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THE GENESIS AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE NOVEL IN THAILAND Thesis submitted for the Ph.D. degree of the University of London by Miss Wibha Senanan School of Oriental and African Studies May 1973 ProQuest Number: 10752647 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10752647 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 \\iii ABSTRACT In spite of the fact that the novel, which is at the present time one of the dominant forms of prose fiction in Thailand, asserted itself as a new genre in Thai literature nearly half a century ago, no detailed study of its origin and development has been made* This thesis, therefore, is written as an attempt to provide such a study. Its scope has been limited to the early development of this new literary genre. This study was based chiefly on the material available in the library of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and in the National Library in Bangkok, and personal communications with many writers, journalists and men of letters in Thailand. The thesis contains nine chapters, one table and one appendix* Chapter one presents a brief general history of Thai litera ture with emphasis on the poetic tradition. Chapter two deals with the history and nature of prose works before the modern period. Chapter three is concerned with book production before and after the introduction of printing technology. Chapter four examines the role of journalism in relation to the development of modern prose fiction. Chapters five and six deal with the literary climate in which the novel proper was to emerge, with special reference to the development of the short story, imported literature derived from Western and Chinese fiction - appearing in books and films, and the proto-novel. An historical background of the works is included. Chapter seven discusses the nature of the first published novels of ,fSl Burapha", tfD9kmai Sotn and Prince A-katdamkoeng. Chapter eight provides a general description of the reading public and examines the relationship between readers and writers of modern prose fiction, with special reference to Prince Phichit- prichak9n and Prince A-katdamkoeng. Chapter nine is a conclusion in which the correlation between the developing novel and society is discussed. The table contains historical events significantly relevant to the development of the novel in Thailand. The appendix contains biographical sketches of Prince Phichit- prichakon, Prince Bidyalankarana, King Vajiravudh, Prince A-katdamkoeng, l!D9kmai iSotn and HSi Burapha1*. V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis owes its existence in large part to many people and institutions, to all of whom the writer wishes to acknowledge her sincere gratitude and deep appreciation* I thank my super visor, Professor 33. H. S. Simmonds, whose encouragement, supervision and guidance proved immensely valuable to my work* I am deeply grateful to him* My sincere thanks go to Silpakorn University, which allowed me to take a leave of absence to fulfil my study. I would like to acknowledge my deep gratitude to the British Council, whose scholarship and other financial support not only enabled me to carry out and complete my study in London, but also made my life in England a healthy, beneficial and enjoyable one* I thank the London Committee of the London-Cornell project for making possible my field-work journey to Thailand. Valuable information and insights, unavailable elsewhere, were offered to me by novelists, translators, editors, publishers and journalists in Bangkok, who were themselves involved in the making of the new era in the history of Thai literature. X wish to vi acknowledge ray great appreciation to all of them. Their names are given in the conclusion of the bibliography* My deep grati» tude is extended to M. L* Pin Malakul, a member of the editorial staff of Lusit Samit, from whom I obtained detailed information concerning the magazine. I wish to thank M. L* Boonlua Debyasuvarn and Miss Kwandi Rakphongse who have provided valuable information concerning the life and works of "D^kmai Sot*1* I wish also to extend my thanks to Mrs* Maenmas Chavalit, the librarian of the National Library in Bangkok, and her staff* Pinally, ray sincere appreciation goes to Mr* Allan Lodge, the assistant librarian for South East Asia, School of Oriental and African Studies, and his staff, whose willingness to help facilitated my study a great deal* vii CONTENTS Page Abstract * ................................... ill Acknowledgements ....................... v N o t e ...................... ix Table of Historical E v e n t s ......................... x Chapter I. Introduction: The Poetic Tradition • . • 1 II. Prose i* The Tradition.................. 28 ii. Transitional Prose • ............. kj III. The Consequences of the Introduction of Printing Technology ............ 5^ IV* Journalism and the Novel ........... 72 V. The Beginnings of Modern Prose Fiction * * 111 VI. Towards the Novel......... ............ 155 Vlll Page Chapter VII. The Early Novels •••»••• .......... 20^ VIII. The Reading Public and the Novelists • • • 273 IX# The Novel and S o c i e t y ............... 305 Appendix# Biographical Sketches Prince Phichitprichakcpn................. Prince Bidyalankarana # * • • * ........... 3^7 King Vajiravudh ••#••••••••••• 33^ Prince A-katdarnkoeng Raphlphat........... 33^ "Dpkmai Sot” ........... 33& nSx Burapha11 • •»#•#••»•#•*•• 339 Bibliography ................. 3&3 NOTE In this thesis four systems of chronology are used: (i) The Buddhist era (B.E.): beginning in 5^3 B.C. (ii) The Christian era (A.D.) (iii) Chulasakkarat: beginning in 638 A.D, (iv) Natanakosin sakkarat (r.s.): beginning in 1782 A.D. In the body of the text, all the dates are converted into the Christian era, whereas the originals are retained in the footnotes and bibliography. In the bibliography, Thai authors appear according to the alphabetical order of their first names or the names generally known to the public; Western authors appear according to the alphabetical order of their surnames. The transcription of Thai terms into Noman characters follows the general system of the Royal Institute of Thailand except that in the case of common place names and proper names, especially those of certain authors, general usage and their personal spellings are adopted. A macron is used to distinguish long from short vowel sounds• X TABLE OF HISTORICAL EVENTS RELEVANT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NOVEL 1335 Introduction of printing technology into Thailand by American Missionaries* Circulation of Ratchakitchanubeksa (the Royal Gazette), the first periodical in Thai* 1861 Publication of the Journal of the Siamese Embassy to London in 1837; book trade began* 1863 Publication of Samkok, prose fiction translated from Chinese literature* 1871 Foundation of the first modern school in the Royal Palace. 187^ Circulation of Darunowat, the first magazine in Thai* 187^ Proclamation of an Anti-slavery Act. 1875 Circulation of The Court, the first newspaper in Thai* xi l88*f Foundation of the Wachirayan Library and ciroulation of its periodicals# 1886 The first and only instalment of HSanuk N&lc” was published in Wachirayan Wjset. 1902 Khwam Phayabat, a translation of Marie Corelli*s Vendetta, was serialized in Lak Witthaya. 1905 Establishment of the City Library. 1906 Jhotmai Changwang Ram was published in instalments in lhawi Panya. 191^ Proclamation of a Literary Act. 1916 Foundation of Chulalongkorn University. 1918 Pluachai Chai Num (proto-novel) was published in instalments in Pusit Samit. 1921 Proclamation of a Compulsory Education Act. 19201s Saw the wide spread of publications of imported prose fiction from books and from films. xii 1928 Publication of Luk Phuchai. 1929 Sattru Khtyng Chao Lpn was serialized in Thai Khasem. 1929 Publication of Lakhpn Haeng Chiwit* 1 CHAPTER I Introduction: The Poetic Tradition The novel, a form of narrative prose fiction, marks a new era in the history of Thai literature* The realistic method of presentation of human experiences, imagination, sentiments, and ideas in terms of prose narrative is a break-away from the Thai literary convention, in which poetic techniques have generally been employed for a period of over six hundred years. However, this new form of literature does not emerge all of a sudden; but, it rather is a kind of mutation in the process of a literary evolution. The Thai term "nawaniyal”, which is an equivalent of 1 the English word "novel” is less than fifty years old. And in 1886 A.D., perhaps the first time' when a Thai word was used to stand for what is generally called "the novel”, it actually was 2 a transliteration of the English term itself. Nevertheless, the 1 . The writer was told by Sanit ckaroenrat, a senior journalist, and Sot Kuramarohit, a famous post-war novelist, that the term "UOlltnU 11 (nawaniyai)1, is likely to have been an invention of the Suphab-Burut Group. More detail of the Group is given in chapter IV, pp. 106-108. 2. The term was employed by King Chulalongkorn in his letter dated Sunday, the eighth month, the ninth day of the waxing moon, chulasakkarat 1248, to Prince Pawaretwariyalongk§n, the Abbot of Wat B9W9nniwet and Prince Vajiraftana Varorasa. See Chulalongkorn, King of Thailand, and Somdet Phra Maha Samanachao Krom Phraya Vajiranana Varorasa, Phraratchahatthalekha Phrabatsomdet Phra Chulachtymklaochao- yuhua Song MI Pai Ma Kap Somdet Phra Maha Samanachao Krom Phraya Vajiranana Varorasa (Bangkok: Distributed at the remembrance ceremony for the nineteenth anniversary of King Chulalongkorn's death, Sophonphi phatthanak9n, 2472), p.

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