Abstract
This research aims to analyze Seksan Prasertkuns collected short stories Rudukan, Dok Phai, and Khon Kap Sua, in terms of their contents and literary techniques, which relate to the authors experiences and literary contexts.
It is found that the three literary works mirror human values, derived from the authors political experiences and search for the meaning of life, as well as his reaction to social problems during the past three decades (1973-1996). The values of humanity implicitly depicted in the texts are closely associated with social problems, which are getting more and more severe and complicated, however, the protagonists potentials for learning and upholding virtues within the constraints of life are still to be admired. Human problems and their virtues are earnestly presented. The author asserts that social injustice, abused social system, unconstructive values as well as human flaws are crucial factors begetting misery and malice in the contemporary society; the mere solution seems to lie in the adherence to certain principal values, particularly the search for spiritual freedom. With respect to literary techniques, short storys components in harmony with its content are skillfully manipulated to convey messages that invoke the readers to ponder. Intensity and complexity of ideas and emotions are effectively conveyed through judiciously and carefully wrought language. It can be said that the remarkable value of Seksan Prasertkuns collected short stories lies in the harmony and unity of their aesthetic and ethic values.
Copyright for articles published in this journal is retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.