REPRESENTATION OF THE WESTERNER IN NOVEL “BURAPHA”

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the Westerner representation in the novel 'Burapha' by V. Vinicchayakul using the approach of Representation study and Occidentalism in literature. The findings show that V. Vinicchayakul's representation of Westerners is consistent with the concept of Occidentalism, as seen through the western characters who decided to travel to Siam in order to escape the dull civilization in the West. However, when Westerners arrived in Siam, they became the outsiders in terms of look, culture, and way of thinking. The Siamese consider the Westerners as powerless people. The Westerners, too, realized they were in the wrong place and returned to the West. This portrayal gave Westerners the status of "others" in Siamese society, preventing them from assimilation. The representation is analogous to the Western characterization of Occidentalism, which tried to devalue the West while honoring the East's values and culture over the West through literature.