Space and the Cultural Politics of Chinese-Thai Identity in V. Vinicchayakul’s Ethnic Romance Novel-Sunflower

Abstract

This article aims at studying V. Vinicchayakul’s ethnic romance novel titled Thantawan (Sunflower) in terms of the cultural politics of Chinese-Thai identity. The research design is addressed by the spatial conception along with literary conventions of the romance novel. It is found that the house is foregrounded. The house is not merely a physical setting—one of fictional elements. It instead signifies the interplay between place and space. The house is related to social status, class, and capitals. The house is thus a contested space between Thai identity, overseas Chinese identity, and Chinese-Thai identity, going hand in hand with plot development and characterization. The power which determines identity also manifests through the conflict between domestic and public space. Empowering the female protagonist as a Chinese woman capitalist, the two spaces define the female protagonist as a progressive woman who works in the public sphere. Yet she can also own her domestic sphere. This reshapes a Chinese-Thai identity through individuality and the power over certain spaces. The contribution of this research is to propose an alternative approach to the study of Chinese in Thai literature with special reference to the complexity of Chinese-Thai identity beyond the grand narrative of Teochew self-made men.