A slice of life

Portrayal of different characters
Author: A.F. Dawood
A Godage Publication

Reviewed by Sureshni Pilapitiya

Today we meet strange people and also face odd situations. The book Portrayal of different characters by A.F. Dawood gives us a clear understanding of that particular fact. He portrays different people with divergent attitudes and characteristics in all his short stories.

His literary work has been appreciated both in Sri Lanka and internationally as well giving him a boost for creative writing. He has worked as a teacher in several leading private schools in Colombo, freelance advertising copy writer and he has also served in a teacher training college, in Nigeria and West Africa. His short stories, based on different themes, have been published in several English dailies in Sri Lanka. He has also written short stories while he was abroad.

There are 10 short stories in this book, all equally interesting and enjoyable. Sometimes we have to expect the most unexpected happenings in life. This is a collection of unusual incidents based on different themes which reflects them. The book contains the everyday incidents and also the lifestyle of the ordinary middle class people.

Less humour is included but the book is interesting to its fullest extent. Each chapter gives us a story, or an incident which has happened to some person and gives us something meaningful to think about.

The first short story, titled “Digging a pit in the midnight” tells us of a man named Simon Sathyapala who accidentally finds a bundle of money in his three -wheeler. He and his wife do not have an idea of finding the owner and giving it back, but they try to take advantage and have a good time.

Sarcastic

This shows how corrupt and dishonest people are in modern times. Most people only think about themselves. They even give some money to a friend to make him hide the truth. However much they try to hide the truth they finally get caught by the police.

This shows us the fact that if you do something wrong, you can't get away with it. The name “Sathyapala” itself is sarcastic, for though it is his name, he does not live by it.

The lives of the ordinary people are full of hope and ambition for a better life, and they tend to try out anything which comes in their way to fulfil their ambitions. The book contains common topics such as human rights, and the violation of human rights, corruption, murder even personal issues such as marriage proposals.

These are some of the most common problems we have to face nowadays. It seems that we're living in a world which has no place for social values. The book certainly leaves us to think about reality. We live in the fast lane which is full of corruption, greed, less social values and ethics.

In chapter three, Ruben and Dominic, two serial killers, go in search of a wealthy oil merchant under their leader's instructions.

They pretend as if they're going on a pilgrimage. The man welcomes them and treats them accordingly. But Ruben realises that it's his own father he's going to kill, and drops the gun and hugs him. It reflects a moment of compassion.

Violence

In “Mistaken Identity” we see a man named Manatunga found guilty of a crime he has not committed. But when the truth comes out, he is freed. This elaborates the fact that society itself is responsible for creating violence.

In “Rebirth” two people are on their way to hell. They meet different people who had sinned by killing animals, destroying human lives and damaging other people's property. The 10 stories in the book are equally interesting. The book is written in simple language, which facilitates the reader's taste.

Some of the stories show those who are strict and arrogant are the people who really care for us. Those who seem to care for us are not sincere. It's only after a person's death that people realise his importance. This is depicted in “He donated his eyes”.

Each chapter gives us something to learn. The story “Marriage proposal” is interesting because it reveals how a young man who has fallen in love with a beautiful girl wants to marry her.

After the elders discuss the marriage, he is surprised to know that the girl is dumb. The author without giving a proper ending only reveals the main character, Sugath's shock at the sudden outcome.