Funny Boy

Arjie’s mother (Amma means “mother” in Tamil). Arjie loves watching her dress up, but once she is blamed for Arjie turning into a “funny boy,” Amma forbids her son from doing traditionally girlish activities. While her husband is away in Europe, she cheats on him with an old love, Daryl Uncle. Amma begins the book supporting the Sinhalese government and disliking the Tamil Tigers, but after understanding that her lover, Daryl, has likely been murdered by Sinhalese police, her sympathies start to shift toward the Tigers and leaving Sri Lanka, putting her at odds with her husband. We see the collapse of democracy in Sri Lanka through Amma’s anguished words throughout the book.

Arjie’s father (Appa means “father” in Tamil). Appa is an old-fashioned man who believes that men and boys should behave in stereotypically masculine ways. He and Arjie have a strained relationship because Appa looks down upon Arjie’s habits like playing bride-bride and reading books like Little Women. Appa owns a hotel on the beach which is frequented by Western tourists; as the ethnic tension in Sri Lanka grows, his hotel and family is increasingly targeted. Unlike Amma, Appa’s way of dealing with the rising Tamil-Sinhalese unrest is to favor the Sinhalese—even at the expense of the Tamils—and try not to draw any unwanted attention by getting involved in the Tamil Tigers’ cause. 

Arjie’s grandmother and mother to Appa. Due to her father’s killing at the hands of Sinhalese men, Ammachi exhibits anti-Sinhalese viewpoints, which cause her to clash with Appa and oppose Radha Aunty’s romantic interest in a Sinhalese man. The children fear Ammachi. After Ammachi becomes convinced that Arjie is a bad boy, she beats him with a cane and forces him to do menial tasks around the home.

A relative of Arjie who returns to Sri Lanka after living in America. She has received a proposal from Rajan Nagendra, but not long after returning to Sri Lanka, she participates in a play. She falls in love with one of the other actors in the play named Anil. Anil is a Sinhalese man, and her family disapproves of the relationship between the two, which Radha Aunty conducts in secret. Ammachi sends Radha Aunty away to another city, Jaffna, so that she will spend time away from Anil. After being attacked by Sinhalese men on a train, Radha Aunty ends her relationship with Anil and becomes engaged to Rajan. Radha Aunty is Arjie’s first adult friend; she does not patronize him like the other adults. 

Aunty Doris is a Sri Lankan Burgher–a descendant of Dutch people who came to the island of Sri Lanka generations ago. She runs the play that Radha Aunty and Anil are acting in. She insists that Radha Aunty be in the play so that she and Anil can spend some time together; Aunty Doris herself had an interracial marriage, and so she understands Radha Aunty’s plight. 

Radha Aunty’s Sinhalese love interest, whom she meets while acting in a play. His father does not like Tamil individuals, Anil himself is more open-minded and wishes to marry Radha Aunty. Radha Aunty conducts a secret relationship with him, as her family disapproves of a Sinhalese-Tamil marriage. Radha Aunty breaks up with him after she is attacked by Sinhalese men on a train. Arjie likes Anil, who is kind to him and occasionally gives him rides home.

Amma’s old friend from their childhood days; it’s implied that the two had a relationship when they were younger, which Amma had to break off because he is a Burgher–a descendant of Dutch people who came to Sri Lanka generations ago–and she is Tamil. He is a journalist in Australia but returns home to investigate the torture of Tamils by the Sinhalese state. He and Amma have an affair, but Daryl Uncle turns up dead after he goes to Jaffna for reporting. It is implied that the police killed him and covered up his murder. His death catalyzes Amma’s opposition to the Sinhalese government. Arjie also likes Daryl Uncle, as Daryl Uncle buys him copies of the Little Women sequels and does not mock Arjie’s interests like Appa. 

Jegan is the son of Appa’s childhood friend, Buddy. Appa finds a job for him in his office. Jegan and Arjie become friends, and Arjie develops his growing awareness of his attraction to men through Jegan. Jegan was once associated with the Tamil Tigers, though he left them because he disagreed with their methods. Jegan gets promoted at Appa’s office, leading to ethnic resentment from the Sinhalese staff, since Jegan is a Tamil in a position of power. When Jegan is arrested and later released as a suspect in a planned assassination, that resentment grows into threats, and Jegan is forced to leave the company. He returns to Jaffna, where it is implied that he joins the Tigers once more. 

Lokubandara is the vice-principal of Victoria Academy. He favors Sinhalese students like Salgado and allows them to get away with bullying Tamil students. Black Tie is in competition with vice-principal Lokubandara, who wants to get rid of the Tamil students and make the Academy a Sinhalese-only school. Despite his cruelty, Black Tie believes students of all backgrounds should be welcome. Arjie dislikes Lokubandara’s polices but does not like Black Tie either. 

Black Tie is the principal of Victoria Academy. He delivers cruel punishments to students who have committed even minor infractions and beats Arjie and Shehan with a cane. He has a list of students whom he considers to be future “ills and burdens” for Sri Lanka, which includes Shehan. Black Tie is in competition with vice-principal Lokubandara, who wants to get rid of the Tamil students and make the Academy a Sinhalese-only school. Despite his cruelty, Black Tie believes students of all backgrounds should be welcome. Arjie embarrasses Black Tie in front of a government official in order to get Shehan out of further punishments.