“Matter of Conscience and Other Stories”: A book for young and old readers
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Through his book ‘Matter of Conscience and Other Stories’ author Jayalath Amarasekere tries to touch the hearts of students and parents by portraying the lives of school children in days gone by.
The book contains a collection of short stories and has been approved by the Education Ministry’s Publication Advisory Board as a suitable book for school libraries.
One does not have to delve too deep to conjecture why the Board has chosen this book as the stories are likely to touch the hearts of those in school and also of parents of school going children.
It is an eye opener and provides for today’s children a window to the lives of schoolchildren in days gone by. It need not be reiterated that school children will find these stories interesting and realise they are a reflection of their lives even today.
The stories have, in a sense, universal appeal. The main story “A Matter of Conscience”, from which the collection gets its title, indicates that in certain circumstances in life choices have to be made which one would not usually advocate.
In this story the author explores with sensitivity the tortured conscience of a person who faced with the dilemma of either carrying out his duties as a protocol officer or complying with the wishes of a VIP.
The story “Heart” tells of the challenges of childhood where a child is faced with the emotional problem of seeing two other children in his class being bullied and being unable to help them.
It could convey a message to those who indulge in bullying without serious thought of the consequences on others. Moreover, the author seems to have grasped the true nature of the “innocence of childhood” in this
story and the two that follow: ‘’Nemesis’’ and “Miracle”.
Writing about the teenage years, the antics and mischievous nature of schoolboys are portrayed with touches of humour which would undoubtedly bring back memories to the young and old alike. Examples are “The three-fold cord” and “Dangerous Capers”.
There is a moral undertone in ‘’A Trivial Incident” where a father’s uprightness and broadminded nature are portrayed through the narration by his daughter.
Dealing further with teenage life “The Fighter”, a reflection of a schoolboy’s courage and determination and “Hospital Ward”, almost an antithesis of it, seems to bring out a balance in character portrayal.
In some of the stories a more serious tone is observed but not without a touch of humour. In ‘’A Question of Answers” the protagonist holds an inquiry into a serious complaint but is hampered by his bias towards witnesses of the opposite sex. “A Lucrative Profession” and “The Wedding” are light hearted tales, cleverly contrived but credible.
In the author’s own words “these stories are in fact embellished fiction and fiction interspersed with fact (preface).” Thus, the author’s experiences would undoubtedly give the readers some food for thought.
This collection could best be summarised by the comment made by Wilfrid Jayasuriya in his foreword to the book: “The focus of the stories and their setting are so varied, thus adding to their attractiveness. In these pages the reader will find intrigue, mystery, suspense, adventure and humour.”
- Indrani Hewagama
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