The Constraints of Conformity Anonymous 10th Grade

The choice between conforming to societal standards and pursuing a personal desire is a conflict many youth must face. Arjie, in Shyam Selvadurai’s “Pigs Can’t Fly,” initially experiences the joys of living a carefree childhood life through his imagination and playing bride-bride. The story traces Arjie’s path to becoming a subject of envy for his cousin Tanuja, being pressured to conform to social norms by his parents, and finally, his acceptance of the loss of what was his childhood due to conformity. With the sari as a recurring motif, the ideas through the use of symbolism illustrate the effects of conformity on Arjie’s life. Selvadurai suggests that conformity leads to the loss of Arjie’s childhood innocence and freedom.

Arjie is an innocent boy with the freedom to play to his heart’s content. This liberty comes in the form of the monthly spend-the-days, during which Arjie can “leave the constraints of [himself] and ascend into another, more brilliant, more beautiful self,” by playing bride-bride. Arjie is happy to be not only a part of, but the leader of the girls’ territory, compared to the “incomprehensible” boys’ side and ideas of fun. Being considered someone of importance by other members of the girls’ side, Arjie is...