Modernity in Dumb Luck

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The colonial era in Vietnam presents a very unfortunate experience to the Vietnamese people. Development and improvement of people’s life were measured and understand through unfounded scope that was targeted to please a few select members of society.

The satirical representation of the concept of modernization presents how the Vietnamese society so much adores western ideals that they no longer question how logical it is to adopt the western civilizations (Trong 4-13).

Set in the “late-colonial era”, Dumb Luck, candidly explains the emergence of the modernization and how irrelevant to people’s quest for better life continues to be an illusion.

Modernization is the adoption of foreign ideals that are trendy, robust, and more outgoing while avoiding the indigenous way of life that is perceived to be retrogressive (Zinoman 16-32).

According to Frank (185-187), modernization is the quest for better fashion that is mainly associated with European ideals rather than the overall improvement of people’s way of life.

In the Dumb Luck novel, modernism is clearly represented as a form of colonial capitalism aimed imposing western ideas to people’s economic, political, and social undertakings. Modernity is therefore depicted as anything that is in line with the Western way of life.

It is a civilization that is in line with the European social, economic, political, cultural, and technological inclinations.

Trong (36-41) reveals that modernization is the addiction to western fashion. Dominance of fashion, mania for sports, and engagement in liberated sexual customs are believed to be the in-thing trends in Vietnam. Most Vietnamese resent their indigenous lifestyle.

In the business arena, anything that reflects the European way of life is considered very fashionable and more appealing to the masses.

This is a proof that colonial capitalism is an unwarranted approach to the development of a country’s economy as it mainly focuses on advancing the policies and operational mechanisms of the colony and not the interests and common good of the citizens (Zinoman 29-35).

Through the mockery and satirical revelation of free market that is imposed on the Vietnamese business environment, it emerges that the free market concept is adopted without undertaking in-depth analysis of its relevance and applicability.

To a greater extent, modernity is measured by how well colonial capitalism is enshrined in a given system of governance.

Through his satirical explanation of how modernity affects the Vietnamese economy and people’s way of life, Trong (67-92) manages to reveal the fact that most development programs and business strategies being adopted are focused on increasing people level of consumption.

For that matter, industrialization is not the focus on the prevailing economic activities.

Mercenary adoption of “free market” that seems to fit the Buddhists society is not in line with the economic and social situation in the country (Frank 186-188).

This is revealed in the fact that police officers are mainly forced on imposing impose fines to themselves in order to raise more revenue needed to meet the targets of a free market economy.

The existence of low-class people reveals that modernization is an illusion that neither materializes nor does reflect in the way people in the Dumb Luck lives.

Sadly, the rage for modernization is not accompanied by transforming the country’s economic policies. Investment policies and economic way of life is also not reflected in the manner in the overall economic situation in the country (Trong 9-32).

With reference to fashion, modernizing emerges as a consumption trend and an unreasonable adoration of western ideals. The “blind adoption” of the western way of life is undertaken by most people without questioning the degree to which certain western values relate to the local situation.

The “fantastic social ascent” depicts the failure to localize western ideals so as to effectively meet the local demands, challenges, and development opportunities. Modernity is not a culture.

It is a “fashionable way of life” through which western products and services are purchased and used by the local people (Frank 76-124).

The unexpected and very ridiculous rise in the colonial society is based on the “blind adoption” of western principles that do not fully relate to the local society reveals an ineffective system of governance that is bent on doing anything to please the western superiors.

The consumption patterns envisaged in the novel depict an outright failure by the government to adhere to modernized development patterns aimed at enhancing reliability, efficiency, and realistic development agenda in Vietnam.

Modernity as revealed in the Dumb Luck is a very superficial concept that does not seem to positively affect people’s lives. In the novel, modernity emerges as a superficially adopted theme that does not relate to people’s way of life.

It is crucial to appreciate that there exist a wide disparity between the economic and social ideals of western society and that in Vietnam.

The fact that modernity and traditional values seem to contradict is an indicator that modernity pertains to superficial issues that have continued to negatively affect people’s way of life due to their poor perception and lack of understanding of modernity.

Oppression through lack of “free marriage”, free remarriage”, and “free divorce” reveals how unmerited western rules are to the local people (Trong 18-32).

The described concept of modernity totally ignores the fine traditions of the Vietnamese population and the need to respect and uphold human dignity.

In the Dumb Luck novel, the description of the horrible experiences witnessed by the Vietnamese soldiers reveals that modernity is not a culture but rather a superficial concept that mainly benefits the high and mighty in society.

It ignores the plight of the weak and the poor in society (Trong 97; Frank 178). The explanation of modernity in Dumb Luck is an enlightenment of the tribulations and economic challenges that Western civilization poses to Vietnamese.

Nevertheless, modernism has a lot of importance to people. If well implemented, the ideals, values, and operational strategies of modernity could revamp the economy and ensure that country’s economic situation and cultural aspects are addressed in time.

Soldiers emerge as the major victims of modernization due to the direct inhuman circumstances that they get exposed to in order to promote a free market economy.

While the concept of modernization is portrayed as a theoretical and unfounded belief system that fosters poverty and retrogressive social practices, its economic benefits can never be ignored.

Modernization is a crucial driver of the economy and the overall improvement of people’s way of life. Only multinational companies and large business enterprises stand to benefit for the modernization evidenced in the Dumb Luck novel (Trong 94-95).

The novel fails to clearly articulate the benefits accrued from adoption of western values and their imposition to the local society. Unreasonable application of modernity could be very detrimental to a society.

It is apparent that modernization is of no significance to the lower class and less civilized members of the Vietnamese society (Trong 56-71). It mainly mattered to colonial urban Vietnamese.

This is mainly due to the fact that the nature of the outlined modernity focuses on the costly “high-end lifestyles” and not on the need to address the need to augment the common good of all people.

Modernity thrives on benefiting the political class and the major players in national economic matters (Frank 78-187).

Fairy Hotel is a symbol of colonial capitalism and the need to root out western ideals (Trong 97). The hotel signifies the dire need for political revitalization and adoption of new economic policies.

As an irresistible lakeside inn, Fairyland Hotel, denotes people’s zeal and irresistible desire to liberate Vietnamese citizens from the oppression that they have been exposed to for a very long time.

The rituals performed during the inauguration of the hotel were meant to exorcise and purify the atmosphere.

The hotel and the rituals represent people’s desire to fully abide by “their roots” and not to be swayed by the many fashionable intellectuals who are focused on enhancing colonialism (Turing 97).

Also known as the White Bamboo Lake and Old Fish Road, it is sarcastic that the people who engage in immoral activities do it secretary due to the respect and symbolic value that the hotel has to the Vietnamese people.

The hotel also symbolizes people’s resistance to change and the continued defilement of rich social and cultural values that could otherwise help in liberating the Vietnamese.

Works Cited

Frank, Aurthur. Letting Stories Breathe: A Socio-Narratology, London, University of Chicago Press, 2010.

Trong, Vu Phung. “Dumb Luck”, Indochina: An Ambiguous Colonization, London, University of Michigan Press, 2002.

Zinoman, Peter. Introduction to Dumb Luck, London, University of Michigan Press, 2002.

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Modernity in Dumb Luck

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