RESEARCHING THE MARRIAGE OF TỪ THỨC TO A FAIRY FROM A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The story The Marriage of Từ Thức to a Fairy, excerpted from Nguyễn Dữ’s collection Scattered Notes on Strange Tales, is a masterpiece of medieval Vietnamese literature. Adopting a comparative perspective, this study provides a comprehensive examination of the work across two primary dimensions: (1) Decoding the interactive dynamics between chuanqi fiction and folklore; and (2) Analyzing the creative adaptation of East Asian chuanqi motifs in comparison with works from China and Korea. The research findings clarify Nguyễn Dữ’s strategies of “historicizing” and “intellectualizing” folk material to express profound philosophical reflections on human life and the zeitgeist. Furthermore, the study affirms the author’s agency in the appropriation of regional chuanqi traditions, thereby affirming the independent position and distinct cultural identity of Vietnam within the broader currents of the East Asian cultural.