Clothes in "Untouchable"

In the novel Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand, Bakha differs strongly from most of the people in his caste. Though many untouchables accept their position in the social hierarchy due to their faith, Bakha is more philosophical and often questions why he is where he is. Throughout the novel, Bakha is fascinated by the English, referred to as the "Tommies." To Bakha, the traditional Indian customs and garb represents something old and outdated, much like his feelings towards the cast system in its entirety. On the other hand, the Tommies display a fresh, new, and exciting way of life. He even felt ashamed about some behavioral customs of his people just "because he knew the Tommies disliked it" (12). Bakha's divergence from tradition is further demonstrated through his fascination with clothing. In the novel clothes are a symbol of identity and escapism: "he kept up his new form, rigidly adhering to his clothes day and night and guarding them from all base taint of Indianness, not even risking the forcefulness of an Indian quilt, though he shivered cold at night" (6). Though he does not have complete control over his clothing choices, Bakha takes every chance he gets to wear clothes worn similarly by the Tommies, thus giving him a very eclectic and non-traditional style. Furthermore, Bakha's sacrifice of comfort and practicality to dress and act somewhat like an Englishman maintains his clash of his expected identity and his desired self-identity in the caste system.