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Funny Boy Bildungsroman

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai is a coming-of-age novel that explores LGBT representation through the journey of Arjun Chelvaratnam, also known as Arjie, as he discovers his homosexuality during his formative years. The novel follows Arjie’s psychological and moral growth amidst societal taboos and personal challenges, culminating in his eventual acceptance of his identity. The story concludes on an emotional note as Arjie and his family flee to Canada after experiencing tragedy during ethnic riots, marking his transition into maturity.

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10 views1 page

Funny Boy Bildungsroman

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai is a coming-of-age novel that explores LGBT representation through the journey of Arjun Chelvaratnam, also known as Arjie, as he discovers his homosexuality during his formative years. The novel follows Arjie’s psychological and moral growth amidst societal taboos and personal challenges, culminating in his eventual acceptance of his identity. The story concludes on an emotional note as Arjie and his family flee to Canada after experiencing tragedy during ethnic riots, marking his transition into maturity.

Uploaded by

ইতি মৃণালিনী
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Funny Boy as a Buildungsroman novel

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai is a coming of age novel based on the theme of LGBT
representation through English literature.The plot of Funny Boy revolves around the early years
of little Arjun Chelvaratnam aka Arjie, who undergoes the realization about his true sexuality
during his formative years. Buildungsroman novels explore the character’s premature years
where they go through physical and moral transformation. The German word ‘Buildungsroman‘
means ‘novel of education’. So it can be estimated that such novels contain a prime character
who is generally a young one, gaining knowledge and education in his/her early years. In Funny
Boy, Arjie is in the midway of childhood and adolescence when he realizes certain secrets about
his life. He realizes about his homosexuality when he befriends another queer boy Shehan in his
boarding school.

In this novel, Arjie is referred to as a ‘Funny Boy’ because of his queer behavior. Even though he
didn’t understand well about the reason behind the elders’ conduct during his childhood years, he
finally gains the maturity to realize it. Homosexuality was considered as a taboo in the society
back then, hence the elders regarded him as ‘Funny’ which meant to be a joke in the society.
Arjie spent his childhood evaluating this confusion before he could attain maturity to fully accept
the truth.

In the first chapter, we come to know about Arjie’s tendencies when the author describes his
wish for participating in the Bride-Bride game with his girl cousins. When Arjie is exposed in
front of the elders while being drapped in a saree, he is strongly criticized by them and
humiliated by calling him Funny.

In the second chapter, Radha Aunty returns back from the US. Arjie befriends her as she allows
him to play with her jewelry and makeup. Radha Aunty, who is engaged to Rajan Nagendra
develops feelings for the Sinhalese man Anil. Arjie witnesses all these while absorbing so many
truths about life including the riots between Tamils and Sinhalese.

Similarly, through every chapter Arjie witnesses something that shakes him with realization. He
attains psychological maturity throughout these chapters about the way the lives of the people
around him are shaped and how they affect him.

The Buildungsroman traditionally ends on a positive note, though its action may be tempered
with nostalgia and emotional damage. Funny Boy ends on an emotional note when half of his
family is burnt to death in the riots. He flies to Canada with the remaining family members
leaving his motherland behind.

A Buildungsroman typically refers to a ‘coming of age’ of a naive character who seeks answers
from his/her life in the course of the novel. In this process the character explores the diverse
variations of life. The main goal of a Buildungsroman is attaining maturity, and in Funny Boy,
Arjie finally achieves it towards the ending chapters. In the beginning chapters, Arjie is confused
about his feelings and urges, when he gets criticized by everyone. At that age, Arjie fails to
understand the actual reason behind such criticism and humiliation, because of his sheer
innocence. However, when he goes to the boarding school, he starts to understand the actual
reason behind his physical urges. He meets Shehan, who helps him realize about his homosexual
truth. In this chapter, Arjie gains maturity and the ultimate of Buildungsroman is fulfilled.

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