Anand as a humanist : A study of his Untouchable and Coolie

Anand is a committed writer. He is not an advocator of ‘art for art’s sake’ theory. To him art is a means of expressing his humanistic view and making a plea for social change by way of improving the miserable lot of the underdogs and the marginalized. Unlike in the novels of his predecessors and contemporaries Anand raises low-caste individuals to the status of his fictional heroes and he depicts their miseries, wretchedness, social segregation and exploitation in such a poignant, sensitive and realistic way that he is found to be the champion of the downtrodden, oppressed, exploited and segregated. His Untouchable and Coolie besides his other novels show him to be a humanist in the true sense.