community.

The work of information dissemination, translation, recognition of global achievements in culture and literature has transformed rapidly, meeting the requirements of literary and social life. The works of famous authors, Nobel Prize-winning ones are quickly updated, studied and translated in a short time to serve the needs of society. However, the translation of Vietnamese literary works into foreign languages and the introduction of Vietnamese literature to the world have not yet been paid adequate attention. This limitation is partly due to our weakness and lack of capacity in exchanging and promoting cultural and literary values.

In contemporary literature picture, not least the field of literary theory and criticism, Chairman of the Central Council for Theory and Criticism of Literature and Art has made remarkable contributions, namely the proactive implementation of theoretical studies, timely advice to the Secretariat, the Government, leaders of the Central Propaganda Department on theory and literature criticism. The Council has implemented a number of major scientific projects and topics such as Vietnamese literature and art Theory - Current status and development orientation; Mid-modern theoretical ideology in Viet Nam; The artistic ideology in Viet Nam since the early twentieth century up to now; The process of absorbing foreign artistic theoretical ideas into Viet Nam from the early twentieth century; organized a host of seminars, scientific discussion, professional training; the consideration and awarding of literary and artistic theoretical and critical works ; contributing to the review of 10 years of implementation of the Politburo's Resolution No. 23-NQ / TW, the 10^th tenure on "Continuing to build and develop literature and arts in the new period"; participated in the fight against wrong views in the literary and art field, among others.

3. Challenges to the development of contemporary literature

The current situation of contemporary literature, especially the literary section from the beginning of the twenty-first century up to now, is posing urgent problems for management, creation, theory, criticism and promotion. At the turn of the two centuries, as experience shows, was the period of important historical changes leading to the change of generation, the turn of the era. Literature is no exception. The further we look back, the clearer we see the important historical changes of national literature since this point. In order to promote the literary life and artistic achievements, we would like to raise a number of issues of the literary life in the past few decades as follows:

Firstly, it is necessary to further improve the quality of literary compositions, eyeing toward humanistic issues in life, the task of national construction and defense, community solidarity, patriotism and democracy. The speech and entertainment agencies need to give encouragement, organize awards, conduct practical summation, theoretical research, fair evaluation to guide, create momentum and support compositions with ideological and artistic quality.

Contemporary literary achievements from 1986 up to now in many aspects deserve high appreciation, but basically, they remain as a temporary phenomenon which needs to be promoted for the emergence of humanist trend, and status of literary life. Beside good quality works, there is an absence of pinnacles in contemporary literature as expected by composers, theorists and critics.

Secondly, it is essential to pay attention to the training and fostering of young writers, theorists and critics; fostering, training and opening skills improvement classes for writers; Adequate investment should be made to quality work. Creating material and spiritual conditions for those who pursue a literary career, improve their civic awareness, responsibility and artistic morality.

Thirdly, enabling writers to catch up with the space of life, the rhythm of modern life in the spirit of humanity and national interests; showing respect for the tendency to explore and create, for the dare to express, correcting false and wrong trends. Creating the most favorable conditions for writers to integrate regional and international literature. Organizing translation and introduction of typical works of contemporary literature to the world as one of the spiritual values ​​in order to improve the development of national literature. Promoting the publication of books, newspapers and magazines in English and other languages ​​to promote Vietnamese literature abroad and selectively absorb foreign literary quintessence.

Fourthly, making literature one of the means for national unity and harmony, worthy contribution to the cause of national construction and defense; soothe and gradually ease the pain of war and national separation; warn the negative impacts of market mechanism on literature and art. Heal divisions, consolidate human hearts, create more understanding, sharing for new generations of writers, including progressive overseas writers wishing to be part of cultural and literature flow in the country.

Literature always goes hand in hand with culture, politics and economy; it needs to become an important factor in cultural exchange and integration in the region and the world, a vital cultural element in the integration and development.

Fifthly, promoting the creative role of the contingent of writers, artists and the masses to secure several works of high ideological and artistic value, imbued with the human, national, democratic and progressive spirit, which truly, vividly and deeply reflects social life, national history and national renewal. It is necessary to continue to encourage writers and artists to deeply probe into the people's life and national renewal to explore and grasp the reality, promote their talents and capacity to compose and promote literature. There need to be a mechanism to encourage, motivate and honor literary artists, high value works through contests, awards, and the like.

Sixthly, strengthening the combat power of the theory and criticism of literature and art, especially in managing agencies and major art institutions; timely orientating composition, public opinion, aesthetic education, serving as qualified "midwife" for good works; resolutely addressing mistaken extreme views and tendencies.

Attaching importance to the key planned key fight against mistaken, reactionary information and views in culture, literature, journalism, published materials that hostile forces and the opportunists disseminate on the internet or advanced mass media./.

This article was published in the Communist Review, No. 946 (July 2020)