Charles Benoit’s doctoral thesis at Harvard
Ladies and gentlemen!
The doctoral thesis named "The Development of the Story of Vuong Thuy Kieu - from Chinese historical events to a Vietnamese literary masterpiece" was defended in 1981 at Harvard University by Charles Benoit. He donated this thesis to the Nguyen Du Memorial Site in 1995 on the occasion of his visit to the great poet’s hometown.
Charles Benoit is especially fluent in Vietnamese (both in the Vietnamese alphabet and the Han-Nom script), has broad knowledge of Vietnamese culture, and has had many unusual experiences in Vietnam before and after 1975. Many people in Saigon before 1975 are familiar with his Vietnamese name Le Van Nam.
In 2015, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Nguyen Du, Mr. Benoit and the delegation of the International Conference on Nguyen Du and the Tale of Kieu visited the Nguyen Du Memorial Site. He recounted that:
“In 1995, I had plans to visit Nguyen Du's hometown. On a hot and humid summer afternoon, from Laos, I passed through the Cau Treo international border gate to the Nguyen Du Memorial Site. Although it was not yet opening time, a staff member came out and welcomed me warmly. After visiting the shrine of the great poet Nguyen Du, I went to the library located within the Memorial Site to donate a printed copy of my thesis on The Tale of Kieu. The tour guide kindly invited me to sign the impression book.
“At that moment, a group of six or seven students whom I had seen on the edge of the nearby field gathered at the door and looked in. They blocked out all the light and air around me. Twice I gently asked them to please make space but they wouldn’t budge. It was hot and dark in the library, so sweat ran down my hands, dirtying the guestbook and preventing me from signing my name. Once again, I chased the students away, this time quite harshly.
“After signing, I looked up and saw that they had returned. Standing in the middle of the door was the youngest child holding a bouquet of wildflowers, who approached and handed it to me. I was moved to the point of speechlessness. It was one of the moments most precious to me, and I still have that bouquet even after twenty years!”
Charles Benoit concluded his story, saying: “So how can we say that Madame Kieu and I are not destined for each other!”