A Burning

Chapters 50-57 close the book with tragedy and success. Jivan’s life ends, while Lovely and PT Sir’s dreams come true. Jivan’s end is brutally slow. She is left to ponder her fate in solitary confinement, and she is not even able to speak to her mother. In the basement cell Jivan plays with the cockroaches, which reflects Lovely’s earlier thought that she and Jivan are treated as no better than insects in their society. As Jivan creates an inner world with the cockroaches, Majumdar demonstrates the depths of her dehumanization. She is lower than the other prisoners, both literally and metaphorically. She has no sunlight or company, and no way to pass her final days. Still, she tries to protect herself with every last piece of her. When Gobind tells her about the mercy petition’s rejection, Jivan rightfully asserts her anger toward him. In her lowest moments, she knows how little everyone cared about her in the trial. Gobind’s offers of blankets or books are mere material items, nothing that could truly comfort Jivan. Jivan’s assertion of her feelings, of her understanding of her role as a scapegoat, is designed to make Gobind, and by extension Majumdar’s reader, feel guilty. Though neither the reader nor Gobind are responsible for Jivan’s execution, Majumdar asserts that everyone who benefits from an oppressive society bears some responsibility for its injustices. Jivan’s tragic fate could befall anybody in her social strata, making Jivan a warning for all.

After her execution, Majumdar includes one last chapter from Jivan’s point of view, in which Jivan sends comfort to her mother. This chapter solidifies the sadness of Jivan’s story and shows that even her short life still affected others. When the judge sentenced Jivan to death, he also effectively killed part of her family. Majumdar uses dramatic irony to further emphasize the unfairness of Jivan’s death. Jivan does not know that her mercy petition was defeated due to PT Sir’s selfish ambition, but the reader does. Her beloved teacher who took extra care of her becomes her executioner. Meanwhile, PT Sir tells himself that he is an ethical man even while grappling with guilt. When he sees protests on Jivan’s behalf, when he sees young girls who remind him of Jivan, he wonders if he should have done more. But PT Sir reflects on his mistakes too late; he cannot change his past misdeeds and remains committed to selling his soul for power. This contrasts with Lovely’s reflection on Jivan, because Lovely truly did the most she could. She defended Jivan but had to let her go. When Lovely thinks of Jivan with guilt, it is more reflective of the oppressive society that she and Jivan shared.

Majumdar creates an ending in which one character senselessly loses her life while two characters achieve their dreams to highlight an important dichotomy in many societies. If one person achieves outsized success, it often comes at the cost of others who don’t succeed at all. Not everyone in society can succeed, and most will fail. Lovely works hard for her success, but much of her sudden fame is due to luck. Her video happened to go viral at the same time she was seen on TV defending Jivan. Though Lovely deserves happiness, it is an unlikely ending for a marginalized character.

Meanwhile, PT Sir’s rise to success is pure work ethic and calculated decision-making. He pragmatically seizes power, and instead of walking away when things get ethically uncomfortable and violent, he forges ahead. Thus, Majumdar presents two successful characters, but only one is worthy of sympathy. Every move PT Sir makes throughout the novel is a choice, down to his decision to reject Jivan’s petition, sealing her fate. Lovely, on the other hand, works hard and believes in herself, opening herself up to the success that finally meets her. These two subplots are juxtaposed with Jivan’s pointless death to demonstrate that life works unfairly: The circumstances that cost Jivan’s life bring Lovely fame and PT Sir power. The novel ends by noting the capricious nature of existence: Some things are controllable, but most are not. What happens to an individual in a society often comes down to fate and has little to do with their true self, their hopes, or their dreams.