Ponytail Character Analysis in Foreign Soil

In “The Stilt Fishermen of Kathaluwa,” Ponytail is the name Asanka gives one of two boatmen in charge of a group of asylum seekers fleeing Sri Lanka aboard a fishing boat. He and his fellow boatman, Mustache, are cruel and violent. But Asanka luckily befriends Chaminda, another asylum seeker, who acts as his protector.

Ponytail Character Timeline in Foreign Soil

The timeline below shows where the character Ponytail appears in Foreign Soil. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

The two boatmen, whom Asanka refers to as Mustache and Ponytail, start dividing the group in two. Mustache orders Asanka and some others to get in... (full context)

...others drive the ship out of the bay, they spot another boat headed their way. Ponytail, looking nervous, approaches Asanka and the other men on the cabin floor and orders them... (full context)

There are carved notches on the boat bench that Ponytail has added to keep track of how long they’ve been at sea; according to the... (full context)

In a flashback to Asanka’s journey aboard the boat, Chaminda and Ponytail frantically yell at Asanka to pull himself up out of the water (Asanka has been... (full context)

...and “unbroken.” He wants to touch her, not believing she’s real. In a brief flashback, Ponytail wonders if they can trust what Asanka said about there being land and a ship... (full context)