The article examines the treatment of social issues in Mulk Raj Anand's novels Untouchable (1935) and Coolie (1936), focusing on the lives of the underprivileged, untouchables, coolies, sweepers, and exploited child labourers in pre-independent India. Drawing upon Anand's first-hand experiences and realist approach, the study analyzes how caste discrimination, class exploitation, poverty, industrialization, colonialism, and communalism shape the grim realities of Indian society. Through detailed discussion of characters such as Bakha and Munoo, the paper highlights Anand's role as a powerful social reformist voice in Indian English fiction, portraying suffering with irony, compassion, and humanistic optimism while advocating dignity, equality, and social justice.
Research Scholar, P.G. Department of English and Research Centre, Magadh University, Bodh-Gaya
