34 pages • 1 hour read
Untouchable
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Book Brief
160
Novel • Fiction
India • 1930s
1935
Penguin Books
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand charts a day in the life of Bakha, a young man enslaved by India's caste system. Bakha, an Untouchable, cleans latrines and faces mistreatment from upper caste Hindus. After he and his sister endure numerous indignities, Bakha attends Gandhi's speech advocating for the end of the caste system. Bakha's hopes rest on societal reforms and the arrival of innovations like flushing toilets. The book includes instances of sexual assault.
Challenging
Informative
Mysterious
Melancholic
Emotional
Reviews & Readership
7,389 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Mulk Raj Anand's Untouchable receives acclaim for its powerful portrayal of caste discrimination in India. Critics laud Anand's empathetic character development and vivid narrative style, though some find the novel's didactic tone and graphic depictions challenging. Overall, the work is praised for its historical significance and emotional impact.
Who Should Read Untouchable?
Readers who would enjoy Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand are often those interested in social justice, Indian history, and caste discrimination. Fans of works like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy will appreciate the poignant exploration of marginalized communities and the fight for dignity.
7,389 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Sohini
Sohini
Bakha's fourteen-year-old sister, known for her beauty, who encounters unwanted attention from several men due to her looks.
Lakha
Lakha
Bakha's father, a widower, who often expresses his frustrations and powerlessness through harshness towards his children but is ultimately concerned about their safety.
Charat Singh
Charat Singh
A famous hockey player and Brahmin who displays kindness towards Bakha, notably giving him a hockey stick and allowing him to enter his home, offering a contrast to other upper caste characters.
Colonel Hutchison
Colonel Hutchison
A white, English missionary who notices Bakha's sadness and extends kindness, illustrating the potential for compassionate interactions between different cultural and societal groups.
Mulk Raj Anand was inspired to write Untouchable after being deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's fight against untouchability and social discrimination in India.
Untouchable, published in 1935, is known for being one of the first novels of a genre that came to be known as "Indian-English" literature, making it a pioneer in its field.
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To create a direct and authentic narrative, Anand wrote Untouchable in a single day, fueled by his anger at the institutionalized social injustices he had observed.
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160
Novel • Fiction
India • 1930s
1935
Penguin Books
Adult
18+ years
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