Ready Reference Treatise: Untouchable

By Raja Sharma

“Untouchable” by the Indian novelist and short story writer Mulk Raj Anand was first published in 1935. The novel brought the author both name and fame, and consequently he got established as one of India’s leading English writers.

Once, Mulk Raj Anand’s aunt had a meal with a Muslim woman. Consequently, she was declared an outcaste by his family. The incident highly inspired Mulk Raj Anand for writing this novel.

Ready Reference Treatise: Untouchable
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Major Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Thematic Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Feb 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310622069

Raja Sharma

Raja Sharma is a retired college lecturer.He has taught English Literature to University students for more than two decades.His students are scattered all over the world, and it is noticeable that he is in contact with more than ninety thousand of his students.

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Ready Reference Treatise: Untouchable

Copyright

Ready Reference Treatise: Untouchable

Raja Sharma

Copyright@2016 Raja Sharma

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Chapter One: Introduction

Untouchable by the Indian novelist and short story writer Mulk Raj Anand was first published in 1935. The novel brought the author both name and fame, and consequently he got established as one of India’s leading English writers.

Once, Mulk Raj Anand’s aunt had a meal with a Muslim woman. Consequently, she was declared an outcaste by his family. The incident highly inspired Mulk Raj Anand for writing this novel.

The story of the novel revolves around the argument that is in favour of eradicating the caste system from India. The novel describes a day in the life of the central character Bakha. He is the titular character Untouchable. He is a ‘sweeper’ by profession. Since he cleans latrines, he is deemed scheduled caste or untouchable.

Untouchable was the author’s first major work. It is written in a very simply style. Although the novel is very simple, it is a very powerful work of literature that exposed the dehumanizing contradictions and systematic oppressions inherent in India’s stratified society.

Bakha, the central character, is very handsome and intelligent, but he is an outcaste and he is not allowed to mingle with the people from the upper class of the society. He is not allowed to improve his life situation because even his presences and his touch are considered impure and corrupting.

The author, through the titular character, challenges the caste and religious barriers and rules that do not allow the untouchables from coming up in the society. The author presents a very strong argument in the favour of the education of untouchables.

Since Untouchable champions the cause of the untouchables or the scheduled caste people in India, it is considered a revolutionary work of literature. It very explicitly exposes the social evils prevalent in the contemporary Indian society.

When the book was published, it was very well received both in India and in several other countries around the world. The work was highly admired. The book compelled the Indian scholars and politicians to think about this social evil and do something to improve the living conditions of the untouchables.

Famous English story writer and essayist E. M. Forster mentioned that Untouchable had both historical and literary significance. Another thing that made the book very distinct is the appearance of Mahatma Gandhi in the novel.

The novel stands out because the author has included several Hindi and Punjabi idioms translated into English. Even today, the book is discussed and debated in the academic circles all over India. It is included in the reading lists of most of the schools and colleges around the country.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

Untouchable is set in a fictional Indian town. It is called Bulashah. The novel details a day in the life of a young man named Bakha. He is a sweeper by profession. Lakha, the head of all of sweepers in Bulashah, is Bakha’s father.

Bakha happens to be quite intelligent but naive. He is very humble, but his humbleness is of no use either to him or others. Over the course of that particular day, several minor and tragic incidents occur, and consequently he matures and begins to explore his internal self.

In the concluding part of the novel, the author makes a highly compelling case for the end of untouchability, establishing that untouchability is an inhumane and unjust system of oppression. His argument is based on the experiences of Bakha and the other people from his world.

As the day begins for Bakha, his father shouts at him and orders him to leave his bed and go out to clean the latrines. It is obvious that the relationship between Bakha and his father, Lakha, is strained. It is partly because Bakha is obsessed with the British, and in part because he is lazy.

At first, Bakha does not pay attention to his father’s call, but he eventually gets up and goes out to answer the demands of the upper caste man who wants to use the bathroom. That high caste man is Charat Singh. He is a famous hockey player.

Charat Singh also shouts at Bakha for neglecting his duties, but he later softens and tells Bakha to come and meet him later in the day. It transpires that