At least here in Thailand, Jasmine Nights is one of S.P. Somtow’s most well known books, out of the fifty he has published ever since he took up writing. The story is not very difficult to understand, but the plot structure of the book is quite complex. It deals with time shifts, metaphysical dialogues (a branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of ultimate reality), imaginary dialogues, visions, and historical cross-references. All these are mingled either as a voice coming from the author, or as one coming from Justin, the main character.
Although the novel abounds in numerous Thai words, which are clearly explained at the end of the book in a comprehensive vocabulary, Jasmine Nights is a very easy book to read. At a superficial level, we can say that this is due to the fact that the book is structured into short chapters, 52 in number, each of them not more than 20 pages long. In the writer’s own words, left in a comment to the Jasmine Nights study guide, “The book is written in short chapters because it was serialized in the Bangkok Post and each chapter was not allowed to be longer than 2000 words… and HAD to end in a cliffhanger.” Each chapter contains a fair amount of dialogue that has both the role of moving the story forward and of inserting witty remarks from the part of the main character(s).
Every chapter has a meaningful and representative title, which either announces what will happen in that specific chapter or clarifies what the theme of the chapter is. Take the following as examples. The first chapter is entitled “Death of a Chameleon,” and it really is about the death of a pet chameleon, called Homer. The forth chapter is entitled “The Treehouse on Top of the World,” and it describes a house built in a tree and the children who played there. The metaphor “on top of the world” refers to the fact that from the top of the treehouse the characters could see far away in the distance. The 41st chapter is entitled “Inferno” and deals with one of Justin’s psychedelic dreams. In this dream he had an interview with his dead chameleon and his great-grandmother who, in real life, was struggling between life and death. The title of this chapter reveals one of the themes of the novel, and that is death.
What makes the language a little difficult for a clear understanding for the common reader, are the frequent references to Greek mythology and Western culture. The question that one asks oneself is whether the Asian readers are really prepared for such an abundance of names and concepts from a very different culture. To give just a few examples, think of Zeus, Agamemnon, Ajax and other gods, demi-gods and heroes from Greek mythology and literature that are mentioned in the novel. Not to forget Olympus, believed to be the house of gods, the place where Justin seeks wisdom and the power to succeed in his daily undertakings; which is a symbol, in itself, what Western culture stands for.
The fact that the book was written in English gives the readers all over the world the chance to read it. We cannot forget the fact that the author of the book was educated in England and is familiar with Western literature and culture, which highly influenced him. That might be one of the reasons why he presented so many comparisons to Western motion pictures, such as Spartacus, starring Kirk Douglas in the role of Spartacus the slave, or Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Some of the readers might not have seen the films and thus are unable to relate to the message that the author wants to convey. It is the case of the following movies, mentioned in the book, which I personally have not seen: I Love Lucy and Leave It to Beaver.
At certain moments the reader does not really believe the author, especially when noticing how such a character as Justin is portrayed in the book, could actually exist. This is due to Justin’s speech that is often too mature. Take the following example as proof: “I am gazing at the Platonic ideal of a woman.” (p.87) To explain this we have to go back to 3rd century BC, the time Plato lived. Chief among Plato’s ideas was the theory of forms, which proposed that objects in the physical world merely resemble perfect forms in the ideal world, and that only these perfect forms can be the object of true knowledge. This is what Justin, a twelve year old, or better say Somtow, referred to. In another comment, Somtow mentioned on the study guide blog post: “I have to tell you that (since this particular novel is largely autobiographical) that when I was 12 I had no trouble framing sentences about Platonic ideals. I rather think that, despite having absorbed so much from books, Justin’s quite IMmature [sic] for his age in many ways (esp compared to kids today).”
The novel also presents many specific elements of Thai and American culture. The Thai references include: the belief in ghosts, in spirits or animism, in shamanism, in religious piety, the problem of dark skin vs fairer skin, of poor people vs rich people, the social acceptance of transsexuals or katoyes, and the general attitude towards sex.
The belief in ghosts is implemented into Justin’s mind by his nurse Samlee, a woman who strongly influences Justin’s early life. Ghosts are the nonmaterial embodiment or essence of an organism, especially of a human being. But, nevertheless, Justin goes through all the necessary funerary and crematory procession in order to be sure the ghost of his dead chameleon will not hunt him.
Proof of animism is numerous in the book. Animism (from Latin anima, “breath” or “soul”) refers to the belief in spiritual beings. It is the reason why the three aunts burn incense at the Spirit House by the main gate, or why a small shrine has been brought into the wooden house, when the great-grandmother was on her deathbed. Samlee is also a believer, and performs different rituals in order to have her wishes fulfilled. However, the author does not lack any irony either, especially when the wooden house burnt down because of the candles that were left burning every day at the shrine.
Shamanism is present in the book through the character of the old man who sells the “Love Potion” to the three aunts and Samlee. The shaman, usually a man, is essentially a medium, a mouthpiece of the spirits who are called upon. Again, the episodes that include this shaman do not lack irony. Somtow even suggested that the shaman was a charlatan.
Religious piety is present in the scenes where the three aunts give merit to the monks early in the morning. But again, irony was present again, because they were pious for a specific reason: they wanted their wishes to come true.
The problem of dark skin vs fairer skin has always been an issue in Thai culture. Usually dark skin is associated with the lower classes (the gardener, Piak, Samlee) who have to work in the sun. Fairer skin is associated with the upper class. Due to their financial security they are able to maintain their skin fair, by not exposing it to the sun. Another side reference to the importance of skin colour is when umbrellas are mentioned to make shade from the rays of sun.
Being a society highly stratified, the difference between poor people and rich people in Thai society is striking. It is, thus, understandable that the poor want to climb up the ladder of society and secure for themselves a better life, while the rich try to maintain the status quo, by always taking advantage over the lower classes. In the novel this theme is clearly presented by Samlee’s thriving desire (and later on by the gardener’s quest) to find a rich partner/husband. Again, irony makes Samlee’s unborn child the great-grandmother’s heir.
The social acceptance of transsexuals or katoyes is by now famous in Thai society. The novel shows that even in the 1960s katoyes had not been frowned upon, and sex-change operations had been common practice in Asia. It is the gardener’s case who, after losing his job (ironically by Justin’s first words pronounced in Thai, which he had learnt from Piak, the gardener’s son) suffers a big transformation, eventually changing his sex in Singapore with the money he received from the late great-grandmother. Thus again, irony plays its role, when a member of the lower classes enters an upper class family.
The attitude towards sex has always been the same in Thai culture. Sex is frowned upon, being considered something you’re not supposed to do outside marriage, but everybody seems to do it. The three aunts’ affairs and eventual marriage with Dr. Richardson, the family doctor; Samlee sleeping with whoever would secure her a better future; the massage parlours that provide sexual services on the Sukumvit Road, are just a few examples.
American culture is dealt upon when referring to such subjects as the problems and frustrations the African Americans suffer in America; Marthin Luther King’s speech, the war in Vietnam, the love for the presidential institution, in particular that of J.F.K.’s.
The problems and frustrations the African Americans suffer in America are seen in Virgil’s inability to understand that he is accepted as the whitemen’s equal, even though he is not in Georgia, but in Thailand.
Martin Luther King’s speech is also mentioned in the novel. The speech greatly influences Justin, who also has a dream. Symbolically, the final chapter of the book is entitled “I Have a Dream”. King’s challenges to segregation and racial discrimination in the 1950s and 1960s helped convince many white Americans to support the cause of civil rights in the United States. After his assassination in 1968, King became a symbol of protest in the struggle for racial justice.
The Vietnam War is used as the motif of Justin’s parent disappearance and as proof that blacks are at least as good as whites, if not better, when on the battle field. This raises the question of whether, in daily life, blacks and whites can be considered as being equal.
The love for John Fitzgerald Kennedy is evident in the book when everybody mourns J.F.K. after his assassination. The principal of the school decides to close the school for that purpose on the assassination day.
It is my opinion that in order for the reader to understand all these Thai and American cultural elements, one needs either to have lived in the two countries, or to have a good background about their history and culture. Nevertheless, Jasmine Nights remains the quintessential book concerning the concept of coming-of-age written in English by any Thai writer. I strongly believe that it should be a book listed in the compulsory reading list of any high-school student, here in the Land of Smiles.
