Quest For Self In Manoj Das's Novel The Escapist

Abstract

The present paper tries to unveil the concept of 'self' in Manoj Das's novel The Escapist. The novel's focal point is the protagonist, Padmalochan Pracharya's changing nature of self and his journey to understand the true self. Manoj Das believes in the evolution of
the human self or consciousness. Human consciousness, as it is, is always confused by chaotic motions of many types of vibrations emerging from man's egoistic self, from his desire, greed, envy, rage, and other undesired parts of the mind. However, Manoj Das is
still optimistic about human inner evolution as he believes every individual longs to be free of all such entanglements in the depths of his heart. Thus, the author's real intention behind the novel is to impart the message that a funny or farcical beginning to
an individual's life can lead him to discover his spiritual truth. The paper also attempts to understand the writer's effective use of well-known concepts such as Chance, fate, faith, the quest for self, the cooperation of coincidences, cursed diamonds etc.