Abstract:
This thesis aims to analyze literary elements and distinguishing characteristics of eleven Thai novels published during 1986 to 2012 and featured Garuda and Naga as main characters. The novels are Manisawat, Kasa Nakha, Paksa Nakha, Montra Nakha Khrut, Duang Hathai Khruthamunthu, Arittawattana Khrutha Nakha, Khesinakha Duangchai Phrayanakha, Nakha Sawat, Roi Rak Paksa, Makhala Nakha, and Sanyarak Hai Kong Fa. The thesis highlights how the authors imagination, Popular Culture, and the influence from Thai and foreign literatures and films are the major factors that have constantly published these kinds of Thai novels since 2005 to the present days. The study finds that the authors employ myths and stories from Sanskrit and Bali literatures, Thai literatures, folklores, and current events as the key elements of the novels. Moreover, the authors employ the legendary battle between Garuda and Naga or Khrut Yud Nakha, combined with their own imagination to create distinguished literary elements including plots, characters, and settings. There are 4 major plots, which are seeking-for-revenge-reincarnation plot, seeking-for-lover-reincarnation plot, compromising-conflict plot, competing-for-magical-object plot. The reincarnation is usually a key element in these plots. Moreover, conflicts in the plots mostly evolve around the theme of love, greed, and jealousy. For characters, the study finds out that both major characters and minor characters descend from Garuda and Naga. The characteristics of these characters are based on mythological images of Garuda and Naga with the combination of the authors imagination. With this, the novels have various kinds of characters. Apart from characters, there are 3 major settings in these novels including realistic setting, mythological setting, and imaginary setting. These literary elements help readers to understand major themes of the novels, which are Karma (the Laws of Cause and Effect), attachment and detachment, selflessness, and love and forgiveness. In conclusion, the novels have a distinctive characteristic that the authors employ the legendary conflict between Garuda and Naga from several myths and stories, especially the Khrut Yud Nakha legend, to create the romantic fantasy novels through plots, characters, and settings. Nevertheless, the authors also interweave Buddhist principles into the novels following the trend of Thai writers in order to emphasize the idea of vengeance and forgiveness. The authors imagination that makes the novels popular is reflected from ability to creatively interweave various motifs including characters, magical objects, and plots. The authors creativity reveals the combination between folklores and literatures in these novels. This thesis will benefit a further study focusing on Thai novels that based it characters from tales.