Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai : Summary and analysis

 

Shyam Selvadurai’s Funny Boy as a novel that deals with the coming-of-age of a queer protagonist amidst the conflict ridden nation of Sri Lanka. It will provide a brief introduction to Sri Lankan history, especially the long and arduous ethnic conflict and civil war between the Tamils and the Sinhalese. It will also study the processes through which individuals establish their social, national and sexual identities. This will be done by taking a closer look at gender constructs in society and how they influence the young protagonist’s journey from innocence to maturity. Finally, it will attempt to comprehend the nuances of the word ‘funny’ in the title with respect to queerness and homosexuality.

 

It was published in 1994, Funny Boy is set in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, in the months leading up to the riots. The novel is narrated from the point of view of seven year old Arjie and details his experiences within his family and in his school. In each of the six sections of the novel, Arjie learns valuable life lessons through his interactions with different characters. Through these relationships, he inches closer towards embracing his unique identity, both as a queer homosexual and as a member of an ethnic minority who is forced to flee his country and immigrate to Canada. This becomes the lens through which the novel examines the ways in which people with different social, ethnic and sexual identities relate to the idea of belonging to a nation. Shyam Selvadurai is a Sri Lankan-Canadian novelist who was born in Sri Lanka and currently lives in Toronto. When Selvadurai was nineteen, his family migrated to Canada during the ethnic riots of 1983. These riots were triggered when the Tamil militant group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) attacked and killed several soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army. In response to this incident, anti- Tamil riots broke out in Colombo and spread to other parts of the country. As is evident, there are several similarities between Selvadurai’s biographical details and Arjie’s fictional persona; yet, Selvadurai has often categorically stated that Funny Boy is not an autobiographical narrative. Funny Boy as we know by now talks about a queer identity as Arije is a queer.

 

Queer is a sort of broad rubric term for sexual and gender minorities who are not heterosexual. The word ‘queer’ actually means strange or peculiar or weird, but later it was often used to describe those men and women who were interested in people of the same sex. Needless to say, the usage of the word ‘queer’ (particularly in the 16th Century) was in a pejorative/ negative manner. By the 19^th century the word ‘queer’ was used to define or describe men who were more feminine than masculine and who were believed to have had same sex relationships. In short, it began to acquire the connotations of men engaged in a homosexual relationship. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, homosexuality began to be recognised as a category of people with non heterosexual needs and relationships and there developed a male gay subculture.  

 

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai is a touching coming-of-age novel set in Sri Lanka during the years leading up to the outbreak of the civil war between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities. It follows Arjun Chelvaratnam, a young Tamil boy struggling with his sexual identity and the sociopolitical turmoil around him.

Chapter 1: Pigs Can’t Fly

 In this opening chapter, a seven-year-old Arjie prefers playing with his girl cousins over the boys, especially in a game called "bride-bride," where he enjoys dressing up as a bride. This simple pleasure causes tension in his conservative Tamil family, particularly with his father, who is worried about Arjie’s gender nonconformity.

 - Arjie dresses up as a bride during family gatherings, relishing the admiration he receives.
- His cousin Tanuja (nicknamed "Her Fatness") creates several gossips.
- Arjie’s father, wanting to "cure" him of his femininity, sends him to play with the boys, specifically making him play cricket, which he detests.

- “The pleasure I felt in dressing up came not only from the admiration I received but also from the fact that it allowed me to leave the constraints of myself and ascend into another, more brilliant, more beautiful self.”

- “What is this funny business?” (Arjie’s father, expressing concern about his son’s behavior)

Chapter 2: Radha Aunty

Radha Aunty, Arjie’s modern, fun-loving aunt, returns from studying in America. She introduces Arjie to different forms of entertainment, including musicals like The King and I. Radha becomes romantically involved with Anil, a Sinhalese man, but their relationship faces opposition due to the ethnic tension between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities.

- Radha and Anil begin to date, much to the dismay of the family, especially the grandmother.
- Arjie becomes close to Radha, sensing in her a kindred spirit who doesn’t fit into conventional norms.

- Radha is attacked by Sinhalese extremists during a train journey, and the relationship with Anil ends under family and social pressure.

- “Don’t worry, Arjie, when you grow up, the world will change.” (Radha Aunty, foreshadowing the change in societal norms)

- “We’re a Tamil family... It wouldn’t work. It’s for the best, darling.” (Radha explaining the impossibility of her relationship with Anil)

Chapter 3  : See No Evil, Hear No Evil

 
Daryl Uncle, a family friend and journalist, returns from abroad. Arjie is drawn to him, seeing in him a strong, independent figure. Daryl begins investigating the government’s abuses against the Tamil minority, placing him in danger. Arjie’s mother starts spending more time with Daryl, rekindling an old romance.

- Arjie becomes aware of the government’s crackdown on Tamil communities.
- Daryl Uncle disappears while investigating Tamil persecution. His death is later confirmed, likely at the hands of government forces.

- Arjie’s mother confronts the reality of Daryl’s death and the dangerous political climate.
 
- “The truth is the truth, even if no one believes it. A lie is a lie, even if everyone believes it.” (Daryl Uncle’s belief in exposing the truth despite the danger)

- “There is a price for everything... and this is the price we have to pay.” (Arjie’s mother reflecting on the cost of defying societal norms)

Chapter 4: Small Choices

 Jegan, the son of Arjie’s father’s close friend, comes to live with the family. He is a Tamil with a history of involvement in the Tamil Tigers, a militant group fighting for Tamil independence. Jegan’s presence brings political tension into the family home, and Arjie observes how his father tries to distance himself from politics while Jegan faces discrimination.

- Jegan is ostracized and accused of being a Tamil Tiger sympathizer.

- Arjie’s father tries to maintain a neutral stance but ultimately decides to fire Jegan to protect the family from potential danger.

- Jegan leaves, disillusioned by the betrayal.

- “It was as if we were animals in a cage, and we had lost the knowledge that the bars around us were not real.”

- “Small choices were the things from which you could be condemned.”

Chapter 5: The Best School of All

 Arjie is sent to Victoria Academy, a prestigious boys’ school, where he encounters bullying and strict hierarchies. Arjie befriends Shehan, a classmate, and their relationship blossoms into a romantic one. Arjie struggles with his feelings for Shehan, while the school’s principal, "Black Tie," becomes a symbol of oppressive authority.

- Arjie faces bullying for being different and befriends Shehan, who is also marginalized.
- The relationship between Arjie and Shehan becomes romantic, deepening Arjie’s self-awareness about his sexuality.

- “It was the first time I had experienced the sense of being connected to another human being so completely.”

- “I felt a fierce joy... that I had struck back at Black Tie.”

Chapter 6: Riot Journal: An Epilogue

 The novel’s final chapter is set during the 1983 anti-Tamil riots, known as Black July. The political situation in Sri Lanka has reached a boiling point, and Arjie’s family is directly affected by the violence. Their home is ransacked, and the family is forced to flee. Arjie’s understanding of his Tamil identity deepens as the ethnic conflict tears apart the nation.

- The family home is attacked during the riots, and they are forced to leave Colombo.
- Arjie witnesses the brutality of the Sinhalese mobs and the helplessness of the Tamil people.
- The family considers leaving Sri Lanka for safety, reflecting the loss of home and belonging.

- “The funny boy you once knew is no more. In his place, there is only a person whose life has been shattered by forces he cannot control.”

- “What you have to understand, Arjie, is that we have no choice. This is our life now.”

Critical Analysis of Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai

At the core Funny Boy is Arjie’s journey of self-discovery. Arjie, a young Tamil boy from a middle-class family in Colombo, struggles with his homosexual identity, a topic rarely addressed in Sri Lankan literature at the time of the novel’s publication. Arjie’s early experiences with his family and friends make him aware of how his sense of self does not fit the traditional expectations imposed upon him. His preference for dressing up as a bride in family wedding games is met with confusion and criticism, marking the beginning of his awareness of his difference.

 
Selvadurai masterfully captures Arjie’s internal struggles as he navigates the expectations of masculinity and the norms of the family. His sexuality becomes a significant point of contention within his family, where gender roles are rigidly defined. Arjie’s internalized shame about his desires reflects the cultural and social stigmas surrounding homosexuality.  Selvadurai’s depiction of Arjie’s coming-out process is tender, portraying the confusion and loneliness that accompany the realization of one’s sexual identity.

 
While Arjie’s personal journey is a significant focal point, Funny Boy also explores the impact of the growing ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka. The novel is set in the years leading up to the devastating civil war, and Selvadurai skillfully weaves in the escalating tensions between the two ethnic groups.

Through Arjie’s experiences and his family’s interactions, the novel depicts the rising political instability. The seemingly secure world of Colombo’s elite begins to unravel, and the underlying animosities between ethnic communities come to the surface. Selvadurai’s portrayal of this tension is subtle yet powerful, shows how personal lives are inextricably linked with the broader political climate. For instance, Arjie’s family, though Tamil, has tried to assimilate into a predominantly Sinhalese society, but they cannot escape the prejudice and violence that eventually engulf the nation.

 The intersection of Arjie’s personal crisis with the ethnic turmoil highlights the theme of displacement and alienation. Just as Arjie feels out of place within his own family due to his sexuality, he and his family also feel marginalized by the broader Sri Lankan society due to their Tamil heritage. Selvadurai draws a parallel between Arjie’s sense of isolation in his personal life and the Tamil community’s experiences of discrimination and violence.

The novel’s ending, which sees Arjie’s family displaced by the violence of the ethnic riots, marks a painful conclusion to his childhood. The loss of his home parallels his loss of innocence, as he is thrust into the harsh realities of both personal and political conflict. Despite the tragedies he experiences, there is a sense of hope as Arjie becomes more confident in his identity, moving from confusion to self-acceptance.