Wielding the “kaduwa”: The politics of Sri Lankan writing in English at a time of ethnic conflict
Abstract
This dissertation examines the complex issues that are brought up in and by the recent works in English by Sri Lankan writers—both those who live in Sri Lanka and those who do not—when they write about the ethnic conflict that has divided the country for the last two decades. I argue that Sri Lankans who write in English, through the very act of writing, conspicuously problematize dangerous and false claims about national purity. Moreover, I argue that the writings in English by local authors must be considered alongside the more well-known offerings of expatriate writers in order to comprehend how the ethnic conflict has changed the body of Anglophone literature that has come out of and about Sri Lanka as well as to gain a better understanding about the complexities of the situation in the country. Chapter 1 provides the background for the literature about the ethnic conflict by outlining the factors that contributed to the conflict and its various stages as well as the development of Anglophone writing in Sri Lanka. A discussion of the myths of purity put forward by the opposing sides to justify their claims shows why Anglophone literature about the conflict problematizes those narratives. Through a discussion of the works of Neil Fernandopulle and Kamala Wijeratne, Chapter 2 examines the difficulties faced by local writers as they attempt to bring their work to the public in an unhelpful publishing environment. Chapter 3 considers the development of Anglophone literature in Sri Lanka and the effect of the ethnic conflict on this category of literature through an examination of the works of Jean Arasanayagam and the work of Nihal de Silva. Chapter 4 explores the work of two expatriate writers, A. Sivanandan and Shyam Selvadurai, who attempt to intervene in the ongoing debate about the ethnic conflict and primarily address Sri Lankans, presenting the history of the ethnic conflict and racial polarization in Sri Lanka. Chapter 5 examines the work of two other expatriate writers, Romesh Gunesekera and Michael Ondaatje, who attempt to put the problems in Sri Lanka in a global context.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Sagar, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Asian literature|Political science
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.