A Burning

This novel follows the journeys of three different yet interconnected people who try to advance their individual lives from within an enormous and complex society. Ultimately, Majumdar criticizes society’s power over the individual and the futility of the individual’s desperate fight against institutions beyond their control. The first example of this is, of course, Jivan, who fights for her life but is defeated by the justice system, by popular opinion, by Islamophobia, and by society’s psychological need to blame a scapegoat for tragedy. The second example is Lovely, who seems to be the only character close to overcoming her social marginalization. Although Lovely is on the way to fame, she still endured years of heartache, abandonment, and prejudice to persevere. Even after Lovely gains success, she still thinks about people like Jivan and Azad, who were not so lucky in their pursuit of freedom.

The third example is PT Sir, who achieves success, but at the cost of his morals, which causes internal conflict borne of guilt and shock. PT Sir’s story shows that assimilating into society’s most powerful ranks often requires compromising your humanity and integrity. This theme is a universal one; even though A Burning takes place in India, the individual’s never-ending fight against society occurs in all communities.

Majumdar also examines how intersectional identity affects Jivan and Lovely’s struggle to achieve social and economic prosperity. A key issue in A Burning is the way intersectional identities converge in a society that does not appreciate difference. Jivan, for example, is a poor Muslim girl. Her intersecting identities as female, poor, and Muslim converge to make her the perfect scapegoat for the terrorist attack. The novel suggests that had she been a wealthy male, society would have found more value in her life and been less likely to label her with negative stereotypes. Had she been Hindu instead of Muslim, Jivan might not have been arrested in the first place, and if she had more money or prestige, she might have avoided the media frenzy and vilification of herself and her family.

Lovely’s identities also put her at a disadvantage; she is transgender, poor, and Muslim. If Lovely was a cisgender man like Azad, or even a cisgender woman like Jivan, her life would be very different. Her family would have accepted her, and more opportunities would have been open to her. But instead of becoming a scapegoat, Lovely becomes a symbol for India’s modern development. Where Jivan’s identities all but seal her fate, Lovely’s good fortune shows that there is hope that society can embrace difference.