Faith, Chains, and Awakening: Caste, Conversion, and Resistance in Pulayathara

Abstract

The article critically examines the portrayal of caste-based oppression and religious conversion in Pulayathara (1962) by Paul Chirakkaroti, published by Rainbow Publications, Thiruvananthapuram. The novel presents a compelling narrative of Dalit experiences in Kerala, illustrating how conversion to Christianity—often seen as a path to social liberation—fails to eradicate caste discrimination. The objective of this study is to analyze how caste identities persist despite shifts in religious affiliation and to explore the psychological and social resistance of oppressed communities. The research aims to demonstrate that religious conversion did not dismantle the hierarchical structures embedded in Kerala’s society; rather, it reshaped caste marginalization under the guise of faith. Using Dalit theory and subaltern studies as the theoretical framework, this analysis delves into how the novel reflects internalized oppression, helplessness, and emerging consciousness among the marginalized. The study incorporates insights from Dalit Epistemology, History, Literature, and Aesthetics by K.K.S. Das (Kerala Language Institute, 2011), and Perspectives on the Oppressed in Malayalam Literature by T.K. Anilkumar (Kerala Sahitya Akademi, 2004), as well as Racial Symbols and Contemporary Malayalam Literature by P.V. Sajeev (Progress Books, 2019), to contextualize the resistance in Pulayathara. Through character-driven narratives, the novel critiques religious and social institutions, revealing that structural change must begin with collective awareness and an assertion of rights, not mere spiritual rebirth.