The Untouchable (novel)

Importance of Broom

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Bakha’s broom simultaneously signifies his livelihood and his suffering. Bakha’s sweeping tools are used to clear the latrines and the streets, making him unspeakably dirty in the eyes of the other villagers. He suffers for his low caste and feels constant exclusion and disgust for the life he was born into. On the other hand, however, he must be continuously attached to his broom to work, so there is no respite from remembering his pain.