Original language:
Hindi Translated from: Hindi
Authors: Joshi, Ilachandr
Translated by: Urbanavičiūtė-Markevičienė, Ona Žaneta
Published in: Vilnius
Published on: 1984
Publisher: Vaga
Ilachandra Joshi in his novel \’Wanderer\’ reveals India\’s painful social problems in the second half of the 20th century. The novel depicts a capitalist city, where human life is no longer valued. A person is not evaluated by personal qualities or education but instead by how much profit can he make to the government that has been corrupted by greed.
In the book the city of Kolkata is shown from the perspective of a well-educated, and talented young man who is forced to become homeless and live in the unforgiving streets. The main character faces incredible cruelty of the society and, due to the prejudice of the employers, inability to get a job and change his miserable situation. The novel depicts various situations and locations that helps to get to understand people from different social categories and caste classes better. Emphasis is put on the capitalist system\’s cruelty, as well as the idea of a social revolution which will unite humankind, destroy the immorality and cynicism.
Ilachandra Joshi – famous Indian novelist, wrote in Hindi language. I. Joshi belonged to an Indian modernism branch – experimentalism. In the early stage of his career he published controversial novels inspired by Freudianism. This author is considered to be one of the most important creators of the psychoanalytic literature.