Vũ Trọng Phụng was a very productive writer. He is best known for his novel 'Số đỏ' or 'Dumb Luck', which criticizes the adoption of Western ways and the rise of the middle class in colonial Vietnam. Many Vietnamese people know about 'Dumb Luck' because it is part of the high school literature curriculum.

When 'Making a Whore' was first published, it was very controversial. Some people thought it should be criticized for being too sexual, while others believed it was a valuable contribution to sex education. However, the novel is not as explicit as some modern books, and it does not provide much practical sex education.

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In the introduction to his novel, Phụng explains that he wants to encourage moralists and parents to care about their children's happiness and to pay attention to sexuality, which is often considered a taboo topic.

The novel 'Making a Whore' starts with two friends who go out at night and end up in a licensed brothel. They are surprised to see a girl named Huyền, who was admired for her beauty and noble family background, working as a prostitute.

The two friends are curious about how Huyền ended up in the brothel. They ask her about her life, and she tells them her story, which is presented in the form of a novel manuscript with four chapters: 'Puberty', 'Into the World', 'Married Life', and 'Debauchery'.

Huyền's story is about how her life changed as she went through different stages. Her 'sexual crisis' gets worse, and the reader follows her story knowing how it will end. The novel is easy to read and has a straightforward tone and style.

Who or what is responsible for Huyền's corruption? According to Phụng, it is the lack of proper sex education and the influence of Western ways.

Huyền looks back on her life and says that her flawed education, bad environment, and bad company led her to become a prostitute. Phụng suggests that Huyền's sexual problems are a result of her repression and lack of sex education.

As a child, Huyền was curious about sex, but her questions were not answered. She had to find out about sex on her own, which led to her exploring her sexuality in unhealthy ways.

Phụng believes that Westernization and its culture of materialism are also to blame for Huyền's corruption. Huyền says that her 'corruption' started with a pair of white trousers, which was a symbol of a modern woman's look.

Phụng thinks that the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures has changed people's material lives, but it has not led to better sex education. He believes that people should learn about sex in a way that is ethical and honest.

The title 'Making a Whore' is different from the traditional English title 'To Be a Whore'. The change in the verb 'making' reflects Phụng's view that a 'whore' is not something someone chooses to be, but rather something that is created by larger factors.

While 'Making a Whore' has elements that were ahead of its time, it also has analytical flaws. One of these flaws is the way Phụng depicts corruption, which is not clearly defined.

The Vietnamese-language cover of a previous edition of 'Làm đĩ'.

The concept of corruption is central to the novel, but it is not clear what Phụng means by it. He seems to draw from different influences, including Freud and traditional Vietnamese discourses about sex.

For example, the 'educational book' that Phụng reads relies on the theory of yin and yang to condemn masturbation. However, it is not clear if masturbation is considered corrupt in the same way as debauchery or prostitution.

The concept of corruption may be intentionally vague. It could be seen as a reflection of Phụng's ideals for Vietnamese society, rather than a clear category.

If prostitution is considered wrong, it is not because it is sexually corrupt, but because of its exploitative conditions under capitalism. It is worth asking if Huyền would have ended up a prostitute if she lived in a different socioeconomic system.

The novel is also confused in its treatment of materialism. Phụng blames Huyền's corruption on materialism, but he does not differentiate between materialism and capitalism.

What ultimately pushes Huyền into prostitution is not corruption via materialism, but economic necessity. The economic system of capitalism, combined with patriarchy, limited women's freedoms and participation in the labor market.

The novel 'Making a Whore' is analytically messy and full of tensions and contradictions. However, it is precisely these tensions that make the book an engaging and fascinating read.

The analytical flaws in the book reveal much about its time and the debates that were taking place in Vietnam's national history. The novel raises important questions about gender norms, modernity, and capitalism.