Queer aesthetics and Confucian legacy in On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean Vuong,novel,2019) and “Goodbye Mother” (Trinh Dinh Le Minh,movie,2019)

Abstract

There has been a notable rise in the popularity of queer cinema and literature in Vietnam, drawing significant attention and appreciation from both viewers and readers. However, queer literature and cinema in Vietnam go beyond gender exploration, offering insights into familial and social dynamics and the experiences of individuals in Confucian-influenced areas. The Confucian legacy emphasizes the importance of the family institution in maintaining social order, viewing the family as a patriarchal structure that stresses hierarchical relationships between father and son, husband and wife, and older and younger siblings. The focus on family and lineage perpetuation leads to dualities of ancestors and heirs, and distinctions based on gender and social status. Consequently, Confucian traditions have imposed strict regulations to uphold this dichotomous condition. In scholarly discourse, queer theory, informed by principles of deconstruction, actively challenges the normative regulations preserving Confucian patriarchal structures. By dismantling established dualities and normative criteria, queer theory seeks to unsettle these cultural legacies. This study examines the representation of Vietnamese queer cinema and literature, with a specific focus on family dynamics, social status, gender roles, and sexual orientation in the context of challenging the Confucian legacy. Utilizing queer theory and other legacies such as the indigenous Mother Goddess Worship, the aftermath of war and its associated trauma, and Buddhist ideology, this study aims to analyze and provide new insights into complex characters exhibiting non-conformist behavior or psychology within queer cinema and literature in Vietnam and overseas.