Krahang and The Crisis of Masculinity in Contemporary Urban Society

Abstract

Part of the series Phi Mahanakorn, written by Tawiwat, the novel Krahang is an urban gothic novel. It uses fantasy in the form of supernatural beings, or Krahang, which are male ghosts from Thai folklore, to represent the crisis of masculinity of the lead characters, Alex and Aun. Following a shift in space and social context after Alex and Aun move into contemporary urban Bangkok society, the Krahang’s appearance and behaviors change to reflect the different experiences and emotional interactions of the characters and align their crisis of masculinity with concepts prevalent in contemporary urban society such as capitalism and consumerism. Moreover, representation of the crisis of masculinity through Krahang also reveals other unquestioned sides of contemporary urban society. However, the different way of life and decisions of the characters leads to different results that not only strengthen norms but also offer some options for living in contemporary urban society.