A State of Freedom Summary
Neel Mukherjee

A State of Freedom Overview

A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee follows five distinct narratives set in India. Part I follows an expatriate and his son as they tour the city of Agra. Part II follows a man as he investigates the life of one of his parents’ servants. Part III follows an impoverished man as he attempts to make money by training a bear to dance. Part IV follows the life of a girl who begins working as a household servant at a very young age. Part V follows a man who moves from a village to a city to be a construction worker. Throughout these narratives, the novel explores themes of displacement, subservience, class, suffering, and socioeconomic struggle.