Critiquing Child characters as Heroes, Villains, and Victims in Ru Freeman’s On Sal Mal Lane

Sneha Choudhary¹, Priyanka Chaudhary²

¹Department of Languages, Manipal University Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. csneha46@gmail.com

² Professor, Department of Languages, Manipal University Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. priyanka.chaudhary@jaipur.manipal.edu

 Volume 13, Number 2, 2021 I Full-Text PDF

DOI: 10.21659/rupkatha.v13n2.54

Abstract

Social behaviour and filial background define the formation and development of a character that is bound by cultural influence in South Asian fiction. Ru Freeman weaves numerous characters and their stories in a single lane as a synecdoche of Sri Lankan history. On Sal Mal Lane (2014) showcases the different social groups defining Sri Lankan conflict in the 1980s with the presence of child characters who are unaware of the extent of the ethnic conflict swirling in the background of the narrative. This paper tries to define the concepts of heroes, villains, and victims through the socio-emotional development of the characters to determine the contradiction between their intentions and subsequent actions. The study uses Character Theory and elements of Affect Control Theory for critical analysis. The paper analyses the change in personality traits of child characters in response to the violence wrought by Sri Lankan ethnic prejudices and the extent of destructive development from the unstable familial and societal environments.

Keywords: Character Theory, On Sal Mal Lane, Socio-emotional Development, Sri Lankan ethnic war, Affect Control Theory, Child characters