A Dragonfly: Outlook of Pira Canning Sudham as Suggested by His Novel Shadowed Country

Abstract

Through textual examination, this paper suggests possible influences on Pira Canning Sudham. It focuses on his novel Shadowed Country and that novel’s central character, PremSurin. It considers representations of the education system through which Prem passes and the outlook of his primary school teacher, who is a major influence on Prem as a youngster. It also considers Prem’s outlook on, or engagement with, the world in terms of voices and his awareness of the danger of speaking out against authority figures. Finally, it turns to representations of karma and the intermingling of animism and Buddhism in Shadowed Country. The paper is meant to stimulate thinking rather than answer a question, and is thus left open-ended.