Young Adult Fiction Pho Maha Mae Hang Khrueang Luk (Sao) Nakrong: Concepts and Literary Techniques

Abstract

The paper aims to explore and analyse various concepts present in Pho Maha Mae Hang Khreung Luk (Sao) Nakrong, a young adult fiction written by Chot Srisuwan, a multi-award winning writer known for his children and young adult works. It is found that concepts in this young adult novel are mainly concerned with the idea of how to be a good child and good adult, the preservation of Thai culture and ‘Thainess’, the resistance to trends in a materialistic world and the concept of rural versus urban living which draw behavioural boundaries for children and young adults. These concepts are created and embedded within the structure of the novel and the construction of characters.  It makes this novel a clear reflection of the socio-cultural context that is essentially an adult’s perspective and perception towards children and young adults within a society and the way adults assert their power and indoctrinate cognitive and behavioural boundaries for children and young adults.