International Postgraduate Research Conference (IPRC)
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Item Subversive Others; Sexuality, Ethnicity, And Violence in Five Sri Lankan Novels in English(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Ambahelagedara, N.(Hetero)Sexuality seems to play a highly important role in Sri Lankan society, but it is a topic that is deliberately avoided in discussions that take place within “polite circles”. It is for the most part invisible or made to be seen as non-existent by a “norm-governed” society, which considers heterosexuality to be the “ideal” form of sexuality. In terms of ethnicity, again the impact of the ideologies of the dominant ethnic groups on other ethnicities of the country is substantial. In the process of taking measures to make Sri Lanka an essentially “Sinhala- Buddhist” country, other ethnic groups have been pushed to the margins. Today, these “ethnic and sexual others” are engaged in a constant battle of searching for an accepted identity within Sri Lanka. Some of the Sri Lankan writers in English have endeavoured to form a space within their work in order to express the “undiscussed” theme of sexuality, including those sexualities that are considered “heretical”. The Moon in the Water by Ameena Hussein, Giraya by Punyakante Wijenaike, Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai, The Jam Fruit Tree by Carl Muller, and Servants: A Cycle by Rajiva Wijesinha, which provide the basis for this study, are some of the Sri Lankan English novels that foreground “invisible spaces” such as sexuality. However, they are not confined to the theme of sexuality but illuminate the themes of ethnicity and violence as well. The boldness and honesty with which the authors address these issues on gender and sexuality have decidedly created a sense of awareness among the readership, as they attempt to create a space for those who are in the periphery, while providing an insight into the possible outcomes the “subversive other” would be subjected to. Hence, the objective of this study is to examine the ways in which such forms of violence are created, to show how these selected novels address the issues of sexuality, ethnicity, and violence and how transgressive sexualities and ethnic minorities threaten normative society and the status quo of the dominant groups.Item Sexual Deviance and Sexual Violence in the Vālm ki Rāmāya a(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Singh, A.The Vālm ki Rāmāya a, a popular epic of the brāhma ical tradition, delineates several behavioural patterns ingrained in different structures, formed to control the conscious and unconscious actions of humans. The recognized behaviour of humans was simplified and classified for the smooth functioning of a particular philosophy and morals. In this paper I will discuss how the Vālm ki Rāmāya a set up norms for the regulation of sexual behaviour of the people. Forging the sexual behaviour was perhaps one of the primary motives of the narration. Sexuality had been visualized in a certain way that often contradicts the natural or untamed sexuality of the genders. Normative structures were more likely to guide the sexual behaviour of women and also to define the relationship of men and women. When we talk about gender and sexuality, relationships and norms of households become very important. In the narrative of the Vālm ki Rāmāya a we find an account of royal households, where the king occupies the central position, whose authority was ‗unquestionable‘ most of the time. It gives an account of the ways adopted by various societies for forging sexual attitudes and behaviour. Apart from kings, men in general secured the most influential place in the gender hierarchy of households. I will also discuss in this paper that how the patriarchal structures were acquiring ‗new‘ shapes for attenuating the domestication of sex and how it was hidden beneath the idea of love, morality, dignity, glory and responsibility. To understand the nature of sexual loyalty and punishment I am considering the cases of four characters namely- Ahalyā, Urvaś , S tā and Rumā.