Satirical Short Stories in the Short Story Collections of “Krung Rak Krung Krai” and “Yib Ngao Ma Chak Ngao” by Sujit Wongted and Khanchai Boonparn

Abstract

This research article aimed to explore satirical short stories of Sujit Wongted and Khanchai Boonparn in the two short story collections titled “Krung Rak Krung Krai” and “Yib Ngao Ma Chak Ngao”. Findings revealed that domestic and non-domestic social contexts are relevant to the writings as information sources. Two prominent domestic events included the coup staged by Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat and a modification to his administration’s economic development plan. A noteworthy non-domestic event was the Vietnam War (a.k.a., the Indochina War). The aims were to satirically depict flawed behaviors of individuals sharing their social circles while possibly inflicting embarrassment, anger, or psychological pain to them. There were two primary categories of individuals mentioned in these  stories: 1. Bangkok residents for being excessively individualistic, neglecting others in their social circles, nation, and other nations, and showing moral and ethical declination assumingly caused by the changed national administration policy towards materialism where nobility was measured by modernity; and 2. civil servants, premier, and politicians mentioned in the stories through six main writing techniques: 1) invective with mocking and provoking tones, 2) figure of speech through similes, metaphors, personification and symbols, 3) dramatic irony and verbal irony, 4) irony through title naming, character naming and questions, 5) using idioms and 6) using imagery. The point of the satires was the authors’ expectations for behavioral changes of those mentioned in the stories who shared their social circles.