Dang Nguyen Huong Trinh is a researcher at the Institute of Literature, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, specializing in children’s literature. E-mail: trinhdangnguyenhuongvvh@gmail.com
Eco-consciousness from a Child’s Perspective through Nguyen Nhat Anh’s Crying on the Tree
Abstract: Nguyen Nhat Anh is a leading children’s writer of modern Vietnamese literature. Most of his works often delve into the beautiful but mysterious spiritual world of children and adolescents. In addition, some of his recent works also deal with the relationship between children and the environment. This paper explores the relationship between children and the natural environment in his work Khóc trên cây [Crying on the Tree]. Here, the writer exploits the special point of view of children to show the different behaviors towards the environment. Thanks to their keen intuition and pure love for the natural environment, children often make their own choices about how to behave with the environment, regardless of economic considerations. Rather than leading children, adults may sometimes learn from children about kindness and good manners in relation to the environment.
Keywords: Nguyen Nhat Anh, children’s stories, ecocriticism, ecological consciousness