Abstract:
Manuka Wijesinghe’s Monsoons and Potholes unfolds an autobiographical
account of a girl, Manuka, growing up during a turbulent time in Sri Lanka. This paper attempts
to explore Manuka Wijesinghe’s characterization of Podian in Monsoons and Potholes. Podian
is a plantation Tamil. He is a small, black, versatile man. In the novel, Podian is given no name.
He is simply called as Podian. In Sinhala the word ‘podian’ means a boy. Podian works for a
long time as a driver for a family in Mount Lavania. Later on when this family leaves for
England, Podian starts to work for Manuka’s family. His honesty, candour and faithfulness to
his employers and their family show the goodness of his heart. Though he is depicted as one
of the minor characters in the novel he creates an indelible impression on the readers’ minds.
Therefore, the paper intends to unearth the pathetic plight of Podian and his position vis-à-vis
the Sri Lankan state.
