Analysis of Untouchable

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Introduction

Published in 1935, Untouchable is Mulk Raj Anand’s debut novel and a landmark work of social protest in Indian English literature. The novel is a stark and powerful exposé of the dehumanizing practice of untouchability in India. It chronicles a single day in the life of its protagonist, Bakha, a young toilet-cleaner, to provide an unflinching look at the daily humiliations and deep-seated injustices of the caste system. The novel’s introduction was famously written by Anand’s friend and mentor, the British novelist E.M. Forster, who praised its directness and emotional power.

Plot Summary

The novel follows eighteen-year-old Bakha through a series of soul-crushing incidents on a single day. His day begins with his father ordering him to clean the town’s latrines. As he works, he yearns for a life of dignity, dreaming of wearing the clothes of a sahib (a white man). After finishing his work, he walks through the town, where he accidentally bumps into a higher-caste man. This single touch triggers a torrent of public abuse and humiliation. A crowd gathers, and Bakha is cursed and slapped for “polluting” the man.

The trauma of this event follows him throughout the day. He is denied food when he tries to beg, and his sister, Sohini, is sexually harassed by a temple priest who then hypocritically accuses her of polluting him. Bakha is filled with a silent, impotent rage. Seeking solace, he wanders and encounters three potential solutions to his plight. First, he listens to a Christian missionary, Colonel Hutchinson, who speaks of a god who sees all men as equal, but Bakha is put off by the Colonel’s focus on sin. Second, he overhears a speech by Mahatma Gandhi, who denounces untouchability as a great sin against Hinduism. Finally, he listens to a poet named Iqbal Nath Sarshar (likely representing Anand himself) who argues that the flush toilet, a new technology, will be the true liberator of the untouchables, as it will eliminate the need for their degrading work. The novel ends with Bakha returning home, pondering these possibilities, with a glimmer of hope for a future free from oppression.

Major Characters

• Bakha: The protagonist. He is a young, strong, and sensitive man who is trapped in the degrading profession of a latrine-cleaner. He is not a passive victim; he is intelligent and observant, full of a suppressed rage and a deep desire for self-respect and a better life. Anand uses the stream of consciousness technique to give the reader intimate access to Bakha’s thoughts and feelings.

• Lakha: Bakha’s father. He is resigned to his fate and represents the older generation’s acceptance of the oppressive social order.

• Sohini: Bakha’s sister. She is a quiet and gentle figure who also suffers the indignities of being an untouchable, most notably through the sexual harassment she endures from the temple priest.

Major Themes

• The Dehumanization of the Caste System: This is the novel’s central theme. Anand exposes how the system of untouchability strips individuals of their basic human dignity, reducing them to their prescribed, “polluting” function. The novel is a powerful indictment of this social evil.

• Oppression and Social Injustice: The novel meticulously documents the various forms of oppression—social, religious, and economic—that Bakha faces. He is denied education, subjected to verbal and physical abuse, and exploited for his labor.

• The Search for Identity and Dignity: Despite his circumstances, Bakha constantly struggles to assert his identity and claim his dignity. His desire to dress like a sahib is not just a childish fantasy but a deep-seated yearning for the respect and freedom that is denied to him.

• Hope and the Possibility of Change: While the novel is a bleak portrayal of oppression, it is not entirely without hope. The three potential solutions offered at the end—Christianity, Gandhian reform, and technology—represent different paths to liberation, suggesting that change is possible.

Critical Reception and Legacy

Untouchable is considered a classic of modern Indian literature. Its publication was a courageous act that brought the harsh realities of the caste system to an international audience. The novel is praised for its powerful realism, its psychological depth, and its profound empathy. It established Mulk Raj Anand as a major voice of social protest and remains a vital and relevant text for its powerful critique of social injustice.