"Untouchable"

Untouchable greatly deals with the themes of submission and rebellion. From the start of the novel, Bakha relates to us the complete submission he must endure under his father, along with the responsibility of doing his job. As a sweeper, society sees him as the equal of the feces he clean, and through that Bakha must face even more bad treatment. He tries to rebel from his low position by copying the dress of the Tommies, the British soliders, in his attempts to be a sahib. It's funny that Bakha thinks its more realistic to become a sahib through the British, who don't share anything with him, than his fellow Hindus. The caste system in Hindu society is embedded in his mind, and Bakha cannot escape from it. It seems the only time Bakha feels free is when he doesn't think of anything, when his mind is blank. He frees his body from stress through mindless cleaning, and frees his senses when he walks through the city, before the incident.