Abstract:
This research paper is an exploration of the social constructions of gender
identities portrayed in selected texts written in English for children by Sri Lankan
authors. It draws from Mythil’s Secret by Prashani Rambukwella (2009), Paduma
Meets the Sunbird by Nihal de Silva (2006) and Mona’s Mission Impossible by Razana
Sameem (2009). The study is based on the premise that children’s literature produced in
Sri Lanka by Sri Lankan authors would seek to explore the nuances of gender identities
that are constructed within Sri Lanka.
The goal of this paper is to deconstruct the social constructions of gender identities
that are portrayed in the selected texts in an attempt to analyze the specific gender
roles that are socially acquired by children. This study addresses the question of how
gender identities of children, within a Sri Lankan society, are depicted in the selected
texts, and evaluates the assignment and acquisition of gender roles therein. It limits
itself to deconstructing the portrayal of gender identities, and also seeks to unearth the
different forces of socialization that influence the molding of a child’s gender identity,
while examining the process of socialization and other contributing factors relevant
to the construction of gender identities within Sri Lanka. This paper addresses a gap
in research in children’s literature produced in Sri Lanka in English, and takes an
interdisciplinary approach utilizing feminist, psychoanalytic and sociological theories.
