Abstract

Motifs play an important role in literary works, contributing to the development of the plot and characters, as well as expressing the theme and ideas of the work. The article employs a poetic (poetics-based) approach to analyze the structure of the journey motif, combining it with archetypal criticism to clarify the recurring symbols throughout the character’s journey. At the same time, it applies a comparative method to reveal the inheritance and transformation of elements from the tradition of Vietnamese folk culture. In Vietnam’s general education curriculum, the 2018 Vietnamese Literature textbook series is the most recent and has been implemented since the 2020–2021 academic year as part of a comprehensive reform of the national curriculum and textbooks. The implementation of the new Vietnamese Literature Curriculum, since 2018, requires renewed study of poetic elements in the updated program, including the journey motif. The article presents the characteristics of the journey motif in modern Vietnamese fictional prose works included in the 2018 Literature curriculum. The research findings show that this motif is inherited from folk literature, while also undergoing transformations to more appropriately reflect the life and people of modern Vietnam. The article contributes reference materials for the teaching and reception of modern Vietnamese fictional prose in the 2018 Literature curriculum.