The Power of Guilt

In the novel, Sudbanthad explores guilt's tremendous power to affect the human psyche. Nee, Nok, Phineas and Clyde are all at odds with their former selves; something that they have done in the past continually haunts them throughout their lives. For Nee, her leaving Siripohng to die at the Football Field continues to bother her as she grows from a young adult in "Outpour" to an elderly woman in "Home." Nok feels guilty because she serves food and conducts business with Chahtchai, the man who caused so much pain and death in Bangkok in the early 1970s. Phineas feels like he has betrayed the Hippocratic Oath when he leaves an injured Bunsahk to the care of the local witch doctor. Finally, the memories of his former lover, Morris, continue to haunt Clyde from the 1970s to the end of the century.

Guilt's effects...