Vu Trong Phung was born in 1912, in Hanoi, into a “poor heirloom” family, in the words of Ngo Tat To. Far from the imagination of many readers, “he is an ordinary person (…) of discipline and order” (Luu Trong Lu). Vu Trong Phung was constantly burning with anger boiling over the corrupt contemporary society. This makes an important contribution to creating a unique attraction in the entire creative career of the writer. He was a diligent student and had extraordinary creativity, within less than 10 years of writing (1930-1939), the writer produced a rich volume of works including many genres: plays, short stories, reportage and novels. He died when he was only 27 years old.

The author’s career and worldview are complex and often contradictory. That, along with a number of other factors that make the assessment of writers sometimes not simple, has caused quite fierce debates. But so far, in the public opinion, Vu Trong Phung’s important position in the process of modern Vietnamese literary history has been unanimously affirmed by researchers.

The red number was published on Hanoi newspaper from number 40 (October 7, 1936). This was the first year of the Indochinese Democratic Secret period, the atmosphere of the democratic struggle was vibrant. The colonial regime of censorship of books and newspapers must be temporarily abolished. That context has created favorable conditions for the writer to promote the positive aspects and achieve brilliant achievements.

Red Number is the most representative work of Vu Trong Phung, and is considered to be the best type of Vietnamese prose since the introduction of the national language script. Through this work, “the writer deeply criticizes the urban bourgeois society, which is following the debauched and depraved lifestyle of the time”).

Using laughter as a weapon, Red Numbers outlines the rotten reality of the “Europeanization”, “sports”, “youthful fun” movements, encouraged and exploited by the rulers, which once went viral. in the 30s. Vu Trong Phung threw out a series of characters who were “pioneers” in the above movements, such as Xuan Toc Do, Van Minh and his wife, Mrs. Pho Doan, TYPN… They called themselves “houses”. social reform”, but in reality, they are just a bunch of sluts, scoundrels and especially swindlers. The civilized, progressive nouns they throw out are just empty talk

The greatest success of Red Numbers is that it has built a series of excellent caricature portraits. That’s Xuan ma – ca – cotton who used to play trumpets, smuggled drugs, play flags at the theater … suddenly thanks to the lust on Mrs. Pho Doan, he joined the upper class world. As a clever kid, used to turning newspapers, Xuan knew how to take advantage of that opportunity to advance. It went from “glory” to “victory”, with ease. A ghost boy who was conferred with many titles: “student of medicine school”, “poet”, “philosopher”, “tennis player”, “advisor for the monk’s “Knock” newspaper Tan Phu”, “social reformer”, “national saving hero”.

Xuan’s evil nature and vile past are not revealed, because he emerges from a society that desperately needs characters like him.

At first glance, the character of Xuan Red Hair seems to be written in a very arbitrary way – arbitrarily to the point of absurdity. But come to think of it, the author did not slander anyone. That is, in the old society, it turned out that there was no shortage of Xuan boys. It is a typical figure of excellent realism. It can be said that as long as society is based on the “principle” of swindlers, and promotes lewdness and scum, and encourages opportunism and other fake things, there will be many Red Hair Springs…

Chau Tuan around Xuan is a series of other caricature characters, each with their own look: the fat lady Pho Doan “treasures with two husbands”, is awarded with “Tet Hanh Kha Phong”; The owner of a Westernized tailor shop Van Minh is thin, always proud of sports, but never exercises; fashion designer TYPN used to create very daring women’s clothes: “Public”, “Stop”, “umm”, etc., but scolded his wife for being a slut because she liked to dress up. In modern times; great-great-grandfather Hong didn’t know anything, but opened his mouth to say: “I know, it’s so painful to say!”; but seeing the Mindo police, Mintoa was distressed because no one would urinate to pay a fine; Mr. Tang Phu once boasted of winning a lawsuit that made his opponent vomit blood, Mr. Phan was horny and hired other people to call himself a cuckold husband. etc. It can be said that the old author Red Number has covered almost most of the coverage. the entire urban society of the past into my observation lens – a chaotic society, in which each character is a clown.

The faces and humorous personalities of the above characters are highlighted by the writer by placing them in satirical situations. This is also a vehicle of the author’s creative talent Red Numbers. It can be said that each book chapter is a satirical situation built on a ridiculous contradiction.

Among the most remarkable chapters, one must mention the chapter Happiness of a bereaved family (Chapter XV). In this chapter, the satirical contradictions are expressed right at the beginning of it: the mourning family is happy, some people die, but they are as happy as the guild. It is the happiness of an unhappy family, the joy of a bunch of unfilial descendants. People often say “mourning family is confused”, the author has set up the confused scene of the great-grandfather Hong’s family when the great-grandfather lay down. Not only confused but also nervous and of course extremely busy. Busy worries to organize carefully, give a great fun day, a festival, not a funeral.

The greatest joy, common to this unfilial family, is the will of the great-grandfather, so it is time to be implemented. That is, when the old man surrendered, his huge fortune was divided among his children and grandchildren, in-laws and in-laws… This situation revealed countless other satirical contradictions of all kinds and highlighted the series. funny portrait.

Vu Trong Phung’s amusing art is so rich. In that common joy, each person has a unique joy like no other.

Great-grandfather Hong, although only 50 years old, has long dreamed of being called a great-grandfather. Now, “wearing a tunic, slouching with a stick, coughing and crying at the same time” plays the old game of embracing a weak man in the middle of a crowded street to let people admire: “Wow, you’re so old. that!”

Van Minh, husband and wife and – Mr. TYPN, a reformer of Westernized clothes, had the opportunity to share the most daring fashions “It is possible to give those who are in pain because the dead also enjoy a little happiness. in life”

Ms. Tuyet was given the opportunity to “wear an Innocent outfit – a thin chiffon dress, with a corset inside, which looks like full armpits and half breasts – but with a black border and a pretty hat”, and at the same time, had a chance to take off “a very fashionable romantic sadness”.

Mr. Tu Tan is so happy because he can use the new camera he bought. The horned Mr. Phan was happy because he didn’t expect that the horn on his head would be so valuable and he would all be well deserved. (The old ancestor rolled out and banned his speech because he knew that his son-in-law was growing horns).

Red Hair Xuan’s reputation is even bigger because it was thanks to him that the great-grandfather died (accusing Mr. Phan for growing horns in front of his ancestors).

Happiness also spread to those outside the bereavement: the Minder policeman, Mintoa, unemployed, hired to keep order at the funeral. The bourgeois society, Ms. Hong, Ms. Tuyet, and Mr. and Mrs. Van Minh had the opportunity to show off their medals, titles, and other mustaches on the lips, under the chin… and the streets had yet to see a big funeral. once had “bringing where to make a commotion”…

The part of the funeral that took place from the house of great-great-grandfather Hong to the grave was also humorous. Funerals were like a procession. Full of Ta trumpet, Western trumpet, Chinese trumpet. Hundreds of couplets, garlands, posters Crowded, luxurious, men and women “bird together, laugh at each other, comment on each other, criticize each other, jealous of each other, date each other with sad faces the sorrows of those who send ghosts”…

In short, the funeral took place like a ton of great comedy, expressing the absurdity and immorality of the upper-class society in the past.

Vu Trong Phung died when he was less than 30 years old. Writer Ngo Tat To, before Vu Trong Phung’s death, discussed about longevity in life. He said that for people, long life is not measured by age, but by the things that are left forever for life. If so, then Vu Trong Phung is a very long-lived person because his works, especially Red Numbers, will live forever.