Aberrations and excesses: Sri Lanka substantiated by the Funny Boy

• Autores: Rajiva Wijesinha
• Localización: Miscelánea: A journal of english and american studies, ISSN 1137-6368, ISSN-e 2386-4834, Nº 18, 1997, págs. 347-356
• Idioma: español
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • Shyam Selvadurai's Funny Boy, published in 1994 in Canada, was a remarkably innovatory work that built up a striking picture of a nation torn apart by ethnic conflict. In Sri Lanka itself, however, it was the subject of homosexuality that had the greater impact on readers. This article will explore the manner in which Selvadurai subtly blends the different areas he deals with to produce a work of illuminating political criticism. It will also consider the elements in Sri Lankan society that contributed to selective assessments of the book. My argument will be that, by dwelling on what seem obvious aberrations, Sri Lankans manage to trivialize excesses that spring from familiar patterns of behaviour.