THE TRANSFORMATION OF MEANINGS OF GHOSTS IN THAI SOAP OPERAS Jithiwadee Wilailoy A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Communication Arts and Innovation) School of Communication Arts and Management Innovation National Institute of Development Administration 2015 ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation The Transformation of Meanings of Ghosts in Thai Soap Operas Author Miss Jithiwadee Wilailoy Degree Doctor of Philosophy (Communication Arts and Innovation) Year 2015 The main objective of the research “The Transformation of Meanings of Ghosts in Thai Soap Operas” is to study the construction of ghosts’ meaning and the transformation of ghosts in Thai soap opera through textual analysis according to narratology. The study focused on the soap operas related to ghost during 1987 – May 2014. Twelve soap operas in total were chosen to be studied in this research. The study revealed that the meanings’ transformation of ghosts in Thai soap opera is the effect of the kind of media called “TV soap opera” that constructs the ghosts’ meaning through the narrative compositions such as genre, narrative structure, character typology, theme and iconography. The ghosts’ meaning is transformed and divided into two parts. First is the convention where the transformation of ghosts is being broadcasted and reproduced which reflects that ghosts are scary, powerful, different from human (otherness) and binding to the law of karma. The second part is the invention where the ghosts’ meaning is constructed from the understanding of the differences of individuals and the reconstruction through variety of narrative compositions such as intertextuality, pastiche, nostalgia, discontinuity, reproduction, implosion of meaning, hyperreal and simulation. Consequently, the ghosts’ meaning that is repeatedly portrayed in Thai society has changed or been transformed. For example, ghosts are not powerful, ghosts exploits human for their own hidden agenda and ghosts are able to live with human. iv These changes also reflect the changes in human perspective towards ghosts. Ghosts have become the symbol of the different kind in the society. Moreover, the transformation of ghosts also weaken the ancient ideal and belief about ghosts in Thai society. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor, Assistant Professor Dr. Asawin Nedpogaeo, for his valuable advice, encouragement, motivation, enthusiasm and guidance in making this dissertation a successful one. I could not have imagined having a better advisor and mentor of my PhD study. Besides my advisor, I owe my deepest gratitude to the countless guidance of the members of the supervisory committee: Associate Professor Thiranan Anawajsiriwong and Associate Professor Dr. Kullatip Satararuji for their thoughtful comments and suggestions. My sincere thanks also dedicated to the “Rajabhat Phetchaburi University” and Faculty of Management Science for their sponsorship. And special thanks to the faculty members in the Graduated School of Communication Arts and Management Innovation, especially Ph.D. batch#1, for sharing their invaluable knowledge and all faculty staff for their cooperation. In addition, I would like to thank my beloved parents, for taking very good care of everything extremely. My completion of this dissertation could not have been accomplished without their support and understanding through the duration of my studies. Last, I also thanks all the ghosts everywhere. I know you are definitely out there. Jithiwadee Wilailoy October 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT iii ACKNOWLEDMENTS v TABLE OF CONTENTS vi LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background and Significance of the Research 1 1.2 Research Questions 9 1.3 Objectives of the Study 9 1.4 Definitions 10 1.5 Scope of Study 11 1.6 Benefits of the Study 11 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND APPROACHES 12 2.1 Beliefs of Ghosts in Thai Society 12 2.2 Narratology and Narration in Soap Opera 16 2.3 Narration in Soap Opera 19 2.4 Semiology and Semiology in Soap Opera 28 2.5 Social Construction of Reality 42 2.6 Post Structuralism and the Meaning Deconstruction 43 2.7 Related Research 49 CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 55 3.1 Population and Sample Used in the Research 55 3.2 Data Collection Tools 58 3.3 Data Collection 60 3.4 Data Collecting Tools 60 vii 3.5 Data Analysis 60 3.6 Conceptual Framework 61 3.7 Data Presentation 61 CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS 63 4.1 The story in Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera 63 4.2 Narratives Structure / Features in Thai Ghosts Soap Opera 76 4.3 Character Typology in Thai Ghosts Soap Opera 109 4.4 Theme in Thai Ghosts Soap Opera 145 4.5 Iconography in Thai Ghosts Soap Opera 158 CHAPTER 5 RESEARCH RESULTS 191 5.1 The Construction of Ghosts’ meaning in Context and Structure 191 5.2 The Transformation of Ghosts in TV Soap Opera 206 through Discourse CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 213 6.1 Conclusion 213 6.2 Discussion 221 6.3 Recommendations 227 6.4 Implimentation 229 BIBILOGRAPHY 231 APPENDICES 238 Appendix A 239 BIOGRAPHY 261 LIST OF TABLES Tables Page 2.1 Propp’s Functions 24 2.2 The Narrative Structure Approach 25 2.3 Seven Dramatis Personae in Propp’s Scheme 26 2.4 The Levels of Encoding and Details 35 3.1 Genre of Thai TV Ghost Soap Operas from 1987 – May 2014 57 3.2 The Selected Sample of Twelve Ghost Soap Operas as for the Study 58 4.1 Exposition in Thai Soap Opera 76 4.2 Rising Action in Thai Soap Opera 87 4.3 Climax in Thai Soap Opera 95 4.4 Falling Action in Thai Soap Opera 99 4.5 Ending in Thai Soap Opera 104 5.1 The Combination of Genre in Ghost Soap Opera 193 5.2 The Construction of Ghosts’ Meaning from the Narratives in 204 Thai Soap Opera 5.3 The Transformation of Ghosts’ Meaning from the Narratives in 205 Thai Soap Opera 6.1 The Conclusion of Plot Exposition in Thai Soap Opera 213 6.2 The Conclusion of Racing Action in Thai Soap Opera 214 6.3 The Conclusion of Climax in Thai Soap Opera 214 6.4 The Conclusion of Falling Action in Thai Soap Opera 215 6.5 The Conclusion of Ending in Thai Soap Opera 215 6.6 Demographic Characteristic of Ghosts in Thai Soap Opera 216 6.7 Physical Characteristic of Ghosts in Thai Soap Opera 216 6.8 Background / Cause of Death of Ghosts in Thai Soap Opera 217 ix 6.9 Mental Characteristic of Ghosts in Thai Soap Opera 217 6.10 Subjugations’ Weapon of Ghosts in Thai Soap Opera 218 6.11 The Human Character in Thai Soap Opera 218 6.12 The Themes in Thai Soap Opera 219 6.13 Time and Place in Thai Soap Opera 219 6.14 Iconography in Thai Soap Opera 220 LIST OF FIGURES Figures Page 2.1 The Change of the Study upon Narration from Literature to 17 Mass Media 2.2 Saussure’s Elements of Meaning 29 2.3 Barthes’s Myths 30 2.4 Peirce’s Categories of Sign-Types 33 3.1 Genre of Thai Soap Opera 56 3.2 Conceptual Framework of the Meanings’ Transformation in Thai 61 soap opera 4.1 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Parp Arthun 64 4.2 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Tha Yard Asul 65 4.3 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Srisa Marn 66 4.4 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Gerd Tae Chard Pang Nhai 67 4.5 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Susarn Khon Pen 68 4.6 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Susarn Khon Pen 69 4.7 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Susarn Khon Pen 70 4.8 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Rong Ram Phi 71 4.9 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Jong Kol King Tien 72 4.10 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Rak Boon 73 4.11 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Ruen Kalong 74 4.12 Thai TV Ghost Soap Opera, Wieng Roi Dao 75 4.13 Exposition by Introducing Character / Places in Parp Arthan 78 4.14 Exposition by Introducing Character / Places in Jong Kol 79 King Tien 4.15 Exposition by Introducting Character / Places in Srisa Marn 79 4.16 Exposition by Introducing Conflict or a Clue in Rak Boon 80 xi 4.17 Exposition by Introducing Conflict or a Clue in Susarn Khon Pen 81 4.18 Exposition by Introducing Conflict or a Clue in Wieng Roi Dao 81 4.19 Exposition by Introducing Conflict or a Clue in Gerd Tae Chard 82 Pang Nai. 4.20 Exposition by Introducing the Dream of Oui in Tha Yard Asul 83 4.21 Exposition by Introducing the Inheritance Ritual 83 in Tha Yard Asul 4.22 Exposition by Introducing the Ritual in Rong Ram Phi 84 4.23 Exposition by Introducing Legendary in Phood Sao Proud Sanay 85 4.24 Human Turns into Good Ghost: Life After Death of Khun Nai 89 Lann Tom 4.25 Human Turns into Bad Ghost: Life After Death of Khun Nai 90 Laan Tom 4.26 Human Turns into Ghost: Life After Death of Kalong 91 4.27 Rising Action: Asul Khon’s Action is Planned due to 91 His Vengeance 4.28 Rising Action: Anon and Mutitha were Helping Each Other in 92 Gerd Tae Chard Pang Nai 4.29 Rising Action: Jetiya Helps all the Ghosts as They Wished 93 in Rak Boon 4.30 Rising Action: Meida Tried to Help Wieng Kaew Ghost in 94 Wieng Roi Dao 4.31 Love Triangle, Chedtha, Khun Prayong and Anonwadee in 97 Parp Arthan 4.32 Ghost’s Identity is Revealed in Srisa Marn 98 4.33 Asul Khon was Revenged by all the Souls that He Killed in 101 Tha Yard Asul 4.34 Kalong, Finally Let Go of the Blindness by Monk in Ruen Kalong 102 4.35 The Ghosts can Achieve Their Goal in Jongkol King Tien 104 4.36 Kalong Let Go of the Blindness and Left to Another World 106 4.37 Anon were Back to be a Man by Recarnation in Gerd Tae 107 Chard Pang Nai xii 4.38 Nisa were Back to be a Human by Recarnation in Phood Sao 107 Proud Sanay 4.39 The End which Leaves Curiosity in Srisa Marn 108 4.40 The Theptripatrasul Necklace was Once Again Found in 108 Susarn Phu Taesuan 4.41 Ghost Character: Khun Prayong in Parp Arthun 110 4.42 Ghost Character: