Madol Duwa is one of the great novels I have ever read. Though a kids novel by nature, it is appropriate for any one to have a great time by reading it. Written by all time celebrated novelist Martin Wickramasinghe, it is one of the nonequivalent adventure novels published in Sri Lanka.
I read the novel just few months ago, though it is more than sixty two years since it was published. It was a time I was reading a lot in Sinhala to improve my language ability in Sinhala, the mother tongue of majority people of Sri Lanka. In addition to language skills, as a linguistically and culturally different person from the ethnic Sinhalese, I gained a great insight regarding the Sinhalese culture from such readings.
In this article, I thought of share some few words on Madol Duwa.
In this article, I thought of share some few words on Madol Duwa.
Novel was published in 1947 by Martin Wickramasinghe, the Father of Sinhalese novel literature. Later in 1976, the novelist passed away, the novel was filmed by James Pieris, a leading Sri Lankan Film director, as a television drama, which succeeded commercially.
The location, where the story occurs is Madol Duwa island and Koggala, where the author was born, in the southern part of Sri Lanka.
Summery of the Story
Upali and Jinna, two young boys are the heroes of this story. After Upali lost his mother, his father re-marries. His step mother is hurting him, hence he unlike to stay at home, goes here and there inside the village with other boys and play always, that most of the time hurt and disturb others. After observing this fact his father sends him to a boarding school far away from the village. He stays there at the head master's house. But, he do not like both School and head master. He dropped the school and ran home without informing the head master.
His father punish him for his action. He starts his earlier activities again. This time he faced a trouble and fears that he might be handed over to the police. Therefore, he himself with his friend and the servant at his home, Jinna, ran from home.
Both went to a longer distance away from their village and work for a farmer for their income.
This is the moment when both of them aware that there is an Island of jungle beside the village. No one was residing there because there were some myth folk talks that there were ghost in the island. Both went inside the island and involve in the agriculture with the help of the farmer they worked for, by disregarding all the myths.
The reason for all the folk talks is the often seen lights in the distance inside the deep jungle. Both of the youngsters observe the lights and follow. Finally they discover some illegal action take place inside the jungle and those are the ones, who make afraid the people to hide their unlawful activities. Both of the boys make a full-stop to a problem that prevailed for a long time.
During this time another one called 'punchi mahaththaya' joins with them and helps in their agricultural activities.
This is the time Upali receives a message that his father has become ill. He goes home as soon as possible. He helps his step mother and brother after his father's funerals. Before he returned to madol Duwa island, he settles all the legal requirements in order to cultivate in the government lands.
Now Madol Duwa island becomes a famous place.
Now Madol Duwa island becomes a famous place.
Number of both foreign and local tourists visit Madol Duwa island today. It has become a famous tourist hub.
I am not sure weather the story is a true or imagination. There are possibilities for the story to be true. The book has been translated into both Tamil and English languages.
It is novelist's narrating ability with simple, natural, and realism, is the cause of the success of this novel.
Any literate has a capability to integrate the feelings of the reader with the society that it is speaking about. This novel is also not an exemption. Especially, it connects the reader with feelings and traditions of the society.
Wickramasinghe's creations gained a greater attention, since his creations emphasised the local culture, while the local culture was being given secondary importance under the British Rule.
The reader can observe the simpleness and reality in not only in Madol Duwa, but also in any of Wickramisnghe's novels such as Gamperaliya and Kaliyugaya.
In conclusion, after I read the novel, I did not feel like I read a kids novel, which is the remarkable aspect to be mentioned. Although Madol Duwa was basically a kids novel, it has been written in a way so that any one can read and enjoy. Thousands of kids of our country have enjoyed the novel by reading and watching Madol Duwa as novel and drama. Surely It is still to be enjoyed by the forth coming generations.
0 comments:
Post a Comment