Question

Themes of the Novel The Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand ( 5 marks)​

Answer 1

Answer:

Untouchable,is not only a novel but a work of social relevance.And when a novel has its social relevance that means it’s a social

novel.A social novel,sometimes also referred as social problem novel.It may be a work of fiction in which a prevailing social problem

such as of gender,race,or class prejudice,is dramatized through its effect on the characters of a novel.But if the social problem

discussed in the novel or any literary work is still prevailing in the society then the relevance of that particular work is still

sought.Untouchable is a novel in which the burning issue of its time has been dramatized.As name suggests, untouchability remained

the central issue in the novel.Mulk Raj Anand rose to the fame after the publication of Untouchable in 1935.Its social relevance can be

measured by the fact that apart from a writer Mulk Raj Anand is also acrcredited as a social reformer.Most of his literary work

remained attributed to the social cause especially to point out the social evil rooted in the society.Wheather it is

Untouchable,Coolie,Two Leave And A Bud,Across The Black Waters,or The Sword And The Sickle all were dedicated to the

downtrodden,deprived,socially and economically backward people of labour class,of lower strata of the society or the people of lower

and abandoned caste and class.The auther showed his personal sympathy to these sects of society.Indian society is a caste ridden

society where caste based discrimination is an age old problem.From the ancient time to the modern,casteism remained a sensitive

issue.The hero of the novel Untouchable,Bakha is an untouchable,around whom whole of the plot revolves.He is introduced to us on

the very first page of the novel,as a youngman of 18,who is in the profession of manual scavenging,cleaning the public latrines and

considered as untouchable in the hindu society.The one who cleans the dirt of the society is considered as unclean and untouchable

and is treated inhumanely.In Indian society,the presence of caste based discrimination cannot be denied even today.

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