Sri Lankan Tamil Women Writers’ Concern over Burning Issues of Society-A Study on Selected Short Stories in English

Name of Author : Dr. Kandiah Shriganeshan

Abstract: Sri Lankan writers whether they are male or female fell under the influence of the British English writers and followed the styles and attitudes of English writers. Women?s creative writing in English in Sri Lanka reflects what the imperial masters and the male chauvinistic world expected before Independence. There is another fallacy that women?s writing was inferior to that of men. But after Independence, with a cry for nationalistic movements for the upsurge of indigenous cultures and languages the voices of local sentiments and issues have become the subject matters for literature. Many indigenous women writers record the people?s voice in general rather than politicizing the women?s struggle to promote their writing. With the advent of British colonial rule from 1796 A.D. in Sri Lanka and the establishment of Christian girls? schools and the convents run by missionaries women education in English received a great boost in Sri Lanka (de Mel & Samarakkody, 2002, p. 7). The Colebrooke Commission in 1832 recommended that English be the medium of education for higher education. In the Northern City of Jaffna, girls? education had begun early in 1824 when American Methodist Missionaries inaugurated Uduvil?s Girls? School. In 1921, University College was inaugurated and began to enroll women students. Thus, women?s education ensured the place in literature as well in the literary history of Sri Lanka. There have been many pieces of literature written by South Asian writers in English.

Keywords : Sri Lankan Tamil, Tamil Women Writers, Society, fighting, liberation

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