TEXTUAL SPACES OF RECONCILIATION: READING POSTCOLONIAL SRI LANKA

Abstract

THIS THESIS PARTICIPATES IN THE DISCUSSION OF RECONCILIATION BY FOCUSING ON THE CONTEXT OF POSTCOLONIAL LITERARY STUDIES OF SOUTH ASIA. SPECIFICALLY, MY THESIS EXAMINES SRI LANKAN POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURE WRITTEN IN ENGLISH AND TAMIL DURING THE LAST DECADE OF THE CIVIL WAR (2000 TO 2009). USING A COMBINATION OF SIX LITERARY TEXTS AND FILM SUCH AS NIHAL DE SILVA?S ROAD FROM ELEPHANT?S PASS, ROMESH GUNESEKERA?S HEAVEN EDGE, SHOBHA SHAKTHI?S TRAITOR, CHERAN RUDRAMOORTHY?S POEMS FROM THE TRANSLATED POETRY COLLECTIONS YOU CANNOT TURN AWAY AND A SECOND SUNRISE, AND MANI RATNAM?S KANNATHIL MUTHAMITTAL, I ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (1) HOW IS POSTCOLONIAL SRI LANKAN LITERATURE (IN ENGLISH AND TAMIL) THAT WAS WRITTEN DURING THE CIVIL WAR USEFUL IN CONCEPTUALIZING RECONCILIATION? (2) HOW CAN IDEAS OF A SRI LANKAN ?NATION? AND SRI LANKAN ?NATIONALIST LITERATURE? BE CONFIGURED WHEN VIEWED THROUGH THE TWO DIFFERENT LITERARY TRADITIONS THAT APPEAR THROUGH THE CRITICAL LENS OF RECONCILIATION? WHA