THE HISTORICAL NOVEL MỆNH ĐẾ VƯƠNG FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF DISCOURSE THEORY

Abstract

This article employs the discourse theories of Mikhail Bakhtin and Michel Foucault to analyze the historical novel Mệnh Đế vương as a space for the construction and dialogization of history. From a Bakhtinian perspective, the work is characterized by dialogism, in which multiple voices, ranging from official to marginal-coexist and interact, thereby enriching interpretations of the past. Concurrently, a Foucauldian approach elucidates how discourses of power operate within the text, contributing to the production of “truths” concerning legitimacy, authority, and social order. By combining insights from Bakhtinian dialogism and Foucauldian discourse analysis, the article demonstrates that Mệnh Đế vương not only represents history but also actively participates in its reconstruction. Characters and events are configured within a multilayered discursive network, where values and meanings remain dynamic and subject to ongoing negotiation. Accordingly, the study affirms the role of literature as a discursive practice capable of expanding dialogic space, while also contributing to the identification and deconstruction of historical discourses in the contemporary context.