Traditions, Rights, and Individual Freedom: Human Rights Violations in Perumal Murugan's One Part Woman

Abstract

Perumal Murugan’s novel ‘One Part Woman’ explores deeply rooted socio-cultural constructs that expose human rights issues, particularly caste rigidities, traditions and rituals, the victimisation of women, reproductive rights, and personal freedom. The narrative of the husband-wife relationship during India’s pre-independence era unfolds into a tragedy due to the impact of traditions and customs, ultimately disrupting individual and social relationships. This paper examines the novel's thematic aspects through the lens of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The infringement of universal human rights at social, moral, and cultural levels is at the core of this novel. The repression of the individual ‘self’, especially of the woman protagonist, is juxtaposed with the community’s socio-religious customs. This paper also aims to explore the impact of traditions and customs on individual lives. Literary, qualitative, and analytical methods were used in analysing the representation of the violation of personal and social human rights in One Part Woman. It helped in unveiling the interwoven themes in the novel.