Key Details Title: Funny Boy Writer: Shyam Selvadurai Year of Publication: 1994 Goodreads - Link The debut novel by Srilankan/ Canadian author Shyam Selvadurai is a coming of age novel of Arjie; a Tamil boy from a well off Colombo family set in Sri Lanka in the 70s -80s amidst the growing ethnic tensions. The Novel is written from the first person perspective and is in the form of six short stories set at different points in Arjie's life and at different moments in Sri Lanka's history. Overview of the Novel Each short story seems to offer a commentary on a different aspect of Sri Lankan culture and Norms which the author brings to the forefront through a series of events highlighting Arjie's life The novel begins with a seemingly cheerful story in 'Pigs can't fly' where amidst Arjie's carefree childhood where days are spent with his siblings and cousins at his grandmother's place (Ammachi), gender Roles are explored where tensions arise during a game of 'Bride-Bride'. In 'Radha Aunty' issues of filial obedience where Arjie's Aunt Radha has to make a choice between love and Family. The reader is also introduced to Issues over race consciousness and ethnic tensions. The 3rd and 4th story ; 'See No Evil, hear no Evil' and 'Small Choices' provides readers with more background to the ethnic tensions and offers a commentary on a dark aspect of the conflict done by the two sides of the namely. Namely; allegations of torture and political Assassinations. The most personal story in the novel is found in the 'Best of School of All' which is a critique of School Culture as a breeding ground where the seeds of Ethnic Tensions are planted. In stark contrast to the first story, the novel ends on a dark note with 'Riot Journal: an epilogue' where where Arjie and his family are caught up right in the middle of the events of Black July in 1983. The Structure of the Novel With Each story the focus of the novel narrows in its scope. From a focus on Arjie's extended family in the 1st & 2nd stories, to his parents on the 3rd & 4th stories and by the time we come to the final story in "The Best School of All" the narrator finally graduates from an observer (Which at times involves some light eavesdropping) to being the protagonist of his own story. At the same time the Ethnic Conflict which underlies the whole novel also gets more and more personal for Arjie. Beginning with Radha Aunty getting attacked on the train in Jaffna and Uncle Daryl investigating allegations of government torture in the North & East. Things get more personal by the time Arjie is transferred to the Victoria Academy where Arjie experiences first hand the tensions between the Sinhala and Tamil Class. Things finally come to a head in the epilogue. It is interesting that the writer went about exploring the varied themes from the first person perspective through the eyes of a Narrator who at the start of the novel is a 7 year old boy. The context for the reader is mainly provided through hearsay with Arjie listening in to the grown ups talk about varied issues. This technique unfortunately seems at times to be a bit clumsy as Arjie at times needs to be in situations where a 7 year old boy is unlikely to be in which is a bit of a stretch of the imagination. In addition, while the narrative is told from the first person, the protagonist while observing everything around him seems detached and remains aloof from a few characters and as a result their doesn't seem to be much character development and interaction. At the start of the novel Arjie and his sister Sonali seem to have a close relationship and is a willing accomplice in their antics as children. however in later chapters this is not explored further and many characters just seem to fall by the wayside. At the same time, certain characters in the novel seem to go through abrupt changes in their personality. For example, Arjie's mother who at the start of the novel is presented as a very progressive character who understands and is very receptive to Arjie's needs seems to undergo a dramatic change by the 3rd story where she is portrayed as someone giving into the temptations of the open economy and is presented in a different light. This may partly be because that the individual stories are separated by time and hence when the reader is presented with this, some of the changes seem quite abrupt which at times makes it difficult to relate to the characters predicament. Having said that, the author does add a level of complexity to certain characters and circumstances where the outcome is a bit ambiguous and it is left upto the reader to decide whether the right course of action was taken or not. One example is the case of Radha Aunty on whether she chooses to folow her heart and marry the man she loves or does she acquiesce to her families wishes. Arjie : 'If two people love each other, the rest is unimportant" Radha Aunty : "No it isn't. Ultimately, you have to live in the real world and without your family you are nothing" A more interesting example is the case of 'Black Tie'; the stereo-typically strict and cruel principal of the Victoria academy who despite his flaws is also the only one who stands in the way of a more divisive principal taking over his role. It is upto the reader to decide whether the vengeance Arjie's institutes on him during the prize giving was the best course of action, with all the ensuing consequences be damned. Themes of the Novel Role of Class "An English girl, would never fit with his family. Also, she was from a working class family, and "low class was low class whether it was English or Sri Lankan." - Arjie's father on an infatuation he had developed with an English Girl while studying at University Apart from the more obvious themes of ethnicity and cultural norms, another theme I found interesting was the role class played in the novel which is another aspect of Sri Lankan culture. The suspicion that people of a lower social class are more suspect is illustrated in the case where the police immediately suspect Uncle Darryl's Servant Boy of having ransacked despite Arjie's mother pleading his innocence on his behalf. At the same time, Arjie friend and later lover Shehan's last name is 'Soysa' and the fact that he lived in Cinnamon Gardens makes Arjie's parents eager to invite him over for lunch although their opinion of him shifts when they see his tardiness. Authority and violence As I gazed at the idyllic scene, the refrain from "The Best School of All" Came to me: For Working days and holidays/ And glad and Melancholy days,/ They were great days and Jolly day..' What foolish lines they were. Still, as I looked at the Victoria Academy, a voice in me said that this was how I would remember the school when I was no longer it's captive . This was how my father would remember I, washed in the coral pink of memory. No, I vowed to myself, I would never remember it like that... Right and wrong, fair and unfair had nothing to do with how things really were. - Arjie Reflecting on the unfairness of system where violence is doled out to those who are most vulnerable. Power and the abuse of it in the form of violence that is wielded by authority figures is another theme highlighted in the novel. Ammachi's caning of Arjie, Jegan and Uncle Daryll at the mercy of the Police, the students of Victoria Academy under the tyranny of Black Tie and even Arjie slapping Shehan are just a few examples of violence dotted throughout the novel. By the end of the novel the futility and senselessness of it is highlighted in stark detail. The role of Religion (or lack thereof) A theme that is surprisingly missing from the novel is the prominent role religion plays in Sri Lankan culture. As Arjie begins to embrace his sexuality, he has second thoughts about the developing feelings he has towards Shehan and the loathing he feels for what he had done doesn't seem to stem from the point of view of religion which is what one would usually expect in the Sri Lankan context where ethnicity and religion are strongly linked. Hence for a novel that deals with issues of ethnicity it is quite surprising about the lack of reference to religion. It may be a case that the author has oversimplified things by seeming to imply that all Sinhalese are Buddhists. This is even though it is suggested in certain parts of the novel that Arjie's family are Christians. Verdict Overall, while the novel has a few shortcomings and while dealing with some bleak topics, the novel is quite enjoyable to read as incidences such as Spend the days at ones Grandparents and the experience at public schools are present in an authentic manner and resonates alot with the typical childhood memories of Sri Lankans. The novel is also quite accessible to those with limited knowledge of the historical context of Sri Lanka. Hence I would recommend the novel to anyone who is just starting off on Sri Lankan literature.
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AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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December 2023
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