Humanism in Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable

Abstract

Untouchable is one of the sociological novel published in1935. In ‘Untouchable’ he gives message of Humanism. His novels embrace human experiences and convey a sense of life and character like a coloured glass.Anand’s humanism has been the inspiration and the driving force behind the writing of the novels. In the novel he express the basic idea of his variety of humanism. Untouchable is the most important element of Anand humanism. He views casteism as a social crime against humanity because it has evil effects on human mind. The tradition of untouchability on the basis of the caste-system retracts the idea of progress. In the novel Bakha suffer so many indignities and humiliations in a single day merely because he is a sweeper. He is insulted abused and finally slapped for touching a high caste Hindu. In Untouchable Anand who as a humanist does not believe in God, hell and heaven rejecting the doctrine of karma and karmaphala. Mokhya or the act of justice as trite and bogas, no longer fits for the awaking of masses. The element of fate of karma is presented in his novel but only to be rejected and savagely criticism. The theme of man?s inhumanity to man is the most important stream of thought in the novel. This has been depicted in the form of caste hatred or untouchability.