Brotherless Night

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

Brotherless Night takes place against the backdrop of the decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka. The conflict was the result of religious, linguistic, and cultural divisions between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil groups, as well as the consequence of colonial policy. The colonial era in Sri Lanka lasted from the early 19th century until the middle of the 20th century (circa 1815-1948). During this time, the British brought over significant numbers of Tamil laborers from India to work the plantations (rubber, tea, coffee) in Sri Lanka. They also elevated certain high-ranking Sinhalese to positions of power and enforced English as the national language. This created divisions among the populace. Once Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, the Sinhalese majority gained control of the government and often took punitive measures against the Tamils. They also declared Sinhalese as the official language of the island nation. The Tamil insurgents, in turn, wanted to form their own country, with their own language and ethno-religious traditions. This led to a continuous state of war, beginning in the 1980s and (officially) ending in 2009.

Brotherless Night is set during the tumult of the 1980s. Sashi is Tamil, and she understands the history that she inhabits as one of continuous persecution against the Tamils.