Mulk Raj Anand's portrayal of social inequalities in Untouchable.

Abstract

The book Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand gives a vivid account of the suffering of the untouchable caste in Indian culture. Anand highlights the terrible reality and systemic prejudice suffered by those in the lowest levels of society via vivid imagery and riveting narrative. In Untouchable, one of the central ideas is how prejudice based on caste may strip people of their humanity. By having his protagonist, Bachi, treated with disdain and abuse just because of his birth into a lower caste, Anand emphasises the inevitability of untouchability. The storey paints a realistic picture of Bakha's everyday humiliations, from being barred from entering public venues and temples to being verbally and physically abused. Anand, via these portrayals, emphasises the pervasiveness of societal structures and the devastating effects they have on the lives of the excluded. The storey also places an emphasis on the interconnected nature of many forms of socioeconomic inequality. Anand shows how the untouchables' plight is compounded by their low socioeconomic status, which in turn limits their access to possibilities. The prejudice Bakha and his family experience is exacerbated by their poverty, their lack of education, and their lack of access to basic needs. Anand uses an intersectional perspective to highlight the ways in which the untouchables' disadvantage is exacerbated by the junction of caste-based oppression and other types of marginalisation.