ARUNACHAL UNIVERSITY OF STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

PAPER: NEW LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

TOPIC: UNTOUCHABLE BY MULK RAJ ANAND

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

Name:Milan lama Asst. Professor
Course:M.A 2nd sem Name:Manju kumari
Enroll no. :ACCR530506
 • INTRODUCTION:
He is a well-known Indian author who discusses the
evil customs that have their origins in India.
Traditional Indian society is an essential topic in his
writings. India’s rigid caste system is a practice that
only hurts the populace. Anand boldly addresses
the mistreatment of members of society’s lower
classes in his writings.
That is evident in Anand’s first novel, Untouchable.
The plot revolves around the abolition of the caste
system. This novel, written in 1935, follows the life
of Bakha, a sweeper from the lowest level of the
outcast Untouchables. He accepts it as a normal
part of life for the most part. After all, that’s how he
was brought up. However, a series of events occur
that cause him to question his existence and the
role he plays in society.
Bakha spends more than half of the book going to
work and doing his job while daydreaming about
various ideas. The book’s final section takes on a
more political tone, with encounters with
missionary groups and rallies featuring famous
political figures.

★ LITERATURE REVIEW:
Shaina Musing (2001) in her research work
'Untouchable' focuses on racial discrimination
among the society.
Review:
This is a short novel, under one hundred and sixty pages,
but it leaves you with profound thoughts. Set in pre-
independent India, Untouchable is a dirty story. You’ll
know why I said that when you read the
delightful Preface by E.M Forster. The story of an ordinary
lad, who is conscious of his status in society and yet can’t
help but question its unfairness.

“Some readers, especially those who consider themselves

all-white, will go purple on the face with rage before they
have finished a dozen pages, and will exclaim that they
cannot trust themselves to speak.”

It made me appreciate the privileged life I live, and also

how some parts of my society haven’t yet let go of
their age-old prejudices. The story tells us about how
tough it is to grow up, not only as outcastes but also
as a girl growing up there without a mother to shelter
her. Though it made me feel odd when Bakha didn’t
miss his mother that much. Made me wonder whether
it was due to being emotionally stunted, but that
thought didn’t last long especially after experiencing
his conflicting feelings regarding his identity and his
place in society in the general scheme of things.

“He was vaguely ashamed and self-conscious at being

seen buying sweets.”

Objective and aim:

• The plots of this book Anand’s first revolves
around the argument for eradicating the
caste system. It depicts a day in the life of
Bakha, a young “sweeper ”, who is
untouchable due to this work of cleaning
latrineslatrines.

• The aim of Mulk Raj Anand's novel "Untouchable" is to

raise awareness about the social injustices and
discrimination faced by the "untouchables" in India.
Through the story of Bakha, a young sweeper boy who
 is ostracized and marginalized due to his low caste
status, Anand highlights the dehumanizing effects of
the caste system on those who are considered to be at
the bottom of the social hierarchy.

• Bibliography:

*PRIMARY SOURCES
Anand, Mulk Raj. Untouchable, Bombay : Kutub
Popular, n.d.
Coolie. Bombay : Kutub - Popular, n.d.
-, Two Leaves and a Bud. Bombay : Kutub -
Popular, 1966.
-, The Village. Bombay : Kutub - Popular, 1960.
-, The Big Heart. Bombay : Kutub - Popular, n.d.
The Old Woman and a Cow. Bombay : Kutub -
Popular, 1960.
The Road. Delhi : Sterling Publishers P**

*SECONDARY SOURCES:

I. Critical Works on Mulk Raj Anand :

Asnani, Shyam M. Critical Response to Indian
English Fiction.
Delhi : Mitthal Publications, 1985.
Berry, Margaret, Mulk Raj Anand : The Man and
the Novelist.
Amesterdam : Orient Press, 1971.
Cowasjee, Saros. So Many Freedoms : A Study of
the Major Fiction
of Mulk Raj Anand. Madras : Oxford University
Press, 1977.
—, Coolie ; An Assessment. Delhi : Oxford
University Press,1976.
—, (ed.), Author to Critic : Letters of Mulk Rai
Anand to
Saros Cowasjee. Calcutta : Writers Workshop,
1973.
Gupta, Balarama G.S. Mulk Raj Anand : A Study
of his Fiction
in Humanist Perspective. Bareilly : Prakash Book
Depot,197*•••

'The Proletarian Humanism of Mulk Raj Anand'. Problems of

the Indian Creative Writer in English.
Bombay : Somaiya Publications, 1971.
Walsh, William. Commonwealth Literature. London : Oxford
Publishing Press, 1973.

*Link- ir.unishivaji.ac.in
http://ir.unishivaji.ac.in › jspuiPDF
•Se,\t cf BIBLIOGRAPHY PRIMARY SOURCES Anand, Mulk
Raj. ...

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