Transformative Gazes: Surveillance as a Force of Change in Postcolonial Sri Lankan Fiction

This study examines the transformative power of surveillance as depicted in Nayomi Munaweera’s Island of a Thousand Mirrors. Set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983–2009), the novel reveals how mechanisms of control—such as checkpoints, military patrols, and informant networks—profoundly alter individual identities and communal bonds. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of panopticism, the research explores how the omnipresent gaze of authority compels characters to internalize surveillance, catalyzing significant behavioral and psychological shifts. These shifts not only fracture social trust but also reshape traditional structures of solidarity and belonging. By focusing on the transformative effects of surveillance on divided communities and border zones, the study underscores its dual role as a tool of oppression and a catalyst for resistance. Addressing a critical gap in Sri Lankan war literature scholarship, this research positions Island of a Thousand Mirrors as a poignant narrative of change, illustrating how surveillance reconfigures lives, relationships, and societal norms in conflict-ridden contexts. The findings reaffirm the role of literature in capturing the nuanced dimensions of war and its enduring impact on transformation.