A Sense of Place, a Sense of Home and a Sense of Self: Ecological Imagination in Hoang A Sang’s The Dreams of Chestnut Colour

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the ecological imagination in The Dreams of Chestnut Colour, a prose writing collection by Vietnamese writer Hoang A Sang, using the ecocritical lens and focusing on place, dwelling, home and self. By defining The Woodland and The Urban as localized, symbolic and psychical places, the author exposes the contrast between them, which is related to the urbanization and the cultural conflicts between the minority Tay people and the majority Kinh people. By choosing both memories, dreams and daily life stories to perceive The Woodland and The Urban, Sang describes a metaphorical journey in which he discovers his identity and that of the Tay people.