Abstract:
The ghost has been a recurrent figure in English literature from the time of Shakespeare
to the present. The presence of the ghost in the new literatures in English, for instance
that of Affica, India, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean is evident when examining texts in
English from these former colonies. However, this study aims to look at a more abstract
"haunting" ; that of the "post-colonial ghosts" found in institutions, politics and
historiography as revealed in works of fiction by Sri Lankan writers.
Using the theories proposed by Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin (1989) in
"The Empire Writes Back" concerning post-colonial literature this study analyses the
work of two writers of fiction. The study keeps in mind the importance for new literatures
in English to Subvert its coonial past and two find its own "voice". The primary texts
concerned are "Anil's Ghost" and "Running in the Family" by Michael Ondaatje and
"Cinnamon Gardens" and "Funny Boy" by Shyam Selvadurai. The paper analyses the
ways in which Sri Lanka has dealt with the "ghosts" of its past as revealed by the two
writers who look at two specific eras of the political history of the country.
This research reveals how the writers have used the medium of fiction to deal with
realities of the political environment of the country which has been sometimes attributed
to the country's colonial heritage. In what ways do these "ghosts" manifest themselves?
Can they be exorcised? These are some of the questions that the research aims to find
answers to and to assess the possible impact of the texts on the local and the international
readership of Sri Lankan fiction.
