Funny Boy is a story about a seven-year-old boy Arjun (Arjie) who goes on to experience not only the ups and downs that accompany the discovery of oneβs sexuality, but also the harsh reality of the real world.
Told from the point of view of Arjie, Funny Boy is not just about the taboo topic of homosexuality in a close-minded society, but also a story that tells how political and regional conflicts affect peopleβs lives.
Though Arjieβs homosexuality and how he understands it and deals with it are some of the important themes in the story, the political conflict between the Tamils and Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka where Arjie resides with his family also plays a very important role in shaping the story.
It tells the readers about the sufferings of people from both sides since Arjie is from a mixed Tamil/Sinhalese family and since the narrator is Arjie himself, we get a personal view of these conflicts affecting innocent people caught in the crossfire.