The Last Labyrinth: Study of Existential Fix

Abstract

The Sahitya Akademi Award was bestowed upon Arun Joshi's novel The Last Labyrinth because of its exceptional depiction of the problem of the existential predicament that contemporary Indians find them in. It was Arun Joshi's fourth book, and it was about the inner and outward lives of an Indian aristocrat who had become too westernised and had forgotten his spiritual roots. The protagonist of the book was a man who had lost touch with his spiritual roots. Arun Joshi is sensitive to the multiple levels of stress that are placed on contemporary man as a result of the convoluted nature of society and the expectations that it holds for him. He is worried about the predicament of modern man. The character of Som in "The Last Labyrinth" suffered from mental illness and was filled with misery, self-hatred, and self-pity. This was caused by their perception that they were on the outside of this physical universe. The author explored the concept of the self throughout his works of fiction and made it a central focus to investigate the degree to which one is estranged from one's family and society. Joshi worked with the modern guy who had no feelings of connectedness to the world that was happening around him. He felt burdened by the very existence of his own life. In order to find a solution to the awful situation in which modern man finds himself, he has two choices: either he can attempt to blend in with other people and the system while simultaneously concealing who he truly is, or he can work towards preserving and expanding his individuality while isolating himself from society.