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eNotes Home > Literature > Literature Questions > Comment on the significance of the novel untouchable (450 words). 3,152 Documents25,337 Members Following
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Comment on the significance of the novel untouchable (450 words).


shoaibalam4u

Teacher

High School - 10th Grade
Posted by shoaibalam4u on February 24, 2010 at 9:21 AM and tagged with indian english literature, literature

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kaneez-amee...

Student

Graduate School

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Untouchable, Mulk Raj Anand’s first novel brought the author immense popularity and prestige and this is certainly because the novel is highly significant as it shows a realistic picture of Indian society and by extension, society in general. The novel is charged with intellectual discourse on the karmic illusion of work and untouchability. Moreover, the protagonist of the novel, Bakha is also considerable as he transcends his character in the novel to become a universal figure, representative of all down-trodden society in pre-Independence India. Also, the title of the novel itself is meaningful since it indicates the major contents of the novel.

Firstly, Untouchable shows the evil of untouchability in Hindu Society. The novel emphasises on an individual's attempt to emancipate himself from the age old evil of untouchability. Anand is here concerned with evils of untouchability and the need for radical empathy. He describes the pathetic...