Mulk Raj Anand's 'Coolie' : An Epic Depiction Of Subjugation

摘要

Mulk Raj Anand’s coolie is an extraordinary portrayal of the misery of the exploited lot, especially, the children and the young men and women- by the British cruelty and the local zamindari, who have robbed them of their childhood and youth, sinking their self-respect and dignity of life by torturing them in various ways. The description of the deceived and depressed, in the novel ‘coolie’ by Anand, has attained epic dimensions. The theme of deprivation, hunger, starvation has been taken to the lofty heights of an epic, gaining universal significance. Though this theme has been dealt with many, including BhabaniBhattacharya in ‘So Many Hungers’ and Kamala Markandeya in ‘Nectar in a Sieve’, Mulk Raj Anand’s ‘Coolie’ has risen to the epic heights, in which the suffering of Munoo has been depicted in an exceptional style. This research article focuses on how the colonial forces, capitalist minds and Indian slavish attitudes have impoverished the people, especially, the poor, leaving them soulless.