Images of ‘the Southern Region Community’ from the Southern Historical Literary Work Series of Phatthalung-Trang (Early Period)

Abstract

The research article studies “Images of ‘the Southern Region Community’ from the Southern Historical Literary Work Series of Phatthalung-Trang (Early Period)” based on documentary research. Data were collected from the Southern Historical Literary Work Series of Phatthalung-Trang (Early Period) written by Chan Chaijun and Phat Phonchai in the form of Klon (Thai octameter poem) during 1953 -1954. The findings are presented in a descriptive analysis. The results reveal that images of “the Southern Region Community” from this literary work focused on Trang, Phatthalung, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. There were found six positive images. First is the image of the leader. Second is the image of geography. Third is the image of the economy. Fourth are of socio-cultural images. Fifth is the image of the environment, and sixth combines the images of politics and administration. Images of “the Southern Region Community” from a literary work are also to facilitate the concept of the ‘Strengthened Community’ which has recently been frequently discussed. Constructing images of “the Southern Region Community” from a literary work in various dimensions might defend the meaning of “the Ideal of the Southern Region Community” to imply that community development in the late 1940s declined or to develop the community via a national construction concept by the state by exploiting “the Past” which was prosperous to enhance awareness of unity among the people in the community.