Themes

Religious Exploitation: The novel shows how religion can be misused for personal gain. Majeed turns an unknown grave into a saint’s shrine and deceives the villagers. His false holiness controls their minds and lives. Through this, Waliullah exposes blind faith and corruption.

Existential Struggle: Majeed’s journey reflects the search for existence and survival. He fights poverty, loneliness, and fear by creating false faith. His actions show how humans struggle to find meaning amid hunger and insecurity.

Patriarchy and Female Oppression: The novel portrays men’s authority over women in rural Bengal. Majeed dominates Rahima and Jamila. Amena is punished for being childless. Women’s silence and suffering reveal the cruelty of a patriarchal and religiously rigid society.