Oppression and Marginalization of Dalit’s: A Comparative Study of Societal Hierarchies in Raj’s Untouchable and Parkash Valmiki’s Joothan

Abstract

Indian society has a caste system in its roots and it became a tradition to humiliate the low caste people especially Dalits and treat them inhumanly. Untouchable the novel by Mulk Raj Anand and the autobiography Joothan by Om Parkash depict the suffering and struggle of Dalits to do something but due to their caste, they met against their wishes. Both the writers show that Dalits in India have a miserable life. This study is an attempt to explore the oppression, discrimination, subordination, and marginalization of Dalit in Indian society. The study will examine the ways Dalits are being treated by the upper classes and how society creates societal hierarchies. The research examines the sufferings of Dalit by applying the social dominance theory of Jim Sidanius, how the upper class dominates the lower class. This research study will shed light on the sufferings and plight and then the consequences of oppression that the Dalit community suffers mentally and physically. The conclusion of the study will show that the condition of Dalit going to remain the same no matter how much they tried to be somewhere but the upper class would not let them have their desired place or job.