Abstract:
This thesis aims to study the representation of death in contemporary Thai short stories, 2004 - 2013 in relation to the concepts of risk society and reflexive modernization in order to analyze the representation and meaning of death in the short stories relating to social changes and significant events in contemporary Thai society. The study shows that the representation of death in the short stories reflects the conditions of Thai society from 2004 to 2013, with its transformation into late modernity and encounter of various forms of risk resulting from advancement and modern lifestyle. Writers reflect on these social conditions through their representation of death, relating to three dimensions: capitalism and urbanism, death and mans pride; and death and politics. In respect of capitalism and urbanism, the representation of death reveals that globalization has great impact on consumer society and individualization becomes the important process that instigates us to reflect on our life conditioned by capitalism and consumerism. The individual, especially a man who is the head of a family, realizes that pursuance of capitalist ideology cannot lead him to the happiness of life but confines and diminishes his freedom. In the urban aspect, the representation of death is reproduced to emphasize risks resulting from the estrangement of modern lifestyle, violence in nuclear family and health problems despite the accumulation of wealth. The representation of death that has been reproduced brings about the awareness of life meaninglessness. Mans pride of conquering nature is tested by severe catastrophes, such as casualties in Tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004. This catastrophe proves that human encroachment on nature using knowledge and technology leads to disastrous failure. The writers show that knowledge, technology, rationality and religion drive apart human beings. This reflection aims to reveal they are driven far away from nature and do not really understand nature. The representation of death in the short stories about Tsunami makes human beings realize that they are only a part of nature and only the strongest can save themselves and their fellow humans through crises. Pertaining to politics, the study finds that the contemporary short stories do not deal only with macro-politics but also with sub-politics, where the individual plays a more significant role. Death in key political events, whether violence in Thailand's three Southern provinces, the 2010 Thai political turmoil, or human rights problems, are the manifestations of failure of the state to provide her subjects protection and safety, leading to the reflection on the problematic roles and challenges of modern state.