The use of abusive language in Carl Muller’s The Jam Fruit Tree

Abstract

The use of abusive language is a novelty to Sri Lankan literature. Carl Muller has used this novelty in his novel The Jam Fruit Tree with the intention of portraying the life style and ethics of the Burgher Community in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this Gratiaen prize winning novel is equally admired and criticized for its diction. The present study is an attempt to convince the Global readership that the abusive language can be used as a powerful medium of expression to depict the culture and identity. Moreover, the abusive words used in this novel are collected and categorized in order to achieve the aim of our research.