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The Criterion: An International Journal in English Vol. 15, Issue-III, June 2024 ISSN: 0976-8165
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A Study of Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan: Evaluating Social Conventions,
Natural Laws, and Human Choices to Find Purpose in a Changing World
Sampurna Chatterjee
Grade 11,
Manthan International School,
Hyderabad.
Article History: Submitted-07/06/2024, Revised-20/06/2024, Accepted-25/06/2024, Published-30/06/2024.
Abstract:
Using Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan, this text explores how individuals can find purpose
in a changing world. First, it will discuss how social conventions and natural laws that change over
time and place shape human choices. ‘Social conventions’ can be contextually defined as the
systems of society in different places and times that are often initially made to bring order but later
evolve into weapons of social inequality. Meanwhile, ‘natural laws’ refer to the laws of nature that
govern the natural world and human instincts irrespective of societal conventions and morality.
Second, it will discuss how individuals can find comfort in change once they find their purpose.
‘Purpose’ can be defined as something abstract rather than concrete, not found permanently as one
specific thing but rediscovered repeatedly under changing circumstances: it is shaped by an
individual’s moral ideals and preferences and reflected in his/her choices. In Fire Bird, Muthu’s
journey to find land can be viewed as symbolic of his internal journey to find his purpose and
define himself. The mention of ‘a changing world’ is significant here as this text discusses a
contemporary issue of not just finding purpose but the difficulty of doing so amidst constant
change, this change being in different forms. This text focuses on two main forms: change in reality
and change in perception. ‘Change in reality’ here means exterior changes around individuals such
as migration, change in relations, and aging shown through the characters’ experiences in Fire
Bird. Here ‘change in perception’ means internal change in individuals as they view things
differently. For example, gradually, Muthu perceives his older brother, Periannan, in a much more
negative light than his younger self could have imagined. Therefore, these two types of changes
are interconnected: exterior changes affect individuals internally and vice versa. In the
contemporary world, reliant on migration and rapid technological change, it is relevant to explore
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Muthu’s journey as he loses himself in the world of changes to finally find a sense of purpose
derived from what he chooses to view as ‘natural’, that gives him direction in any changing
circumstance.
Keywords: social conventions, natural laws, human choices, purpose, change, firebird,
Perumal Murugan.
Introduction:
The setting of the novel Fire Bird is in rural Tamil Nadu, India. Muthu, a middle-aged
farmer, sets off on a journey directed by the wrath of his wife, Peruma. She cannot tolerate life in
Muthu’s homeland and urges Muthu to find a new land far away from all their relatives. It is
revealed that Muthu, being the youngest son of his family, is distributed the smallest piece of land
among his brothers, hardly enough for him, Peruma, and their three children to live in. His brothers,
so fond of him in childhood, soon seem strangers who argue over materialistic needs, sparing his
family little water and barely greeting him at sight. As Muthu, with the loyal companionship of his
oxen and Kuppan, interacts with different people and uses his farmer’s knowledge to evaluate
different land, he is forced to grow independent, contrary to his childhood when he was pampered
by and was reliant on everyone in his family. Initially, Muthu struggles to keep up with the reality
of his caring brothers from his childhood being the same ones presently so distant and divided
from him and his problems. He cannot view his family as completely unjust and devoid of affection
for him, the way Peruma views them. However, he finds it difficult to stay illusioned by his
memories when he learns that Periannan, his oldest brother and once father-like figure, sexually
assaulted Peruma without remorse and that later, his mother defended Periannan as she called
Peruma the derogatory ‘fire bird’. On finally finding a piece of land larger than all his brothers
combined, Muthu’s negotiation of price and interactions with the native people show his character
development. He develops from someone who tolerated and accepted everything done to him to
someone who stands his ground. As Muthu toils to build his house and prepare the land, he, along
with Kuppan at the end of their journeys, prepares for a dangerous robber and comments on how
comfortable with change he has become. This contrasts with Muthu initially not wanting to leave
his homeland and Kuppan not being used to commonly leaving his house.
Below is a brief on the two themes in this text and their importance.
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First, ‘social conventions, natural laws, and consequent human choices’ is a theme under
which this article will explore how both social conventions and natural laws can be beneficial and
harmful. Social conventions like the caste system in India supposedly started by dividing society
based on human skills into different occupations. BBC refers to Manusmriti as ‘widely regarded
to be the most important and authoritative book on Hindu law’ and mentions that it ‘acknowledges
and justifies the caste system as the basis of order and regularity of society.’(What is India’s caste
system) However, society soon ranked these occupations in terms of respect, reaching the extent
of injustice that made certain castes untouchable and lowly. Fire Bird explores specific social
conventions in parts of rural Tamil Nadu, such as land ownership, caste systems, religious beliefs,
and gender roles. Natural laws, meanwhile, are the basic laws that govern the instinctive nature of
humans and the natural world. Fire Bird intricately weaves descriptions of plants, animals, and
humans in the setting of Tamil Nadu and in the process, delves closer into the way nature works,
raising the question of whether social conventions often cause humans to forget their natural
instincts. It also raises the question of whether what is now treated as natural by society in the
contemporary world was always natural. Natural laws, as much as they might seem to lean towards
moral righteousness, also include human traits like self-preservation, greed, and jealousy. Both
social conventions and natural laws can be harmful to society and nature as well as beneficial to
them. As humans build their characters with the help of these conventions and laws, they make
choices, good or bad, choices that define them as individuals with purposes.
Second, the theme of change as a constant is proven to be a natural law throughout Fire
Bird. As Muthu ages, as his relations with his loved ones change, as he travels to unfamiliar places,
and as he builds new relations, his character experiences many explicit changes. His character
development is a change shown more subtly, as he grows independent, actively values moral
righteousness, and learns to defend himself and others. From someone more passive in the
beginning, journeying by the force of his wife’s words, he later becomes more active and desperate
about starting a new life as he views his family not only from his own but also from Peruma’s
perspective. For this specific theme, this essay would like to explore the concept of change initially
being uncomfortable but also something inevitable that individuals should eventually learn to
embrace rather than avoid. As individuals delve deeper into their true nature and understand what
they value in this world, they form a sense of purpose that they cannot lose; rather, it can evolve
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through changing exterior circumstances. This sense of purpose might ultimately make them
comfortable with change as shown in Muthu’s character.
Social conventions, natural laws, and consequent human choices:
First, focusing on Peruma, the ‘fire bird’ of the novel, I would like to explore a part of the
major social conventions shown in Fire Bird. Being a woman in this rural setting of farmers, she
is expected by societal conventions to get married, have children, and take care of her family.
However, the choices she makes as an individual, despite being limited to her roles in society,
reveal her values and purpose. On the surface, her revolt against the system that binds her is not
as drastic, but in reality, she controls her family’s fate as she initiates Muthu’s journey. ‘There was
no way for Peruma to win an argument against her mother-in-law.’ (Murugan 70) contrasted with
‘She had everyone from her husband to her children under her thumb,’ (Murugan 70) are sentences
explicitly describing the limits of the power she holds in society. ‘She did not say much but when
she did, her words pierced like papercuts,’ (Murugan 93) is a quote showing her consistent and
sustainable rebellion. She stands in contrast to Saroja in Murugan’s Pyre; as S. Ygnasri writes,
‘Saroja as a character has been seen as an obedient, helpless woman,’ (Ygnasri). Although socially
just as helpless as Saroja, Peruma asserts herself through her mannerisms and constant dramatic
snide remarks. She thinks things through but limits her actions to the words she speaks, these
words making all the difference. Her character is an example of preserving one’s nature and values
within oppressing social conventions that indirectly demand them to change. Peruma is
comfortable with who she essentially is and stubborn about it. Shifting to Muthu’s homeland, an
unfamiliar place with many unwelcoming people, she does not give in to what they demand from
her- this makes her a ‘firebird’ in the eyes of society, someone apparently unsocial, but in reality,
someone protecting both her nature and her family with her fiery flames. Despite being unable to
migrate physically and journey throughout the novel like firebirds do, Peruma’s decisiveness in
her beliefs reflected through her persistently harsh words is the main driving force of Muthu’s
journey that indirectly frees her from the relatives who control her life. Unlike Muthu, who is
initially confused regarding his purpose, {‘Muthannan did not have the heart to leave his village’
(Murugan 7)}, Peruma is a contrasting character who shows no matter how passive one’s actions
might seem, if these actions are stubbornly consistent and fueled by confidence, they can have
significant effect.
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Second, let us focus on Muthu, socially the youngest son of a farmer’s family and so
someone who has no say regarding the amount of land he has been given. ‘The youngest had to
quietly accept whatever was given to him and had no right to demand anything,’ (Murugan 54)
describes his social limitations which soon lead to Peruma’s family questioning him with, ‘A lousy
divide they made, and you accepted it all quietly! Why will your siblings think of your welfare?
Everyone waits for that moment when they can take advantage of the situation,’ (Murugan 62).
This shows how the social convention of land ownership in Muthu’s homeland, though initially
made to bring equality by giving more land to the elder brother (typically thought to have a larger
family, more responsibility, and greater needs than the younger), soon transformed into a weapon
harming not only Muthu but even people related to him. S. Ygnasri writes, ‘In Pyre, Murugan
dissects the artificial divisions of society that become real when love is replaced by hate and
innocence is trampled by blindness,’ (Ygnasri). This is also relevant in the case of Fire Bird as
Muthu, used to being loved by his brothers, suddenly grows up to face alienation. His innocence
is also ‘trampled’, not only by blindness but by the materialistic cravings of his brothers which
override their natural brotherly affection.
The mention of everyone taking ‘advantage of the situation’ raises the question of whether
self-preservation is a natural law within humans that often causes beneficial social conventions to
evolve into something unjust. It raises the question of whether the purpose behind social
conventions is lost as they betray their natural basics. These questions have different answers from
different people. First, it seems to be almost answered by Kuppan as he once mentions, ‘I know
more about a sparrow’s family than a man’s. Followed by the families of goats and cows. I like
the way they live. I believe that’s how it must have been for man too. Somewhere along the way,
things changed for us. We lost any sense of order or reason. But like crows and sparrows, I will
go through this life waking up in the morning and feeding my family,’ (Murugan 145). Kuppan
views loyalty to family as natural and something beautiful. This view is contrasted by Muthu’s
father saying, ‘Just like how a koel throws out the young crows when the fledglings in its nest
grow wings. It doesn’t say, “Oh, I have protected them all this while, I should now feed them too.”
Once it knows they aren’t its own kind, that’s how it treats them,’ (Murugan 53). Muthu’s father
dismisses eternal loyalty to the family as natural law and instead thinks betrayal is natural. Muthu’s
mother later uses the comparison of five fingers made inequal, which exposes her view of
inequality being natural. This shows how Muthu’s mother has morally ambiguous ideas; she
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confuses the naturalness of unique individuals born with unique strengths and weaknesses (and so
being ‘unequal’ in different aspects), with the unnatural choice of unequal social treatment.
Based on these different perspectives, it could be inferred that what is supposedly ‘natural’
is the foundation of change in social conventions and human choices. While loyalty and emotional
bonding are natural, self-preservation and betrayal based on it can also be just as natural- a human
is not born good or bad but complex. If individuals choose to view elements like betrayal as natural,
they will soon dismiss opposites like loyalty as natural. Therefore, it is the choice of actively
embracing different types of ‘natural’ in their ‘true nature’ that they are born with that gives them
purpose. ‘True nature’, in this context, means the amalgamation of inherent skills, emotions, and
mannerisms. ‘Actively embracing’ means choosing to act on certain natural traits and developing
them into something meaningful.
Muthu observes, ‘But people’s nature was the same everywhere. Desire, jealousy,
deception- there were no differences among men when it came to these aspects. It was really habits
and customs that changed region by region,’ (Murugan 86). Through Muthu’s view, Perumal
Murugan further emphasizes how natural laws stay constant but social conventions which are
choices humans collectively make, reflect what society chooses to consider ‘natural’. This choice,
taken uniformly by societies and uniquely by individuals within these societies, defines them.
Change as a constant:
Muthu is an example of a character who undergoes the discomfort of change, is forced into
confronting it, and finally embraces it- initially forced into exterior change, he consequently
changes and grows internally. At first, Muthu is like a plant, not used to change, unlike Peruma-
‘She was, after all transplanted there. But it was not the same for him. He had germinated on that
soil and was rooted there,’ (Murugan 114). For Muthu to try and cut off the deep-rooted
connections he had with his family members is not easy or comfortable, especially since part of
his family seems so comfortable with the same. While Peruma is explicitly called a migratory
‘firebird’ and has already experienced the migration after her marriage, Muthu is unexpectedly
thrown into it. However, rather than being a plant that grows nurtured by the care and protection
of his family, he seems to grow better as a migratory bird. His oldest brother defines him as he
says, ‘He is never going to deny me anything I want,’ (Murugan 102) while attempting to assault
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Peruma. Muthu’s passive nature, which he was nurtured into growing, is something he chooses to
cut off as he bargains with the ‘nattamai’ (village chief) of his new village and interacts with the
people- he stands his ground and denies when he thinks fit. ‘Today, he was in a position of
authority,’ (Murugan 156) Murugan comments on Muthu, showing his growth as he rises from
someone dependent and vulnerable to someone independent and like Peruma, certain of his own
nature.
Initially, Muthu also learns that purpose is to be rediscovered in different forms under
changing circumstances rather than something defined. His purpose was to find good land, protect
his family, and be generous to those mutually loyal to him (the oxen, Kuppan)- his purpose reflects
what he values. It is by coming to terms with what he values and how much Muthu can gain a
sense of purpose- for example, he values Peruma and his children over his brothers and parents;
therefore, he values the morally right over the morally wrong. He also significantly values mutual
loyalty over social conventions of caste, shown through his treatment of Kuppan. ‘For a man with
a plan, there is but one path. For one with none, limitless options open up,’ (Murugan 8) and ‘All
I ask for is the ability to decide which path to take,’ (Murugan 8) are Muthu’s thoughts towards
the beginning of his journey, showing how lost he was with the indefiniteness of change but also
how that gives him the freedom to question the ‘plan’ or definite purpose that social conventions
fed into him. For example, he questioned if he only had to be a farmer and started to use his tree-
climbing skills. Muthu also questioned the ‘one path’ of doom that he was oppressed into
accepting- he went against his societal fate of less land and poverty. Being someone initially
without a concrete plan to find land (this land being almost symbolic of the sense of purpose he
tries to find), Muthu throughout his unpredictable journey with ‘limitless options’ through his
impromptu decisions, naturally defines his nature and finds his sense of purpose. By the time he
finds his land, he has grown into someone independent and reliant on only his nature to guide him.
He says, ‘All the experiences will be new. As long as the curiosity to explore remains, anything
will be interesting,’ (Murugan 119) showing how positively he views change now. Kuppan later
tells him, ‘I say that in a land that eats snakes, simply choose an agreeable portion of the snake and
start eating,’ (Murugan 179). This shows how even Kuppan, someone who stayed pent up in his
house, has learned to embrace change and the risks that come with it.
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Change for Muthu leads not only to his discomfort but also forces him to sacrifice things
he otherwise might not, one such thing being superstitions. He re-evaluates them as a luxury more
than a necessity, showing how change makes him re-evaluate the importance of things he was
taught to value. ‘Moreover, only a person who has everything going for him could afford to check
omens. For someone standing alone with nothing, the only way to advance was to keep an open
mind and seize any opportunity,’ (Murugan 163) describes his mindset. ‘If he couldn’t buy a lot
of gold and marry his daughters into richer families, so be it. They could be married into poorer
families like his own, and work for a living,’ (Murugan 97) is another compromise in Muthu’s
mind, showing how change makes him readily adapt to the idea of his daughters working. As
Muthu thinks, ‘Everything will be okay,’ (Murugan 188) towards the end of the novel, his
confidence in himself and his ability to be purposeful in any circumstance is portrayed. Finally,
the question at the very end of the novel- ‘Where were we born and where do we die?’ (Murugan
294)- raises the question in the mind of readers of the unpredictability of life and how it might not
be as intimidating as it seems if one knows who they are. After all, Muthu would not have wanted
to die in his homeland, poor and oppressed, but rather in his new land, liberated and respected for
who he is as a person, rather than as someone with a set role in society.
Conclusion:
In today’s world, a world reliant on migration to different places with different social
conventions, it is imperative for individuals to re-evaluate what society considers ‘natural’ by
feeling and thinking independently so that they realize their unique natures, natures that do not just
reflect what they were naturally born as but what they choose to be in this world- natures that allow
them to re-discover their changing purposes in changing circumstances, natures that allow them to
adapt to change comfortably, this comfort being crucial to their survival. Rather than directly
trying to fit into a foreign society by accepting its norms, exploring and becoming comfortable
with who they are as purposeful individuals in this world makes them more adaptable- they change
themselves not because others expect them to but because they internally feel the need to. Takshi
Mehta deals with the idea of, ‘seeking permanence in a world where displacement is inevitable,’
as she reviews Fire Bird in Hindustan Times (Mehta). While agreeing with ‘displacement’ being
‘inevitable’, this text has explored that Murugan not only deals with the narrower concept of
‘displacement’ but also with the broader concept of change in general. Rather than Murugan’s
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novel being about merely ‘seeking permanence’, this text views it as highlighting the importance
of embracing change as ‘permanent’. The symbolism of the ‘firebird’ reminds one of the
individuals, caged by social conventions and imposed definitions of ‘natural’ setting a part of
themselves free as they realize that if they can think independently, while others can try to cage
them, a part of them is already impossible to cage.
Works Cited:
Primary Sources:
Murugan, Perumal. Fire Bird. Penguin Random House India, Translated by Janani Kannan,
2023.
Secondary sources:
Ygnasri, S. Cultural Identity and Identity Crisis in Perumal Murugan’s novels one-part woman
and Pyre. (Volume 7, Issue 1). JETIR, 2020.
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Mehta, Takshi. (2023). Review: Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan. Hindustan Times.
www.hindustantimes.com/books/review-fire-bird-by-perumal-murugan-101702546294274-
amp.html
Sriraman, Thaarshini. Shree. ‘Fire Bird’: Perumal Murugan could have shaped the novel’s
characters
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scroll.in/article/1056388/fire-bird-perumal-murugan-could-have-shaped-the-novels
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Soap’.
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