From Until We Meet Again to Look Forward: a Study of the Evolution of the Art of Novel-writing in Siburapha’s “for Life” Novel

Abstract

In the late 1940s, the authoritarian politics of Thailand prompted Siburapha to embark on the path of writing “for Life” novels. Studying in Australia made him deeply realize that social reform guided by Marxist thought is the way out for Thailand's democratic political system. His Until We Meet Again (1950) can be considered as a work to propagate this theory, which integrates the methods of interviews in news writing, and uses the hero Komet as the interviewee to speak for the author himself. Through the dialogue with the heroine Dorothy, he gradually shows the changes in his thoughts and promotes Marxist ideology. Actively practicing Marxist philosophical thought put Siburapha behind bars. The historical novel Looking Forward (1955), written in prison, is a response to Mom Rajawongse Kukrit Pramoj's Four Reigns, which glorified monarchy and criticized democracy by depicting the changes in the lives of the upper classes, with a narrow vision, reflecting backward-looking reverse historical development thinking. Looking Forward reflects the author's view of himself, reflecting on the past, presenting a broad picture of social life. It shows that the author not only affirms the fine traditions, but also embraces the future based on a profound understanding of social reality. It also promotes intellectuals to go deep into different classes and occupations to transform society, demonstrating his unity of knowledge and action, and pushes his "for Life" novel to the highest peak.