Animal’s People Themes

Identity

Animal’s People deals primarily with Animal’s struggle for his own sense of self. Animal’s recording of the tapes is itself an act of self-discovery, as Animal concludes his recordings by explaining it was all in an effort to find clarity about who he is and how he should live. It is a story, ultimately, of self-acceptance, as his storytelling leads to his transformation.

Animal begins by allowing his identity to be defined solely by his appearance; because he has to walk on all fours, he decides he must identify as an animal. In this way, it is the tragedy of that night that he has allowed to define him.

By the end of his story, Animal has come to terms with all that has happened. He no longer feels angry at the “animal” he is, but accepts who the suffering has allowed him to become. His reflection—and realization—on the personal experiences and relationships he’s built redefines how he sees himself. It is no longer the Kampani’s disaster that’s made him an animal; it’s his people who allow him to recognize his human worth. His final decision to reject the surgery to fix his back shows that he has fully come to terms with his identity; rather than being one of millions of upright people, he can live confidently as the only Animal.

Animal’s People also offers a secondary exploration into identity through the characters of the Khaufpuri people. While the Khaufpuri are the suffering victims who the photographers and journalists depict, they’re also strong and good and full of hope.

Power/Westernization

Sinha’s portrayal of power imbalance in Animal’s People acts also as a criticism of westernization. By altering details from the Bhopal disaster—creating the fictional city of Khaufpur, changing the names of people and relief efforts, and only giving a generic name for the responsible American “Kampani”—Sinha makes his novel more universally applicable. It is no longer just the Bhopal tragedy he addresses, but other tragedies caused by the Western world.

The power of the Western world—especially within developing countries—is highlighted from subtle symbols, like the materialistic, universally recognizable Coca-Cola sign, to overt ones, like the Kampani’s outright refusal to show up for court hearings. Even Animal’s understanding of the Western world is shaped by its movies and images, a sort of self-promotion of power and inaccessibility.

The Khaufpuri’s mistrust of Western outsiders—the journalists, the Kampani leaders, and, initially, Elli—is a response to the way these outsiders have minimized the Khaufpuri struggle. Animal’s refusal to record for the jarnalis, therefore, is especially important. His rejection of the Western-controlled perspective allows him to take back a sense of power, as he controls the narrative.

Humanity (Love, Friendship)

At its core, Animal’s People is an exploration into humanity as we define it. Because of his physical deformation, and the teasing he faces, Animal convinces himself that he is not—and cannot be—human. He chooses instead to identify only as an animal. By defining himself as nonhuman, Animal can isolate himself—his soul—from people who only see his deformed body; he can be free of the suffering that humans face. Even Farouq criticizes this mindset, claiming that his rejection of his own humanity is only to excuse his wild behavior. To Animal, to think of himself as human is to admit that he’s wrong shaped and abnormal; to be an animal is to be whole.

However, even as he claims to be nonhuman and detached, Animal is highly contemplative and emotional. While he may hide his feelings, he craves intimate emotional and physical relationships; that is, he craves human connection. When he rejects the human world entirely, he finds that he also does not fit in with the animals. During his hallucinogenic breakdown, Animal determines that, because he does not fit in with humans or animals, he must be a universe unto itself. In his total rejection of humanity, he hits his lowest point.

As Animal processes and reflects on his story, he transforms, becoming increasingly aware of the humanity he does possess. He realizes that Animal’s people—Ma, his friends, his neighbors—love, accept, and encourage him exactly as he is. To them, he is a “full and true human being.” When he thinks of the trauma of the recent events, including Ma’s and other deaths, he is overcome with grief and breaks into sobs. This moment acts as the turning point for Animal; the outward show of emotion is a symbolic acceptance of his human nature.

Sinha uses Animal’s struggle with his own sense of humanity as a criticism for the way we define it. Animal, although beast-like, is much more human—and certainly more humane—than the novel’s villains. Not only does the Kampani and its lawyers avoid responsibility for the lives it has ruined, it shows an arrogance and lack of compassion when directly faced with that suffering. When Nisha reflects on the futility of the Khaufpuri’s search for justice, she claims that appeals to humanity are of no use, as they are “not human” but animals. Such a perspective highlights the fault in Animal’s logic. It is not a “normal” body that makes one human; it is the compassion and love one shares with others.