From Restlessness to Reassuring Humanism in the Select Novels of Perumal Murugan

Abstract

The thesis titled From Restlessness to Reassuring Humanism in the Select Novels newlineof Perumal Murugan analyses the complicated caste structures, discrimination and the newlinestatus of women who support their men and family. The women farmers struggle hard to newlinecome out of oppression and march towards independence. The characters also emphasise newlinethe need to create positive bonds with fellow beings and nature, which can help form an newlineegalitarian society. Perumal Murugan, as a representative of the Kongu region, delves newlinedeep into the society and explores the intricate corners of the region. His works serve as the documentary of the lives of his people, their culture and beliefs, lifestyle, relationships and their innate bond with nature. Murugan s works reflect his observations of the daily lives of the villagers with their fields and cattle. So, he does not leave any single dimension of the area. The thesis deals with three main ideas prominent in the seven translated novels of Murugan selected for the study. They are: Seasons of the Palm (2004), Current Show (2004), Pyre (2016), Poonachi: Or The Story of a Black Goat (2017), Rising Heat (2019), Estuary (2020) and Resolve (2021). newlineEach core chapter is dedicated to one theme. Cruelty in the Form of Caste examines the intricacies of the caste system in the Kongu region. Murugan uses the caste newlinestructure as the base of his work. Kongu region is caste-oriented. The landlords belong to newlinethe upper caste, and the farmhands working under them are of different castes, mostly newlineuntouchables. Three major issues related to caste system Agricultural servitude, Misuse newlineof Dalits and Honour killing are focused. The supportive-suppressive relationship of the newlineMasters and their field hands, the importance given by the higher castes for their communal identity and honour killing are examined. Furthermore, the misconceptions of the society on lower castes, purity, the state of the subalterns, abuses which include physical and verbal and food-based discrimination in the novels of Murugan