The process of acculturation from the Liji to Thọ Mai gia lễ is a compelling evidence of the strong existence of endogenous elements within Vietnamese culture. Although profoundly influenced by Sinology, the Vietnamese people never adopted these cultural forms passively; instead, they always adopt selectively and transform to generate new values that retained the universalist of Confucianism while deeply rooted in indigenous spirit. This study examines the process of Vietnamese-Chinese acculturation through the system of life-cycle rituals presented in two canonical texts: China’s Liji and Vietnam’s Thọ Mai gia lễ. Employing the comparative text analytics, the study proposes a three-tier acculturation model, includes reception, adjustment, and re-creation, then reveals the selective adoption mechanisms of Confucian elements by the Vietnamese people. The findings reveal that, although the structure of Vietnamese rituals bears significant Confucian influence, these practices were extensively localized through integration with ancestral worship, Buddhist beliefs, and village culture. Such transformations gave rise to distinctive ritual forms, includes baby’s first month celebration, the post-wedding return ritual, the forty-nine-day memorial period, and the reburial ceremony, that have no counterparts in the Liji. The study contributes a new theoretical framework for understanding the acculturation’s process of life-cycle rituals in Vietnam and offers a foundation for extending comparative research to other East Asian cultural communities.

This study was conducted to evaluate the current impact of verbal violence on the self-confidence of students in several high schools in Ho Chi Minh City. Data was collected through direct questionnaire surveys with 221 students from three high schools and in-depth interviews with 10 students. T-test and ANOVA analyses were used to assess differences in the state of verbal violence across gender and school factors. The study also performed correlation analysis and linear regression to determine the relationship between verbal violence and students’ self-confidence. The research results indicated a positive and statistically significant correlation between the level of verbal violence and the decline in self-confidence. Verbal violence was found to have a negative impact on the self-confidence of high school students. Through exploration, the study is expected to supplement some necessary scientific foundations in both theoretical and practical aspects for the development of appropriate psychological prevention and support programs.

Nguyen Hien Le (1912-1984) was a scholar who made significant contributions to the nation's cultural history. His works spanned many fields such as literature, history, philosophy, culture, and education. This article approaches Nguyen Hien Le's works from an intercultural perspective in the context of Southern Vietnamese society during 1954-1975. Instead of viewing him purely as a writer, this study positions Nguyen Hien Le as a creative subject who combined and harmonized two cultural and ideological paradigms: the Eastern Confucian tradition and the modern Western scientific mode of thinking. Through textual analysis, the article points out the manifestations of the intercultural subject in Nguyen Hien Le's works: from the choice of thinking models to the methods of disseminating knowledge and culture to various segments of society. The research results show the spirit of intercultural dialogue in Nguyen Hien Le's works and also demonstrate the potential of approaching literature and art from an intercultural perspective.

Nguyen Van Trung was one of the most prominent intellectuals who played a significant role in the cultural and literary life of South Vietnam between 1954 and 1975. Nguyen Van Trung was one of the most prominent educators, researchers, and literary and philosophical critics, particularly in South Vietnam between 1954 and 1975. Nguyen Van Trung was one of the most prominent educators, researchers, and critics of literature and philosophy, particularly in South Vietnam between 1954 and 1975. Aiming to evaluate his contributions to shaping decolonization thought, this article examines his contributions to the formation of decolonization thought by analyzing key manifestations of his decolonial ideology, such as his early introduction of Frantz Fanon’s anti-colonial work Les Damnés de la Terre (The Wretched of the Earth), and his application of Fanon’s ideas along with contemporary theories in composing French Colonialism in Vietnam: Reality and Myth. The study demonstrates that, through a critical survey of French perceptions of the Annamese people, Nguyen Van Trung exposed the contradictions between colonial reality and the myths constructed by the French colonizers. In addition, he engaged in the scholarly study of national cultural and literary heritage as a means of restoring past values within a new historical context. Through this exploration, the article clarifies Nguyen Van Trung’s important contributions to o affirming indigenous identity and autonomy, while proposing the issue of decolonization in terms of culture and the spirit of research and dialogue among intellectuals.

Reader-response criticism emerged as one of the most prominent trends in critical studies throughout the twentieth century. Understanding the position of reader-response criticism requires a deeper exploration of its origins and the factors that contributed to its development. This article aims to analyze the fundamental causes and theoretical foundations that led to the emergence and evolution of reader-response criticism in the twentieth century. Through a systematic survey and synthesis of relevant literature, the study identifies and explores three primary groups of causes: shifts in the philosophy of language, particularly phenomenology and hermeneutics; efforts to challenge and supplement the dominance of New Criticism; and the broader shift in educational philosophy toward learner-centered models and the democratization of literature. The article asserts that reader-response criticism is not merely an academic theory, but rather the product of a convergence of major transformations in philosophical thought, literary criticism, and the wider social context.

The novels Hon Dat by Anh Duc and Dat Lua by Nguyen Quang Sang are two representative works that effectively employ epic poetics in modern Vietnamese revolutionary literature from 1945 to 1975. Based on the application of textual analysis, comparative literature, and an interdisciplinary approach (poetics, culture, and history), this research examines the methods of constructing artistic space, organizing conflict, and building epic-inspired imagery by the epic tradition, with the aim of illuminating their epic quality. The results confirm the portrayal of the Nation and the People as central historical subjects, linked to the grand scale of the resistance war and the heroic archetype embodying the strength, will, and qualities of the community. Concurrently, the study reveals the distinctive features in the writing styles of the two authors: while Anh Duc's writing style leans towards romanticism and idealization, Nguyen Quang Sang develops epic qualities against a backdrop of harsh realism, reflecting complex religious and political conflicts. Through exploration, the research contributes to identifying the literary character of an era and provides a foundation for illuminating the development of epic poetics in revolutionary literature.

This article applies the theoretical framework of literary semiotics to analyze the poetry of Nguyễn Đức Sơn in order to elucidate the existential sensibility embedded in his artistic world. The study focuses on two central semiotic codes: the code of contemplative space and the code of subjective time. In Nguyễn Đức Sơn's poetry, space is not merely an external backdrop but is internalized, becoming a symbolic domain through which solitude, exile, and existential doubt of the lyrical self are expressed. Time, likewise, does not operate linearly; instead, it manifests as a fragmented stream of consciousness, where memory, present experience, and anticipation coexist. Through decoding the semiotic structure of his poetry, the article argues that Nguyễn Đức Sơn’s work constitutes an ontological discourse rich in philosophical depth, demonstrating that poetry is not only a linguistic art form but also a means of perceiving and questioning human existence in an unstable and absurd world.

This article examines three representative symbols in Dream of the Red Chamber, including the mirror, tears, and the door to clarify the role of the symbolic system in constructing the artistic world and expressing the work’s humanistic thought. Drawing on the poetics of imagery, the study reinterprets the text through the relationship between artistic representation and the philosophy of human existence. The analysis reveals that the mirror not only reflects reality but also symbolizes the boundary between the real and the illusory, while simultaneously foreshadowing the characters’ fates. Tears, associated with Lin Daiyu as a “predestined return of tears,” embody both tragedy and the spirit of female resistance. The door symbolizes transformation and the yearning for freedom, representing the transition between different realms of being. Through decoding these three symbols, the study demonstrates that Cao Xueqin employed symbolism as a distinctive mode of artistic thought to convey profound reflections on human existence and the spirit of humanism in classical Chinese literature.

One of the most common themes explored in modern European literature is the theme of ego, and one of the prominent works exploring such is Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth by Hermann Hesse. This paper focuses on the development of Emil Sinclair's sense of self as he explores the inner callings and the escape from rigid traditional moral values. Through the embedded use of religious symbols - such as the world of light, darkness and most prominently Abraxas - in the narrative, Hermann Hesse illustrates the stages of Sinclair’s ego formation and his progressive movement toward self-realization. Through them, the novel addresses not only the quest for personal freedom but also offers a wider perspective on human nature in the modern era, where salvation is only attainable through an inward journey and the full acceptance of the self; within that context, religious symbolism accompanies and supports the individual's process of self-exploration and personal growth.