Representations Of Caste And Social Inequality In Indian English Literature

Abstract

This review article seeks to map Indian English literature about the issue of caste and social inequality starting right from Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable through contemporary writers like Arundhati Roy, Rohinton Mistry, and Aravind Adiga. Indian English literature, thus, has been a key sphere that has engaged with the erector spines of the Indian caste system that determines sociopolitical scope and images of oppression in India actively. The article covers the aspects of untouchability, inter-caste relations, caste and gender and religion, and caste in the context of modern urbanization. It also tries to explain how the global readership shapes the representation of caste and the conflict between the true representation of caste and the commodification of caste for the international market. Moreover, the article deconstructs the problems of the reductionism of caste and the need to listen to the real Dalits. Thus, the current review confirms the significance and modernity of the caste-based narratives in the discussed literature and their impact on the ongoing social justice and inequality debates in India.