Funny Boy

Arjie is just now becoming aware of what it means to change from a boy to a man—the physical changes, specifically. He experiences attraction to Jegan’s physique, for example. Arjie’s growing awareness of his sexuality and attraction to men comes on top of the usual bodily changes that accompany puberty for boys. In this chapter, the reader understands that this is a coming-of-age story for a boy who does not conform to heteronormative values of masculinity and attraction to the opposite sex. Like most teenagers, Arjie finds this transition period uncomfortable: “But I longed to pass this awkward phase, to become as physically attractive and graceful as the men I saw around me” (157).

Like Radha Aunty, Jegan becomes Arjie’s protector and friend in this chapter. Through Jegan, we see how gay individuals in Sri Lanka have learned how to hide within the current society. For example, while it is implied that Jegan may be gay and that his friend who died was actually his lover, none of this is discussed openly, as it would be taboo. Jegan would be ostracized not only for being Tamil, but also for being gay. Moreover, Appa subtly refers to his worries about Arjie’s interest in non-masculine activities as a “tendency” and does not call him outright for being queer (162).

Arjie also undergoes a change in his perception of Appa. Arjie used to view his father as a distant and austere figure to be respected and obeyed, rather than a real person. He’s shocked by the revelation that his father once had a romantic relationship with a white English woman. Arjie’s heightened understanding reflects the natural trend in children’s lives as they start to mature into adults. Parents are real people with their own complex lives that they’ve shielded from their children. Arjie also had the same realization regarding Amma in the previous chapter.

This chapter also reveals more about Appa’s way of dealing with Sinhalese-Tamil relations: to appeal to Sinhalese authorities and hope that if he doesn’t create any trouble, they will leave him and his family alone. For example, Arjie chides Jegan for confronting the man pasting posters, when he says, “One must be careful not to antagonize the wrong people” (165). He looks down upon the Tigers for creating violence rather than the Sinhalese state—a view that clashes with Amma, who thinks the Tigers might have some merit. Their violent goals might be worth it if they can achieve peace for Tamils. Appa believes in working within the current system, and that anyone—even a Tamil in Sri Lanka—can achieve anything if he works hard. This viewpoint will later come crashing down when Jegan is accused of being a terrorist and is forced to resign from Appa’s company, despite all his hard work.

Appa is trying to protect his family in the only way he knows how, but what he doesn’t realize is that trying to be complacent within the current system is not enough to protect one’s family during a civil war. Unlike Jegan, Appa is not particularly loyal to the Tamil cause, and he routinely chooses to side with the Sinhalese over Tamils to maintain peace; he even chooses to instruct his children in Sinhalese because he believes that language—not Tamil—is the future of Sri Lanka. Appa thinks that his respectability will save him, but he will ultimately be wrong. His complacency plays a role in upholding not only the undemocratic system of government, but also condoning corrupt and illegal practices like the practice of tourists raping local village boys.

Appa’s style of turning a blind eye sharply contrasts with Jegan’s methods of confronting injustice head-on, which becomes clear not only in Jegan’s stern disapproval at Appa’s attitude, but also later in this chapter as Jegan’s former affiliations with the Tamil Tigers are revealed. Appa is still loyal to Sri Lanka and what it stands for—perhaps to the point of naiveté—which is why he believes the family should stick out the tough situation instead of emigrating, so that they might retain their wealth instead of becoming impoverished in a foreign land. His pride threatens to destroy the very thing that he is trying to protect: his family.

Amma, Appa, and Jegan all react in different ways to the deterioration of democracy around them. This chapter indicates that, often, the deterioration of democracy does not happen all at once but starts out gradually—for example, with a referendum to keep the leaders in power past their allowed term limits. Free and fair elections are a requirement of any truly democratic society; they give even the most vulnerable and marginalized people—including the Tamils in Sri Lanka—a voice and a means to hold powerful people accountable.

Amma clearly values democracy, but government supporters seem to be willing to allow their democratic principles to slide to keep their preferred politicians in power. Appa is in clear denial and clings to hope in the Sinhalese government. Jegan is torn between two, rotten “small choices” (172). He is torn between supporting the Tigers’ cause for a separate state while condoning their hostile violence, or allowing the Sinhalese government to run roughshod over democracy and the rights of the Tamil people. It is ironic that Jegan left the Tigers because they were too cruel, because the harsh treatment that he receives at the hands of the police and the Sinhalese people force him into the “small choice” of deciding to join the Tigers once more out of necessity.

The difficulty of navigating choices between near-equally undesirable things can be seen in Appa’s acceptance of prostitution on his property. “It’s not just our luscious beaches that keep the tourist industry going, you know. We have other natural resources as well” (167). This sly reference on Appa’s part is in tune with the author’s habit of subtly alluding to disturbing elements operating within Sri Lanka. This subtlety requires the reader to read carefully to fully grasp the situation at hand, which is difficult to do through the innocent eyes of young narrator Arjie. Other literary devices in this chapter include the lamp sign, which functions as a symbol of Sri Lanka’s collapsing democracy. It is an ironic symbol because lamps indicate light, which is associated with hope. However, there is little hope for a better future in Sri Lanka at this time. Another subtle literary device is the use of local slang to add authenticity to the novel. For example, the hotel manager uses the word “aiyo”—a phrase used to convey many emotions, including annoyance—to describe his dispute with Jegan over how to communicate to the hotel employees (167).