Faded Jasmine
 Jayasena
Jayakody is no more. It is typical to write an appreciation after a
person’s death, but I am not willing to write one here. This would be
rather a socio-cultural analysis of his works, which I was always wanted
to point out.
In a previous ‘Colliding Words’ I mentioned him as writer who wrote
Bildungsroman novels. A Bildungsroman is a coming-of-age novel. In it,
the author presents the psychological, moral and social shaping of the
personality of a character, usually the protagonist.
Bildungsroman novels might well be said to focus on the issue of the
education of the protagonist, but that is not meant to imply traditional
schooling. At this point the popular novels ‘Pichcha Mala’ (Jasmine
Flower) and ‘Araliya Mal Aramaya’ (Monastery among the temple trees) of
veteran writer Jayasena Jayakody comes to my mind.
Worldly desires
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Jayasena Jayakody |
The protagonist of both novels is Rahula, a Buddhist monk. Novels
depict how Rev. Rahula exists in today’s tumultuous society. While he
gets free from all the worldly desires, he manages to make free the
others who have highly involved with them. Eventually people who went
against Rev Rahula become more mature minded and mentally advanced
individuals.
He is the writer who used Buddhist philosophical themes most
creatively and meaningfully in Sinhala literature. The readers are
presented with deep and thorough religious messages through very simple
and attractive writing style. Readers never feel tired of getting a
complicated philosophy in, and in contrast, they are more tending to
attract to it. Apart from his Buddhist approach, he is a writer who
touched more sensitive areas of Sinhalese culture.
His first novel ‘Aswenna’ (Harvest) won the State Literary Award in
1971. Aswenna is a story of an emerging civilization. He presents how a
Sinhala village emerges from a forest land. Jayakody illustrates how
villagers survive harsh weather, wild beasts and colonialism. And he
also never fails in presenting how they suffer from their own desires
and pitfalls.
History and heritage
Jayakody’s novels explore various aspects of social, economic and
political processes with fidelity to a sense of history and heritage.
One of his interesting writings is ‘Baddegedara’ (The house by the bush)
explores a least discussed area of our culture. It may be ironical to
see a writer who is up to a philosophical business focuses of a topic
like polyandry.
But, that point itself proves that Jayakody is a genius in code
writing. As I believe, sharing a wife is one of the most difficult
things for a man to involve in. Love, hate, attachment, desire and power
are all come along with the concept of polyandry. But it is unbelievable
how Jayakody tackles all the bad connotations of it and present it as
replica of Sinhala culture and Buddhists’ way of thinking. His
illustrious way of writing convinces the reader how two men involved in
polyandry share their love, while keeping their strong bondage as
brothers.
Polyandry must be an experience of a minority culture. But Jayakody
has given it universality and a positive face. Anyway it has been
practiced through the history in Sri Lankan culture and still having
reminiscent of it when in discussions on ancient marriage customs.
History, religion and culture are concepts which are strongly
interconnected. Jayasena Jayakody was able to touch the all three of
them illustriously in his writings. His novel ‘Raigam Puththu’ (The Sons
of Raigama) won the State Literary Award for best fiction in 1989. It
has been written in a historical perspective.
Language use
As a linguist, I cannot be refraining from pointing out his language
use. His sense of the nuances and allusions of language, especially its
rural idiom is worth to mention. After all, the positive messages hidden
in his writings will remain in the minds of Sri Lankan readership for
several decades. |
