Coolie

Explore the implications of the title. Given that the term “coolie” is considered pejorative in Indian culture, what is the impact of using that word for the title? How would the novel have been different if the title had been Munoo?

Research India’s now largely defunct caste system. What function did the caste system serve? Why did it last so long? Why do elements of its mindset still exist in India today, decades after the government essentially outlawed it?

Compare and contrast the two factories in Coolie, the pickle factory in Daulatpur and the cotton mill in Bombay. What does the novel say about industrialization, capitalism, and urbanization?