What does it mean to be truly 'free'? Bakha can become free from his position in the social class - free from the higher up and free from his father, who acknowledges his status as an Untouchable - and free from British oppression. These are two instances in Untouchable where I feel there is a double meaning in the word "free".
The themes of submission and rebellion both play off each other in the novel. It is hard to see one without the other. Within Bakha himself, he is conflicted by these two concepts. He is unsure whether to be submissive to the abuse by other Indians, or submissive to the British rule, but he rebels against his culture by accepting the European dress, and by dismissing the fact that the Untouchable should not be seen, for example, spending money or smoking in the city.
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