MULK RAJ ANAND PPT.ppsx

MULK RAJ ANAND PPT.ppsx

1. MulkRaj Anand
(12December1905to28sep2004)hewasanINDO_ENGLISHwriterborninPeshawar,BritishIndia
(nowpresentinPakistan).Hewastheauthorofhundredofnovels,shortstories,andessaysto
hisname.ConsideredapioneeroftheAngloIndianfictionheiswidelyrememberedforhis
depictionofthepoorerclassesofpeopleinindiaandtheirhardships.
A prolificwriter,MulkRajAnandfirstgainedwiderecognitionforhisnovels
HisMajorWORKSare“untouchable1935and“coolie1936”bothofwhichexaminedthe
problemsofpovertyinIndiansociety.
Twoleavesandabud1937,thelalsinghtrilogy1942,theBigheart1945,Theprivatelifeofan
Indainprince1953,TheSevenSummers1951,andtheMorningface1968.
Heisconsideredthe“charlesdickens”ofindia,whowroteaboutplightofthelowest
membersofthecastesysteminindiaandtheterriblelivestheywerebornto,oneofthose
booksiscalled“coolie.”
In1945hereturnedtoBombaytocampaignfornationalreforms.AmonghisothermajorworksareThe
villagetheswordandthesickle1942”theBigheart1945”.Anandwroteothernovelsandshortstory
collectionsandalsoeditednumerousmagazinesandjournalsincludingin1946.
theMajorthemesofnovelsarebasedoni)theExploitationoftheHave-not:Hungerand
starvation,freedomstruggle,satireonthepostindependentRulers,Religioushypocrisy,feudal
attitudes,womenandtheirtraditionalstatus,East-westthemeetc.

2. Introduction
MulkRajAnandhasbeenoneoftheimportantpillarsofIndianWritinginEnglish.Hehaswrittenmanynovelsandone
ofhisprominentworksisCoolie.Anandhasalwaysvoicedtheuntouchablesandlessprivilegedandthisnovelyetagain
highlightsthistheme.Coolieisapicaresqueandepisodicnovel.writtenbytheIndianEnglishwriterMulkrajanand,this
novelisuniqueinthesensethatitvoicestheexploitedandunderprivilegedsectionsofIndiansocietywhodonothave
anyvoiceforthemselves.itportraystheuglytruththathappinessonlybelongstotherichandthepoorhavetosuffer
everywherewhetheritisBombay,Shimla,andkangrahills.
Munooafourteenyearoldpoorboy,whoselifecanbedividedintofourphases–Doulatpur,ShamNagar,Shimlaand
Bombay.Inallthephases,hemeetsmanypeopleandwithmostofthem,hiscontactisveryminimal.Allofthemare
visibleinaparticularchapterandthentheyfadeawayinthenextchaptertonotreturn.Theplotofthenovelisnotvery
compactastherearefivedisconnectedanddifferentepisodes.
Someofthemajorthemesofthenovelarethesufferingandexploitationofthepoor,theunderdogandmillionsof
othersinthesub-continent.
Alloverthenovel,wefindanabundantamountofsufferingandpoverty.Thepoorandrichlivesareinuttercontrastto
eachother.Therurallifehasbeencarefullyandintricatelycontrastedwiththemodernone.Munoo’sexploitationthrough
thevillagelandlord’shandsiscontrastedbyMunoo’sownatallfourphases.
Munooistheconsciousnesscentreofthenovelandwegettoseealltheactionthroughhisperspective.Everything
aroundhimisdepictedthewayitwouldappeartoachildandithasthezealforlife,curiosityandspiritednessofakid.
Weseethatthepointofviewisofatruechild,whobringsallthematerialinfocusandformalizesit.

3. The novel coolie voices the exploited and uderpriviledged
section of Indian society.
Socialcriticism
Thenovel“Coolie”givesglimpseofthecountrylife,townlifeandthelifeinslumsinanindustrialcityaswell
asonahillplaceShimla.Thisnovelistherepresentationofthemiseriesofthepoorinthesociety.Evenwhen
Anandistalkingofexploitation,asinCoolieforexample,heissometimesabletoinjectcomedyintothe
narration.Forinstance,thebankclerkwhoisthefirstpersontoemployMunooasadomesticservantwantsthe
Britishbosstobewellentertained.Allkindsoflavisharrangementshavebeenmadeandtheideaistoimpress
theboss.Munoo,thedomesticservantisrequiredtoplaytherolethathasbeenplannedoutforhim.Buthaving
justcomefromavillage,heisunabletograsptheintentoftheplan.Insteadofthebossbeingimpressed,
almosttheoppositehappens.Bybringingintheelementofthecomictwist,Ananddeftlychangestheplaneof
socialanalysis.Anandinhisnovelstalksaboutthepoverty,hunger,starvation,exploitation,degradation,
poverty-strickenpeople,downtroddenandoppressedpeople,thesocialevilsandinhumancruelties
Anand’sprotestagainstexploitationofpoorpeoplebyrichpeople.MulkRajAnandisa
novelistofsocialconcerns.EveninarandomreadingofAnand’snovelsthereadersbecomes
immediatelyawareofsuchproblemsas-injustice,classconflitsandexploitationofvarious
kindsofthepoorpeoplebyrichetc.AndCoolieisthebestexampleofexploitation.Itprotests
againsttheinjusticeandexploitationperpetratedonthedisinheritedanddisposisedoftheearth.
Coolieisthelifestoryofmunoo.Ittellsusaboutthetrialsandtribulationofasensitive,
inquistivehillboyinaworldwhichisriddenbyexploitationandsufferingofthedown-down
troddenpeople.IntheendofthenovelMunnofindsthatevenupperclasspersonsiftheyhave
nomoneyhavetoslavefortheirliving.Hethinks:-“iamKshatriyaandiampoor,andand
VarmaaBrahaminisaserventboy,amenial.”(240)

4. Titleofthenovel“Coolie”bymulkRajAnand
Thetitleofthisnovel“coolie”itreferstomanuallaborersandslavesparticularlyfromindia,asthenovelistMulk
RajAnandhasgiventhetitlecooliebecausehewantstoshowthemiseryoftheopperessedIndianmasses.Asa
wholethenovel“coolie”hasrightlybeencalled“theEpicofmisery”professorM.K.NAIKcallscoolie“adrama
ofexploitation”asMunoo’slifebegainsandendswirththekeynoteofExploitation.andcooliewhorepresents
thelowerclassofthesociety.
Cooliewhoaretheunskilled,manuallaborersandslavesparticularlyintheindiansociety,thenovelcooliedepicts
thecharacterofmunoo,a14yearyounghillboywhoisdraggedintotheplainsinthefalsehopeofgoingtowork
andseeingtheworld.
Theirphysicalstrengthandcheaplaborismuchneeded,theirpresenceisoftenlookeddown.thusthetitleofthe
novelintroducethethemeofexploitationsandlackofrecognition.
“Coolie”thefictionalnovelishighlycriticalofBritishruleinindiaandindia’scastesystem.Theplotrevolve
aroundMunoo,andhisplightduetopovertyandexploitationaidedbythesocialandpoliticalstructuresin
place,inthisMulkrajheretriestobreakthetraditionalwayoflife.
Munooisauniversalfigureonewhorepresentsthesufferingandstarvingmillionsofthe
countrymasses
Munoowhoistheprotagonistofthisnovelcoolie,afourteenyearpoorboy,suffersfromidentitylossasheis
alwaystransferredfromoneplacetoanotherduringhisjourney,howeverwhenheilltreatedforbecominga
cooliethatheundserstandsthathebelongstoalowerclass.
LikeMulkrajpreviousnovel“untouchable,”coolie”isalsoaderogatoryword.itreferstomanuallaborersand
slavesparticularlyfromIndianandinthe20
th
century,ithasalsobecomearascistinsult.

5. Thisnovelistheodyssey(theeventfulljourney,experience)ofMunoo’slife,anorphanedvillageboy
fromtheKangrahills,whosetsoutinsearchofalivelihood.Hisseveralrolesincludeworkingasa
domesticservantinanurbanmiddle-classfamilyinShamNagar.Inthebazar,inDaulatapur,asa
labourerinacottonmillinBombayandasarickshawpullerinanAnglo-IndianhouseholdinSimla-
ajob,therigorousofwhichbringonswiftconsumptionandanuntimelydeath.
thisnovelisasocialtragedycausedbyhumancruelty,greed,selfishness,povertyandexploitation.
Munoo,theheroofthenovel,isauniversalfigurewhosuffersalotduetothehunger,
starvation,degradation,miseriesofthepooranddowntrodden,andtheunderdogs.Hungerhasbeen
animportantthemeintheAnglo-Indianfiction.Thenovelistshavedealtwiththedegradationand
sufferingwhichhungerorstarvationcauses.InthisnovelCoolie,thethemeofhungerhasbeen
realisticallydepicted,andtheheroicstruggleofthecentralfigureMunoo
Racialdiscrimination;theracialdiscriminationofcooliesisshownwhenmunootoaskfor
sodawaterinashopinBombay,heisasktositonthegroundnotatthechairasheisacoolie.
Withthestatement“IamMunoo,BabuNathooRam’sservant,”Munoohasrealizedhispositionintheworldand
hisselfidentityisalsobasedonthisroleassignedtohimbysociety.Heacceptsitwithoutquestioningthe
exhaustingwork,theabuseorthecrueltreatment.Tohimthereareonlytwokindsofpeopleintheworld,”…the
richandthepoor.”),andMunoo,thehill-boy,hasrealizedfromwhatkindofpeoplehecomesfromandtowhich
kindofpeoplehebelongsto.Thecastesystemisnolongerrelevant;itistheclasssystembasedoneconomic
statusthathasputitsstrangleholdonsocietyandMunoodisplaysakeenunderstandingbybeingabletograsp
thisturninthehistoryofsociety.Heremarks,“IamaKshatriyaandIampoor,andVarma,aBrahmin,isa
servantboy,amenial,becauseheispoor.No,castedoesnotmatter.Thebabusarelikethesahiblogs,andallthe
servantsIookalike

6. Munooahelpless,unskilledlaborer(coolie):
Munoowhorepresentstheoppresedclassandcompletesthenovelist’svisionoflife.itbringsoutthe
richnessanddemonstratethelifeofthelowerclassoftheIndiansocietywhichhasbeenoppressedbythe
upperclassofthesociety.
MunoohastoworkasaCoolie-firstintheGrainMarketandthenintheVegetableMarket.IntheGrain
Marketthereishardcompetetionbetweenthestarvingcoolies.Munoosuffersverymuchhere.Inthe
VegetableMarketMunooispaidverylowwageandthereisstiffcompetitionofstarvingcoolies.Munoo
nexttriestherailwaystationbutheisscaredoutandherunsawayinterror.Akind–heartedelephantdriver
comestohishelpandMunooreachesBombay.InBombaypovertyandhungerisonaverylargescale.
Munoostartsworkinginacottonmillwheretheconditionsareveryhorrible.Therearethelepers,the
beggers,thesickandthedying.Povertydemoralisesthem.Thepictureofthedirtandsqualorinwhichthe
factoryworkersliveisverytouching.ThepictureisverytouchingwhenMunooandHariwithhisfamily
areseekingnight’sshelteronthecrowdedpavementsofBombay.AlltheworkerscrybeforeJimmie
Thomas,theownerofthecottonmill.Bothofthemcheatandexploitthepoor.
AtthelastphaseMunoofindshimselfatShimladomesticservant,rickshaw–pullerandperhapssomething
mereofMrs.Mainwaring.Thepoorboyismadetoworkhard,topullrickshawuphillforlonghourstillhis
energyislostandhebegainstocoughandblood.AtlasthepassesawayinthearmsofhisfriendMohan.To
concludewecansaythatthenovelistpresentsclassstrugleandclassexploitationinthisnovelCoolie.The
lifehistoryofMunooisthehistoryofstarvingmillionsofIndianwhoareoverworkedandinsultedand
treatedasanimalstilltheydiebeforetime.

7. Themainthemeofnovel“Coolie”istheexploitationofpoorbytherichpeopleofthesocietyintheearly
20
th
centuryindiaandthehumansufferingthatthisbringsabout.inthedescriptionofMunoo’sexperiences
afterleavinghisvillage,MulkrajAnandoffersthereaderavividportrayalwhoaresocio-economically
disadvantagedbythoseinpositionsofpowersandprivilege.
TheBritishreignhaddehumanizedanddeterioratedandexploitedandtheylooseallssenseofselfrespect
anddignityandflatterandcaringfortheirrighttolife.AllthephasesofMunoolifehavebeenlinked
thematicallyandthereisdeepermeaningwhichkeepsondiggingintheprinciplethemetheme.
Alloverinthenovelwefindanabundantamountofsufferingandpoverty.Thepoorandrichlivesarein
uttercontrasttoeachother.therurallifehasbeencarefullyandintricatelycontrastwiththemodern
one.Munoo’sexploitationthroughthevillagelandlord’shandiscontrastedbyMunoosownatallfour
phases.

8. MulkrajAnandoncecommentedthathewantedtowritethestoriesthatreflectedthe
livesandexperiencesnotoftheupperormiddle–classesinfiction,insteadhewantedto
paintaliteraryportraitoftheverylowestandpoorestinhissocietythathavebeen
virtuallyignoredinliterature,astheyareignoredintheirlifebythesociety.
‘Iwishedtorecreate,thefolk,whomIknewintimately,fromthelowerdepths,repressed,those
whohaveseldomappeardinourliterature….’
MulkrajandMunnoapooradolescentwhotravelscitytocitybut
unskuilled,onlythelowestjobsareavailabletohim.heultimatelydiesoftuberculosis.

9. Munoohastofacehungerandstarvationindaulatpur.herePrabhudayal’spartnerGanpatilltreats
him,afterwadsthepicklefactoryissoldoutandmunoohastoworkaascoolie.Thenovelistgives
usaharrowingaccountofthesufferingofmunooandtheothercooliesinthegrainmarket.
Thisnovelisasocialtragedycausedbyhumancruelty,greed,selfishness,povertyand
exploitation.Munoo,theheroofthenovel,isauniversalfigurewhosuffersalotduetothe
hunger,starvation,degradation,miseriesofthepooranddowntrodden,andtheunderdogs.Hunger
hasbeenanimportantthemeintheAnglo-Indianfiction.Thenovelistshavedealtwiththe
degradationandsufferingwhichhungerorstarvationcauses.
 Thisnovelisuniqueinthesensethatvoicestheexploitedandunderprivilegedsectionofsociety
whodonothaveanyvoicefoethemselves.itportraytheuglytruththathappinessonlybelongsto
therichandthepoorhavetosuffereverywhereitisBombay,simla,orkangrahills.
MunoowantstobecomeaBabu-classgentlemanbuthethenrealizesthatheisjustacoolieora
low-classservantwhocannotbeaspiretobigdream.

10. NAME:FATIMABANOO
UNIVERSITYROLLNUMBER:21522081039
SEMESTER:PGI.ENGLISH7
TH
SEM
TOPICOFSEMINAR:TITLEOFCOOLIE