Dreams as an archetype in contemporary Vietnamese short stories

Abstract

Archetypes are understood as ‘great symbols’ deriving from ancient times and arising from the collective unconsciousness. Through my studies, I realize that, in contemporary Vietnamese short stories, dreams can be considered as an archetype. Dreams are coded in conceptual metaphors, in allegorical expressions, and they appear everywhere in the works of many contemporary authors. On the one hand, this trend is the continuation of a traditional source of inspiration in folk and medieval literature; on the other hand, it is characterized by modern senses. Authors experimentally introduce a philosophy in dreams, and expand their creative range through dreams. This study provides a new insight into contemporary Vietnamese short stories under the archetypal lens.