Generations of Untouchables

Almost anyone from the western world could categorize the life of an untouchable to be a humiliating, disgusting, and unfair life to lead. However, untouchables who have not been exposed to another way of living don't seem to question why their life is so poor or how they can change it. While living as a person below the entire caste system is dreadful, Bahka's life is especially hard because, unlike older generations of untouchables, Bahka has dreams. He is obsessed with the culture of the British and feels that he is worthy of living that type of "glamorous" life. His belief that he is equal to those in British culture makes it especially hard for him to follow orders of those who have a higher status in the caste system. Conversely, Bahka's father's life is easier day to day. Even though they are both untouchables and they have basically the same duties, Bahka's father gets the peace of mind that his daily work will help him to overcome the sins that his soul committed in a past life. The thought that his life is meaningless creates a sense of relief for his father. On the other hand, Bahka feels trapped between the expectations he has for his life and the hateful comments that tell him that he is unworthy of simple pleasures like retrieving his own drinking water. Living as an untouchable will become harder and harder in the modern world, which hopefully will cause the system to break down.