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Justify The Title of The Novel 'Funny Boy'

The title of the novel "Funny Boy" refers to the childhood experiences and sexual identity of the protagonist Arjie. As a child, Arjie enjoys playing traditional female roles which is seen as strange and funny by his conservative Tamil family in Sri Lanka. His mother tries to convince him that boys should play with boys only. When found dressing in female attire, Arjie is stared at and his behavior is a source of tension between his parents. The word "funny" used by Arjie's father hints at disgust towards a boy of different sexual orientation. Though not addressing racism directly, the title captures Arjie's narration of facing humiliation and challenges due to his sexual identity.

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Tanmoy Ghosh
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4K views2 pages

Justify The Title of The Novel 'Funny Boy'

The title of the novel "Funny Boy" refers to the childhood experiences and sexual identity of the protagonist Arjie. As a child, Arjie enjoys playing traditional female roles which is seen as strange and funny by his conservative Tamil family in Sri Lanka. His mother tries to convince him that boys should play with boys only. When found dressing in female attire, Arjie is stared at and his behavior is a source of tension between his parents. The word "funny" used by Arjie's father hints at disgust towards a boy of different sexual orientation. Though not addressing racism directly, the title captures Arjie's narration of facing humiliation and challenges due to his sexual identity.

Uploaded by

Tanmoy Ghosh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Justify the title of the novel 'Funny boy'

Or,
Can the novel be read from the perspective of the title.
Or,
How does the selvadural's novel addresses the different sexual orientation of the
narrator ?

" Ey, selva" Cyril uncle cried out jovially to


my father, looks like you have a funny one here."
~Pigs can't fly; The Funny Boy

The title of the novel point at the childhood memory of the protagonist as well as the narrator
of the novel. Arje offers multiple connections to the context of the novel. The novel is named
after the word, ' Funny' to refer to the sexual identity, transgression, stereotypical notion of
the society, challenges of parenting and moral regidity of the time. Shayam Selvadurai very
wisely has selected the title of the novel, that may address multilayered significance that the
child narrator wants to convey.

The novel portrays the growth of Arjer, during the times of a political uptical in Srilanka to
maturation through a bittersweet journey. Arjerr's extended family belongs to an older more
conservative generation that attempts to tithe Arjeer and makes him face many challenges
beginning from childhood through adolescence up to maturity. Being a child his preference to
play with the girls is never approved by his family. He has to face constant bullying from
other including his mother due to his exceptional unlikes, motivates by his homosexuality.
When adamant and upset, Arjeer asked his mother why he could not play with girls. She tries
to persuade him generalised excuses being unable to relate that Arjeer's behaviour will not be
acceptable in the society:

' " why I can't play with the girls " I replied,
" You can't that's all , " you are a big boy now
and the big boy must play with other boys."

Little Arjer takes the role of the bride when the plays with other girls ; but being a boy, he is
not entirely accepted by other girls. ; "A boy can't be the bride." His preference to play brody
in the game is endorsed by his close friend Sonali, but he is found with hair pins, saree and
veil, elderly people stare at him with amazement: " they gazed at me in amazement as it. I
had suddenly made myself visible." Every one finds him funny. His father becomes grave
and sullen. A mutual allegation and quarrel occurred between his parents; their conjugal
happiness seems to be tempered due to their son's apparently peculiar behaviour. However,
little Arjer simply cannot comprehend the reason to mistake or if anything was wrong that he
might have committed. The child narrator significantly remarks on his father's use of the
word ' funny':
" The word funny as I understood it meant either humorous or strange… neither of this
fitted the scene which my father has used the word for there had been a hint of against in his
tone. "

It is quite understandable that the use of word' funny' ; close not simply mean 'humorous' or '
strange' rather the sense of disgust and a kind of hattered of society towards a boy of different
sexual orientation. Though the title does not address the prevalent racism and slaughter of
innocent people it certainly appropriates the narrator and his narration of his life experiences
full of humiliation and challenges.

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