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"Scenes from a Provincial Life" - An Inner Journey Through the Lens of Art   The image from the internet. J.M. Coetzee is one of the few writers capable of combining the clarity of narration with the depth of philosophy, turning each word into a silent dialogue with the truth. The trilogy "Scenes from a Provincial Life" – consisting of Boyhood, Youth, and Summertime – not only portrays different stages in his life but also serves as a self-inquiry into the nature of humanity, art, and existence. Through each page, Coetzee continuously asks: "Who am I in this world? And does my existence hold any meaning?" To embark on the journey of deeply exploring each stage of human life in this trilogy, Coetzee begins with the origin point: childhood. It is not merely a time of innocence and curiosity but also where the first contradictions between humans and the surrounding world begin to form. In Coetzee's memory, childhood is not simply a series of peaceful days but a reality full of clashes – between love and rejection, belonging and alienation. From these conflicts, Boyhood opens a door into the rich inner world, where the reader sees not only a boy growing up but also their own image in the search for identity. 1.      Boyhood: Children and Alienation In Boyhood, Coetzee opens a world full of contradictions: a boy growing up in the unstable land of apartheid South Africa. However, rather than focusing on the social context, the work focuses on the inner life of the character John, a sensitive, thoughtful boy who always feels isolated. Coetzee writes about childhood not with sweet nostalgia but with a stern, sometimes cold tone. He depicts John's inner turmoil between admiration and hatred for his mother – the one he sees as controlling but also the only person who truly loves him. He realizes that family is not always a safe place: “I love my mother, but I also hate the way she always wants everything to be perfect as if she wants to atone for all of humanity” (Boyhood, 1997). On the other hand, John always feels he does not belong to the community around him. He views the world with skepticism, constantly questioning morality, power, and faith. Under apartheid, even children's games reflect the brutal racial segregation, and John, though young, begins to become aware of the injustice: “I wonder if the adults see what we do, or are they complicit in it?” In Boyhood, Coetzee not only tells his own story but also raises a larger question: Is childhood really an innocent period, or is it where the first contradictions of humanity are formed? John's alienation is a manifestation of a sensitive soul, but also an echo of the lonely souls in all societies. Childhood, with all its innocence and alienation, sowed the first seeds of insecurity in John's soul – a boy who always longed to escape the limits of reality to reach new horizons. But when he leaves his homeland and steps into a wider world, will he find liberation or face even greater disappointments? Youth continues the journey, taking us to a phase full of passion but also full of contradictions, where ideals are tested by harsh reality and dreams shatter in the heart of the city. 2.      Youth: Dreams and Disillusionment In Youth, Coetzee takes the reader to the next stage of life: when John leaves his homeland for London, carrying grand ambitions. London, in the young man's eyes, is the symbol of civilization and opportunity, but when faced with reality, John realizes that his dream seems to be nothing but an illusion. The work is a subtle dissection of the conflict between ideals and reality. John dreams of becoming a writer, but he is trapped in a job as a computer engineer – a profession he despises. The disappointment not only comes from the work but also from himself. John feels he lacks courage, talent, and, especially, the ability to connect with others. "He looks at others – those who live carefree, not thinking about their own existence – and feels envious. He wants to know how they do it, but no one can answer him" (Youth, 2002). Coetzee portrays London not as a city of light but as a cold labyrinth where young people are lost between dreams and reality. In that space, John finds no joy or salvation. Literature, instead of being a source of comfort, becomes a burden: “He feels the pressure to write meaningful things, but nothing seems important enough to write” (Youth, 2002). Youth is not only the story of John but also a symbol for the journey of a generation – young people with great aspirations but crushed by the cruelty of reality. Through this, Coetzee raises an important philosophical question: Is a dream a source of motivation, or is it a burden that pulls us into the abyss of failure? Youth, with all its intensity and ambition, left scars that could not heal in John's soul, as he realized that ideals could be worn down by reality, and loneliness still followed him wherever he went. But the journey does not stop there. As time passes, the dreams of the past gradually give way to contemplation, and the old questions reappear in a new light. Summertime brings the reader to the final stage of life, where Coetzee – through the lens of memory and storytelling – explores the profound nature of humanity, memory, and the void. Here, truth is no longer absolute, and the question is not how we lived, but how we are remembered. 3.      Summertime: Understanding and the Void Summertime is the boldest work in the trilogy, as it not only recounts Coetzee's life but also writes about him from the perspective of others. The work is presented as a fictional novel, in which a researcher interviews people who knew Coetzee after his death. Through their accounts, an image of Coetzee emerges – not as a famous writer, but as a complex man, sometimes distant, even disappointing. A former lover describes: “He was like a ghost – always present but never truly there. I don't know what he was afraid of, but I’m sure he was afraid of many things” (Summertime, 2009). These fragments of memory are not only comments on Coetzee but also an exploration of the nature of memory and truth. In Summertime, Coetzee asks: Can we truly understand someone else, or even ourselves? He does not attempt to explain himself but lets the contradictory, incomplete accounts of others do the work. This is a modest way of writing, but it also emphasizes that humans are complex beings who cannot be confined to any form. The book also touches on the impermanence of life. Through these narratives, Coetzee emerges not as a literary legend but as an ordinary person – full of flaws but also full of life. In these three works, each story is a portrait of different aspects of humanity: from the tangled inner world to the hurried life in society. All three works are journeys of self-discovery, where people try to break through their own limitations to find harmony, a "unity" between spirit (mind, soul), emotion (feelings, relationships), and matter (reality, environment). The characters in these works carry within them a part of each element, showing the conflict between what they feel inside and what the outside world imposes on them. These life scenes are a continuous struggle between these three components, with moments of creativity and breaking old molds to find unity. In those moments, a harmonious whole between spirit, emotion, and reality will create a colorful inner picture, multi-dimensional, reflecting the constant movement and transformation of humans in a world of infinite diversity. The "unity" of these three elements is not separation, but integration, where each element exists and develops in a close relationship with the others, opening the door to a deeper understanding of the nature of humanity and life. Thus, these works are not only individual stories but also a journey to find a perfect spiritual state, where matter, emotion, and spirit are no longer separate entities but become a unified whole, creating a vibrant picture of life. 4.      Conclusion: A Colorful Inner Picture The trilogy Scenes from a Provincial Life by J.M. Coetzee is not just fragments of his life, but also a portrait of human existence in general. Through each page, Coetzee constantly confronts big questions: the meaning of childhood, the value of dreams, and the nature of memory. Coetzee's minimalist writing style does not diminish the depth of the works but instead creates a space for the reader to reflect on their own. The questions he raises – about humanity, art, and truth – are not just his own but belong to all of us. As he once said in his Nobel Lecture: "Literature is not for answers, but for asking questions" (Nobel Lecture, 2003). And it is through those questions that Coetzee has left his deepest mark.   The image from the internet.             ……………………… Annotations: ❶ The English title of Những Cảnh Đời Tỉnh Lẻ is Scenes from Provincial Life. This is a trilogy of autobiographical works by J.M. Coetzee, including the following books: 1.     Boyhood 2.     Youth 3.      Summertime The trilogy was published under the title Scenes from Provincial Life when released as a collected volume. ❷ Below is information about the first publication of each work in J.M. Coetzee's trilogy Scenes from Provincial Life: 1.      Boyhood (1997) o   First published: 1997 o   Publishers: Viking (USA), Secker & Warburg (UK) 2.      Youth (2002) o   First published: 2002 o   Publishers: Viking (USA), Secker & Warburg (UK) 3.      Summertime (2009) o   First published: 2009 o   Publishers: Viking (USA), Secker & Warburg (UK) When this trilogy was released as a collected volume, it was titled Scenes from Provincial Life.

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