Caste, Class, and Consciousness: The Socio-Cultural Realism in the Select Works of Mulk Raj Anand

Abstract

This paper explores the interwoven themes of caste, class, and consciousness in the select novels of Mulk Raj Anand, with particular focus on Untouchable (1935), Coolie (1936), and Two Leaves and a Bud (1937). Anand’s fiction represents a pioneering form of socio-cultural realism that transcends mere documentation of social evils, presenting instead an ethically charged engagement with India’s marginalized communities. By dramatizing the humiliations of caste oppression, the brutalities of industrial exploitation, and the dehumanization of colonial capitalism, Anand situates his narratives within a framework of social reform and human dignity. Characters such as Bakha, Munoo, and Gangu are portrayed not merely as victims but as figures whose experiences awaken forms of consciousness that challenge entrenched hierarchies. The article also engages with critical perspectives from E.M. Forster, K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar, Meenakshi Mukherjee, C.D. Narasimhaiah, and Harish Raizada, highlighting how Anand’s realism merges moral urgency with literary form. It concludes that Anand’s socio-cultural vision remains vital, as his fiction anticipates later discourses on intersectionality and emphasizes literature’s transformative potential in confronting structures of caste and class.