Untouchable

Untouchable is a novel written by Muk Raj Anand, a prominent Indian author who also wrote Coolie (1936). Published in 1935, Untouchable charts the path of one day in the life of a young man named Bakha. Bakha is a member of the Untouchables, a designation for people so far below even the lowest caste in Indian society that they are considered outside of the system. His job is to sweep streets and latrines for the upper class, who are forbidden from cleaning or touching human waste. Because he was born as an Untouchable, this will be Bakha's job for his entire life, unless there are reforms in India. The entire novel takes place on one day of Bakha's life, a day in which his tolerance for the mistreatment endured by the lower castes begins to erode.

Plot Summary

As the novel begins, Bakha is reporting for another day of latrine cleaning at the behest of his father, an ill-tempered bully named Lakha. While cleaning the latrine of a famous street hockey player named Charat Singh, the man invites Bakha to visit him later in the day. He promises to give Bakha a hockey stick as a gift.