Fire In Animal's People

Humans are constantly trying to define what makes them human. The debate has ranged from our ability to walk on two legs and use our opposable thumbs to our ability for empathy and revenge. One theory as to what makes humans human is the mastery of fire, so much so that it is associated with life. Prometheus was a hero of humans, the bearer of fire. With such power bestowed upon us, like any authentic magic tale, when you wish for something another is taken. Fire has become not only a source of life, but a master of death and destruction. In light of the basic plot of “Animal’s People” by Indra Sinha, we are faced with the realization that fire is not considered a source of life in the story. It’s an animosity that thrives within Khaufpur

One instance that exhibits this idea is Kha-in-the-Jar’s only wish is to die in flames. Animal’s hallucination is symbolic because Kha believes he was created out of fire due to the explosion at the factory. In order to make peace with the life that he was never able to have, he believes that he must burn in order to move on. The idea that he was never able to live the life that he deserved haunts him and Animal. Many of the town’s people are related to the basic hallucination of Kha-in-the-jar. They were never able to live the life they were meant to live due to the constant burning. Burning of lungs of Somraj is a painful reminder of the wife and the passion that he lost. The burning of eyes that can no longer see haunts many that walk the streets. The burning of memories of the tragedy that impacted every member of the community is still searing twenty years later. The acceptance of the perpetual burning has been made, but the relief has yet to be found. The American culture has accepted the idea of fire as a right to humans, a source of comfort and passion. Indra Sinha shows us just how little we are able to tame the fire that burns within those for profit. His ability to create a united fear and acceptance of the painful fire that burns within the members of Khaufpur should make the readers feel uncomfortable. A feeling of guilt should arise in our stomachs

Indra Sinha also relates fire to the corruption within a person and businesses. Unlike the heroic Prometheus, the villain of the Animal’s people is Company that brought the explosion and fire to the city of Khaufpur. The connection between the Company and fire isn’t just a connection created within the book, we see the fire that they spread in our daily lives. Sadly, these events are more common than we thought. Some of the most compelling evidence comes from the media, or lack thereof. The last major environmental catastrophe directly caused by humans are the oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico. There is hardly any attention to these events. Indra Sinha’s fire represented in Animal’s People has only burning within the community. The media never spread it to create a wildfire to spread across the world. The fire of conversation was struck short by the lack of support that the community was able to receive. Find quote for this