POVERTY, DISPARITY AND CASTEISM IN PREMCHAND’S SHORT STORY “THE SHROUD”

The paper investigates the harsh themes of poverty and social inequality in Munshi Premchand’s short story “Kafan” (The Shroud). The study aims to depict how disparity impacted human relations and the intricate fabric of the society, by understanding the characters, socio-economic conditions, and moral conflicts in the story. This paper places Premchand’s kafan into the context of early 20th century India and demonstrates the vibrant landscape of disparity which still thrives in the contemporary world, alongside the thoughts of poverty and casteism.