Burning Boundaries: A Critical Study of Multicultural Tensions and Social Stratification in Perumal Murugan’s Pyre

Abstract

This research paper critically examines the representation of multiculturalism in the select works of Perumal Murugan, specifically One Part Woman (2014) and Pyre (2017). The study explores how Murugan’s narratives engage with the concept of multiculturalism, particularly in the socio-cultural context of Tamil Nadu’s Kongu region. Multiculturalism, in this context, refers to the acknowledgment and negotiation of cultural, ethnic, and caste-based differences within a dominant socio-political framework. Through a close reading and discourse analysis of the texts, the paper investigates how Murugan portrays caste dynamics, inter-community relationships, and cultural stratification as both limiting and shaping individual agency. The analysis foregrounds the tension between traditional norms and the aspirations of marginalized voices, revealing complex layers of identity, resistance, and exclusion. By employing a qualitative methodology, this study offers a nuanced understanding of multiculturalism as a lived reality in rural Tamil society, and how literature becomes a potent site for contesting hegemonic narratives. This inquiry contributes to broader discourses in literary studies, postcolonial theory, and cultural sociology, shedding light on the intersection of caste, culture, and community in contemporary Indian literature.