While caste related occupations are still largely practiced by a few members of the caste, and may not be taken up by people of other castes, several members belonging to the occupational caste engage themselves in open occupations that are not caste-bound. He walks, feeling heavy and oppressed by his memories from the day. Image Guidelines 5. At this Sarshar is amused, saying that Gandhi’s views on untouchability are his most logical. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. As mentioned in the previous Summary and Analysis, the final two movements in Bakha’s story are vastly different from the rest of the novel. Introduction (Essay on Untouchability in India) India has the largest democracy and is divided into many castes and religions. This untouchability is reduced to the state of natural slavery and hindered the growth of brotherhood; hold off the national unity as it disallowed any type of social intercourse. A symbol of revolution and reform, the Mahatma represents a new interpretation of Hinduism, an interpretation that does not include the subjugation and untouchability of sweepers. It seems caste has changed its form. Sarshar goes on to trace untouchability to its origins, describing it as system devised by “wily Brahmins” who misinterpreted the philosophical idea of karma for their own gain. • Much of what the men say goes over Bakha’s head, but it makes him remember his own nugget of information about the Mahatma. On the outside, he is calm as he walks, though the conflict in his soul over his commitment to Gandhi’s message and the realities of his own life is fierce. The sun sets. Essay on the Untouchability – The practice of ‘untouchability’ is a stigma attached to the Hindu society. It has its roots deep down in our social and religious system. December 16, 2019 October 11, 2018 by Jyoti singh. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Though Bakha remains ignorant of the deeper social and political issues that impact and govern his life, it is obvious he has grown and matured over the course of his long day. As he recites a Hindu hymn, every person present is transfixed, including Bakha, who feels the horrible details of his day wash away. Then, from where he is standing, Bakha watches the crowd surge towards a motorcar that has just pulled up. At this, Bakha’s ears perk up. https://www.gradesaver.com/untouchable/study-guide/imagery, justify the title of the novel untouchable, https://www.gradesaver.com/untouchable/study-guide/themes. So he will focus his speech on the plight of the untouchables. The crowd behind him follows, trampling the flora populating the patch of green. Copyright 10. It should be noted that not all occupations are caste-bound. Stewart, Amber. He felt connected to the emotions fueling the mob of people that had come to see Gandhi, but had been reminded of his place in the world. He feels them like a balm in his soul. He then confesses that he loves to scavenge, and that he wishes to be reborn as an untouchable, as an outcaste, in the next life. Content Filtrations 6. Of course, the oppression and exploitation of the backward sections has always been a social phenomenon […] Also, people from the villages that have been engulfed by the process of subornation have changed their traditional vocations and adopted new occupations, including domestic work, gardening, driving, etc. One is not sure at what stage the castes displayed a pattern of cumulative inequalities, but it is abundantly clear that today’s castes represent dispersed inequal­ities. Regarding castes as vote banks, numerical preponderance is being created by uniting people at the level of a caste cluster. The Mahatma has come! His dirty khakis, when compared to the pristine white clothes most of the crowd was wearing, made him remember the barrier of caste separating him and the rest of humanity. We all know that Indian history is certainly filled with many patriotic freedom fighters and social reformers. What has remained is the pursuit of certain caste-linked occupations by some section of that particular caste. The Mahatmas has come!” (Anand 263). Bakha looks ahead and sees he still has a long way to go before reaching the golbagh. ... Today, inter-dining is a common feature, each caste is highly diversified occupationally, and untouchability is fast disappearing, particularly in the urban areas. Even in the sphere of marriage, there are rising instances of inter-caste marriages (labeled love marriages as against arranged marriages) and also of inter-regional intra-caste marriages. “I shall go and tell father all that Gandhi said about us… and all that the poet said,” he whispers to himself. The one thing everyone has in common is the pressing, urgent desire to see and pay homage to Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi. One man declares that the Mahatma has made Hindus and Muslims one. Untouchable essays are academic essays for citation. As Sarshar pontificates, the reader gets the sense that Mulk Raj Anand himself is talking directly to the reader about his fears and hopes for India and the untouchables.