| This study traces the development of the narrative line of the 1951 musical, The King and I, by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Contrary to the public belief that this narrative is Anna Leonowens' autobiographical account, an extensive investigation of historical facts in comparison to Anna's accounts shows that this is a fictionalized and highly romanticized story resulting from the imaginative creations of its several authors.;The genesis of this musical is four articles entitled, The English Governess at the Siamese Court, written by Mrs. Ann H. Owens (1831?--1915), who was generally known as Anna Leonowens. The articles were published in the Atlantic Monthly in its 1870 spring and summer editions. Leonowens was invited to teach English to children and wives of King Mongkut of Siam (Rama IV, 1851--1868). Believed to be factual adventure stories, the articles were well-received and were expanded into a book, which was published in the same year and under the same title. Spurred by the need to earn a living, Leonowens wrote her book to please the American reading public in Victorian New York. Her biased attitude toward the East, which contained assumptions of Western supremacy, was apparent She also portrayed herself as redeemer of the heathen Siam.;In 1944, Margaret Landon (1903--1993), the wife of an American Presbyterian missionary to Thailand who had lived there between 1927 and 1937, published her famous book, Anna and the King of Siam. This book was based on Leonowens's original version of The English Governess and her second book of accounts of Siamese society entitled, Siamese Harem Life. Landon drew from her own experience in Thailand and her own perceptions of Anna's character, making Anna more personable and likable than the condescending Arina of the original version.;In 1946, Twentieth Century Fox turned Landon's book into the film, Anna and the King of Siam. In 1951, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II staged a musical based on Landon's book, with a lot of adaptations and additions. The King and I instantly became a Broadway hit. In 1956, Twentieth Century Fox decided to film this musical under the same title, again with some additional adaptations. By then, the character of Anna had gone through several changes in both her personality and her ideology.;This study demonstrates that The King and I, despite numerous adaptations and additions by various authors over time, maintains several thematic motifs.;The story of Anna Leonowens also reconfirms the American dream to the public. Anna is simply a personification of American ideals and values. Instead of the usual material success, her story celebrates the accomplishment of a cultural mission, where American egalitarian and democratic ideals and Christian moral principles triumph over anti-democratic and non-Christian power. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
