Untouchable- Mulk Raj Anand, question-answers

 UNTOUCHABLE

1. Write critical appreciation of  Anand's "Untouchable".

Ans- Mulk Raj Anand is one of the three greatest  Indian novelists writing novels in English, the other two being Raja Rao and R.K. Narayan. His literary career spans a period of more than thirty-six years. Untouchable, the first novel of Mulk Raj Anand was first published in 1935. Since it's publication,the novel has become immensely popular and it has been translated into more than twenty languages. Untouchable is not only the magnum opus  of Mulk Raj Anand but also the most popular,compact and well knit novel.

Untouchable presents an account of a single day in Bakha's life, a scavenger boy of eighteen, and the central character in the novel. A number of things happen to Bakha in one day, all of which contribute slowly to the changes in his spirit. He goes into the town to sweep the gullies in exchange for food.He changes to jostle a little Hindu merchant , and is slapped and abused. A priest tries to seduce his sister, and when Bakha peeps into the temple to see what is happening , the Brahmin scream, "polluted ! Polluted!" . All these episodes conspire to crush Bakha's self-confidence to force him back into his hopeless caste position and make him dimly, but poignantly, aware of the forces determined to keep him there. The novel is elegant with less crowded canvas. There are Bakha, a scavenger boy,the hero, Lakha, Rohini, Chota, Ram Charan and Rakha. Pandit Kali Nath is a caste Hindu priest, libidinous and hypocrite. He assaults Mohini. Colonel Hutchinson is a Christian, he is highly motivated to proselytise the untouchables into christianity. Iqbal Nath Darshan is a zealous poet. There are few characters less significance. They are Gulabo, the washer woman and Havildar Charat Singh who is generous to Bakha. But Bakha is focused and ubiquitous and the novelist presents an account of everything that happens on this fateful day.
Untouchable is a novel with prime concern for society and inspired by a mission to eliminate the evils of casteism, hypocrisy and exploitation of the poor in the name of pseudo supermacy. The novel has exposed debauchery of the caste, they had no right to ask for justice, they had to suffer. Bakha is a symbolic figure who represents the untouchables with their sufferings.
Untouchable is a magnum opus from the point of construction. It discards all superfluity, every incident and episode boost the action ahead. Anand has superbly observed the classic unities of time, place and action. The novel is divided into scenes which follow a sequence and the most harrowing and excruciating among them is the "touching scene"  in the temple courtyard. However, the novel concludes with a lacerating criticism of superstition, untouchability and hypocrisy. Anand has been allegedly propagating his doctrine of social justice and equality without any discrimination of caste and creed.
In brief, Untouchable gives us a view of a traditional ans caste-ridden society where the caste Hindus treat the untouchables as scum of the earth. It is marked for its conflict between tradition and modernity. Some radical forces anticipate a great social change. Everything is dynamic and Bakha represents a great transition from injustice to justice.