A Death in the Gunj is a coming of age story that centres around Shutu, our protagonist, and his conflicted ideas of masculinity. He finds himself navigating the blurred lines of what is accepted in society and questions his own space within the world. The everyday callousness of the adults around him contributes to his intense feelings of isolation despite being surrounded by his family. The emotional violence that we as a society inflict upon others unwittingly is what cumulatively leads to a kind of destruction that is irrevocable.