Voicing the Marginalized: Language, Dalit Identity, and Cultural Sustainability in Perumal Murugan’s Poonachi

Abstract

Language plays a crucial role in shaping identity and sustaining cultural memory, particularly within marginalized communities whose voices are historically silenced. This paper examines Perumal Murugan’s Poonachi: Or the Story of a Black Goat as a powerful narrative of Dalit identity articulated through literary language and anthropomorphic storytelling. Set in a semi-arid rural landscape marked by scarcity and social exclusion, the novel employs the figure of a female black goat to symbolically represent the lived realities of the Dalit community, especially women, whose bodies and voices are subjected to control, exploitation, and erasure. The study foregrounds how Murugan’s narrative language— especially in its translation from Tamil to English—functions as a medium of cultural sustainability by carrying indigenous experiences, rural sensibilities, and caste-based suffering across linguistic boundaries. Through anthropomorphism, Poonachi transforms animal suffering into a poignant allegory of human marginalization, enabling a deeper engagement with issues of identity, gender, and caste. The paper argues that the novel not only asserts Dalit identity but also
preserves cultural memory by documenting everyday struggles, emotional resilience, and survival strategies embedded in rural life. By situating Poonachi within the broader context of translated Tamil literature, this study highlights the role of language as a tool of resistance and representation. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates how Murugan’s narrative sustains marginalized cultural voices and
reclaims identity through storytelling, contributing to ongoing discourses on language, power, and cultural sustainability in contemporary Indian literature.