The Influence of Kamanita and Lilit Phra Lo on the Chula Treekhun Novel of Phanomthian

Abstract

Chula Treekhun is the second novel composed by Phanomthian, the National Artist for Literature in 1997. This novel has been influenced by Kamanita, a translated work of Buddhist literature. In addition, the influence from Lilit Phra Lo, a piece of Thai literature, is also evident. Thus, the purpose of this article is to investigate the influence of Kamanita and Lilit Phra Lo on Chula Treekhun. The results indicate that the translated novel, Kamanita, influenced Chula Treekhun, in terms of the titling, the setting and atmosphere, the narrative, and the compositional styles. Lilit Phra Lo influenced Chula Treekhun’s main plot, which is a romantic tragedy with the death of the protagonist as its ending. Furthermore, they share several similar motifs such as the protagonist disguising and infiltrating the antagonist’s territory and the fortune-telling ritual with water. Moreover, certain details are based on the two works of literature. The influence was aptly incorporated in Chula Treekhun, rendering its compositional style similar to ancient literature’s. The storyline of this novel was also adapted into a theatre play with a feature song that has enthralled audiences for a long time. Hence, up to the present, Chula Treekhun has been highly regarded as one of Phanomthian’s literary masterpieces.