Untouchable

by

Mulk Raj Anand

The local woman is a higher-caste mother in the town of Bulashah. Though she is eager to share her food with the holy man who passes by, she berates Bakha for sitting on her steps, telling him he has “polluted” her home and wishing death on him. The local woman’s insistence on physical cleanliness even as she is morally contaminated epitomizes the higher-caste hypocrisy that shapes so much of Bakha’s daily life.
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The Local Woman Character Timeline in Untouchable

The timeline below shows where the character The Local Woman appears in Untouchable. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Pages 43–73
Inequality, Harm, and Internalization Theme Icon
Bodies and Cleanliness  Theme Icon
...stopped short in her tracks when she notices that Bakha is on her steps. The local woman starts screaming at Bakha, telling him he has defiled her home. She then gives the... (full context)
Inequality, Harm, and Internalization Theme Icon
Coming of Age and Inherited Prejudice Theme Icon
Bodies and Cleanliness  Theme Icon
At that moment, the local woman ’s son insists that he needs to go to the bathroom. The woman instructs him... (full context)
Pages 73–105
Bodies and Cleanliness  Theme Icon
...so down. Bakha explains what happened with the touched man and the Pundit and the local woman . Chota swears to help Bakha get revenge on the Pundit, while Ram Charan just... (full context)