Genre originality of King Vachiravudh's novel "The Heart of a Young Man"

Volkova Kseniya Borisovna PhD in Philology Associate Professor, the department of Philology of Korea and Mongolia, Institute of Asian and African Countries of M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University 125009, Russia, g. Moscow, ul. Mokhovaaya, 11 str. 1, of. 331 egorovaksenya@mail.ru Other publications by this author

King Vachiravudh (1881-1925) is little known to both Western European and Russian readers. But in Thailand, he is an iconic figure. His work played a huge role in the formation and development of modern Thai literary literature. The monarch-writer left a legacy in all kinds of literature and many of its genres: more than 120 novels, essays, poems and articles, about 180 plays in Thai and English, as well as poems and poems.

The body of scientific research on Thai literature is less extensive in comparison with the number of works on the literature of other Eastern countries. Despite the fertility and undoubted influence on the development of all subsequent literature, the work of King Vachiravudh is no exception. His works were selectively studied both in Thai and foreign science, analyzing only certain aspects of the phenomenon, primarily dramatic creativity, and not taking into account the relevance of the king's work for both his contemporaries and for the current Thai society.

In the literary aspect proper, the texts of Vachiravud are explored by Thyakrit Duangpatra in the book "Dramatic Literature" ^[9], Svetsreni Vilavan in the master's thesis "King Vachiravud and Thai Conversational Drama: his early plays in English and Lakhon Phut in the context of an innovative approach to drama" ^[12] and Tungtang Paradis dissertation work "Shakespeare in Thailand" ^[10].

In Russian literature, the topic remains even less studied. The only monograph directly analyzing the dramatic work of Vachiravud in the context of the influence of Western European literature on him is the monograph of the author of this article – K.B. Volkov "Vachiravud drama: Thai tradition and European influence" ^[3]. The prose works of Vachiravudh are given very modest attention within the framework of works of a more general nature. It should be called the works of V.I. Kornev "Literature of Thailand (a brief essay)" ^[4] and Yu.M. Osipova "Literature of Indochina. Genres. Plots. Monuments" ^[6]. 

Until the beginning of the XX century. prose occupied a very modest place in Thai literature, a characteristic feature of which was the blurring between the epic and the lyrical, so that a number of genres could have mixed characteristics. Prose was considered common, was not popular among the educated intelligentsia and became widespread only with the beginning of the accelerated modernization of Thai society and the active influence of Western culture and literature. A huge contribution to the formation of the literary canon according to the Western European model was made by Vachiravud, who is well acquainted with the best examples of Western literary literature.

Rama VI absorbed the laws and peculiarities of European literature, mastered new topics and problems and very skillfully applied them in his original Thai-language works, bringing to the reader and introducing into the consciousness of Thai society current ideological messages.His works were created according to the models of European literature, the development of the plot was also based on Western models, the system of characters expanded. The king preferred works in which the plots touched on socio-political problems, and ordinary people became the main characters. This distinguished his works from Thai classics, where the main theme was love, and the main characters were mythical creatures and royalty. Lifelike images of ordinary Thais effectively influenced the reader, bringing the mood the author needed. In the new works, the characters were the exponents of the ideas of the monarch, could demonstrate feelings previously only symbolically designated. 

The author conveyed the realities of the described era, embodying them in the lives of his heroes. He showed both the shortcomings of Siamese society, which must be eradicated, and its strengths. In his works, Vachiravudh focused on those ideals that he admired throughout his life and believed that they could form the moral basis of the worldview of Thai society.

The focus of this article is the novel of King Vachiravudh – "The Heart of a young man", written by him in 1921 under the pseudonym "Ramtiit" ("Royal wisdom"). This is the first original Thai-language epic work of the monarch, which is of unconditional interest and artistic value. Previously, the novel was not translated into Western languages and did not become the subject of a separate study by both national Thai literary critics and foreign ones.

The work is clearly modeled on the European sentimental novel in letters: it is a cycle of 18 messages (66 pages), which were published in the magazine Dusit Samit from April 23 to July 9, 1921. Vachiravud chooses a form developed in the West in the XVIII century (J.-J. Rousseau, S. Richardson, etc.) – the work is written in an epistolary genre popular with European sentimentalists (Vachiravud's novel initiated the beginning of the epistolary line in Thai literature. One of the most famous Thai epistolary novels of the XX century is "Letters Home" (1969) by the writer Botana. The novel was awarded the SEATO Literary Prize). But the novel rather tends to the trend of the XIX century, when epistolary works consisted of a small number of letters ("A Novel in nine letters" by F.M. Dostoevsky, "Correspondence" by I.S. Turgenev, etc.). The epistolary narrative itself precedes the traditional Preface for Western literature, which gives a touch of authenticity and vital truthfulness of correspondence: "I'm sorry," the author writes, "but I can't say how these letters got into my hands, as it can cause pain to other people. For the same reason, I changed the names of the writer and the addressee" ^{[13; p. 3]} (Translated from Thai here and further by the author of the article – K.B. Volkov). Vachiravudh hopes that the reader will enjoy reading them and will feel sympathy for the main character.

In the center of the story is a young man named Praphan, who has just returned to his homeland, Siam, after studying at Oxford. The main character writes to Europe to his best friend Praset – the only close person who can understand his emotional experiences.  Having received a European education and absorbed the worldview of a Westerner, he feels like an outsider in his country, where everything seems barbaric and ossified to him, especially marital and family relations, polygamy in Thai society and the disenfranchisement of women - he openly opposes traditions, social conventions and generally accepted norms. The image of the main character is partly autobiographical: Vachiravudh also studied in England for several years and at first could not get used to life in Siam. But, of course, it is impossible to call the work autobiographical, primarily because the hero of the novel is not a king, but a simple man, a native of the third estate.

The novel establishes a very peculiar relationship between the hero – narrator – author: on the one hand, the hero is endowed with some autobiographical features, on the other – it is a different type of personality, both from a psychological and socio-social point of view. This interest in the "other" ^{[7, p. 100-101]} shows the writer's movement towards realism, which we will discuss in more detail later. The author himself manifests himself in the Preface, and then applies an innovative method of literature of the XX century. – the author's exit to the hero level: the king (that is, the author) personally hands the title to the main character. The monarch acts as the "representative" of the author in the reality of a literary text ^{[5; p. 145]}, or, in the terminology of F.K. Stanzel, as a "conditional mediator", "mediator" ^{[11; p. 4]}.

The time of action in the novel is the era of modernization and large–scale socio-political transformations. "My friend, our society is going through a time of serious changes now" ^{[13; p. 47]}. But it seems to the hero that the reforms are taking place too slowly, and he loses hope that these changes will actually happen. He sees his personal tragedy in the socio-political backwardness of Thai society. Having met, as it seems to him, a kindred soul in the person of a feminist girl Urai, he finds optimism. The young man hopes that by marrying a "civilized" girl of progressive views, he will become closer to "his England", find peace of mind and harmony: "If such a [Europeanized – K.V.] girl marries me, I will stop missing England and become the happiest person!" ^{[13; p. 24]} But the era of change, which promised him happiness, played a cruel joke on him. The "modern" girl showed the reverse side of Westernization: immediately after the wedding, she demonstrates not only freedom of thought, but also behavior, and soon leaves Praphan for another man – a libertine and a life-waster.

The chronotope of Vachiravud's novel is also peculiar ^[2]. The events take place at the England – Siam site. At the beginning of the story, Praphan cannot live without London and everything English, and at the end he finds his homeland. The movement of the time coordinate of the novel is also significant: two winter dance scores serve as a kind of reference point here. These two points are psychologically very important, since the hero loves to dance: "Dancing is my life!". Moreover, for Praphan, dancing is a cultural sign of a civilized society. At the first point, he is happy dancing with his beloved – a girl of European type and free views. And on the second, he is deeply depressed, because his wife showed the reverse side of the "modern civilized woman" and dances there with a completely unworthy person. Thus, in Vachiravuda's novel, the chronotope performs an important function in depicting the evolution of the feelings and worldview of the protagonist.

Disappointed in love and in his past beliefs, the hero finds a new meaning of life in patriotism and service to the monarchy.

The main problem of the novel "The Heart of a young man" is the correlation of social changes and the fate of an individual. Through letters to a friend, Praphan shows his feelings, expresses his attitude to the world around him, revealing his inner world and reflecting on the events of his life. The author in the novel harmoniously combines the personal and the public: the events taking place around the hero: although they serve only as a background framing Praphan's experiences, they are of great importance, and not only because they are reflected in the private life of the hero, but because, first of all, it is the socio-political reforms that are of main interest to the author.

Along with the obvious influence of sentimentalism, the novel also shows signs of realism.

It is significant that the main character of the novel is "a typical character in typical circumstances." At the beginning of the XX century, many young people from Thai families, both aristocratic and ordinary, returned to their homeland after studying, full of hopes for social and cultural changes in the country. Praphan is an ordinary man of his era. The author, apparently, deliberately does not give specific information about his family and biography – this is not as important as the hero himself and the circumstances in which he lives. The addressee of his letters, Praset, is also a collective image, but quite realistic: this is a Thai young man who has remained in Europe for the time being, but who will soon return to Siam. The disclosure of the inner world of the character and his feelings is the main goal of Vachiravud, who acted as an innovator here and anticipated the realistic direction in Thai literature. Thus, the novel is transformed into a sentimental-realistic one, in the center of it is the image of an ordinary person in a truthfully outlined reality.

At the same time, the novel shows didacticism, characteristic of both a sentimental psychological novel, according to M.M. Bakhtin, and traditional Oriental literature as a whole: "Didactics becomes concrete, delving into the very details of everyday life, intimate relationships between people and the inner life of the individual" ^{[1; p. 208]}. The author conveyed the realities of the depicted era, recreating them in the personal life of his hero. The king showed both the shortcomings and vices of Thai society that need to be eliminated, as well as its strengths – nationalism, patriotism and devotion to the monarchy. Through the evolution of the inner world of the hero, the author sought to strengthen in the reader's mind the ideals that, in his opinion, can form a harmonious prosperous society. Moreover, the spiritual rebirth of the hero is connected with his "meeting" with the Author: "I was very nervous during the ceremony. But when I got up to the throne, I noticed a slight smile on the face of the King who was looking at me. I smiled back, and my smile did not slip off my face all the way home!" ^{[13; p. 41]} The smile presented to Praphan by the king during the ceremony of awarding the aristocratic title changed his attitude and inspired hope for a happy future. Although the role of the king in the novel is episodic, it is, however, the key here.

The effect of documentality in the "Heart of a young man" is achieved both by specifying the date and place in the "header" of the letters, and by the Preface from the author, where Vachiravud emphasizes the authenticity of the letters, explains the reasons and the reason for their publication. Here the king seeks to emphasize that he acts only as a compiler, editor and publisher of letters that happened to fall into his hands: "From these letters, I have chosen only those that will be truly interesting to the reader of the Dusit Samit magazine. He will be able to get acquainted with the history of a young Thai who had the opportunity to study in Europe. I apologize to the reader, but I can't tell you how these letters got into my hands, because it can hurt other people. For the same reason, I changed the names of the writer and the addressee" ^{[13; p. 3]}.

Compositionally, "The Heart of a young Man" has a classic form for a sentimental epistolary novel and has a strict genre structure – a preface, an indication of the place and date of writing, an appeal to the addressee, the text itself and the signature. The letters are arranged in chronological order and consistently reveal the plot and emotional experiences of the main character. Each message describes a certain period from the life of the hero, the novel itself covers a time range of one and a half to two years. It is not possible to accurately determine the time interval, because the author does not prescribe the last digit of the date of writing the letter – for example, 191-. Perhaps the author does not impose unnecessary obligations on himself, so that the reader does not have analogies with real people and events. But the exact time of the novel's action is known – this is the second decade of the XX century, the period of Vachiravudh's reign.

Each letter begins with the address "my beloved friend". The pronoun "my" demonstrates a close relationship between friends. Like most works of Western European literature, Vachiravuda's novel performs a confessional function, and the addressee's answers are unknown. Its function is inert. "As for Praset's reply letters, I could not find them and publish them here" ^{[13; p. 3]}, the author notes. So, thanks to irresponsibility, the effect of a continuous narrative arises.

Signatures at the end of letters are a way of expressing the inner state of the hero. Leaving England, the hero signs his message – "from a bored friend"; "from a friend in love" – after meeting a girl; "from a friend in despair" – after being disappointed in life, or "from a smiling friend" – after meeting the king.

In the work, there is a parallel "internal plot" of correspondence and an "external" one – the life of the main character. These two streams will connect in the last letter: "I am waiting for you to come to Bangkok and be a witness at my wedding" ^{[13; p. 55]}. Obviously, there will be no more messages, because friends will soon reunite at the second wedding of the main character. Using the terminology of J. Altman's "The Heart of a young Man" can be called a novel with a "closed plot" ^{[8; p. 150]}: Praphan's first letter is the beginning of the plot narrative, because before that friends were not in correspondence. The last eighteenth is the end of the messages and at the same time the happy end in the novel: "I have fallen in love, I hope that she will already become my companion for life" ^{[13; p. 55]}.

Vachiravud borrowed only the structure of the epistolary novel from the sentimentalists, he uses the old form for the new content. Much in Praphan psychology contradicts both the sentimentalist's worldview and his ideals. Not only does the type of the main character change, the environment around him changes. Basically, the novel takes place in the city, the role of the landscape is insignificant here, and the image of nature is far from ideal.  So, if the sentimentalists associated nature with the cult of purity and unspoilt, then the author of the letters contradicts them, allowing the girl to easily surrender to the hero in the bosom of nature before the wedding.

The work clearly tends to urbanism. The novel can be considered as a depiction of the life of the capital city and its inhabitants. "In Bangkok, compared to London, there is absolutely no entertainment: there are few restaurants and theaters. You can, of course, go to hotels for Europeans, but once or twice – then it gets boring! The only thing to do in the city is to eat and drink! <...> There is one theater in the city, but with a very boring repertoire, I went once" [highlighted – K.V.] ^{[13; p. 15]}. This is how Praphan, who has just returned to his homeland, describes the capital. He is disappointed and has no idea how he will live away from his "beloved London": "We will not be able to go to the theater, as we did in London, we will not be able to go to a restaurant and stare at beautiful women, but, worst of all, I will not dance! I you know that dancing is my life" ^{[13; p. 5]}. In one of the last letters, having found peace and a new meaning of life, Praphan writes that a new theater has appeared in Bangkok: "This is a conversational theater in which men play men and women play the roles of women. I've gone several times already! [highlighted – K.V.] They play well..." ^{[13; p. 47]}. Here, the image of the capital's theater helps to reveal more deeply the evolution of the inner world of the protagonist.

"The Heart of a Young Man" is an innovative novel for Thai literature both in form and content. Vachiravudh, on the one hand, imitated the sentimental literature of the XVIII century, on the other – took the first step towards a realistic psychological novel. The chosen form allowed us to depict the inner world and experiences of the main character and at the same time raise an important topic – man and society. He used the classical genre form to depict the new and topical – the reflection of the social in the personality of an individual. Moreover, the epistolary novel allowed the monarch-educator to fully express his didactic intentions.

In "The Heart of a Young Man", Vachiravud proved himself as a talented artist-innovator, creating an original genre synthesis: a sentimental novel in letters with elements of a realistic psychological novel. Having inherited the tradition of European literature of the XVIII – XIX centuries, he anticipated in his novel one of the dominant lines of development of Thai literature of the twentieth century.