EMBRACING THE VOID: AN EXISTENTIAL STUDY OF ABSURDITY, ALIENATION AND SUFFERING IN UPAMANYU CHATTERJEE’S WAY TO GO

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to explore the existential themes of absurdity, alienation, and suffering in Upamanyu Chatterjee’s Way to Go. Grounded in existential philosophy, particularly the works of Kierkegaard and Sartre, the paper examines how the characters, disillusioned with life in contemporary India, grapple with a pervasive sense of meaninglessness. The novel’s depiction of an individual trapped in an intense feeling of alienation—both from society and from his own self—reflects the larger existential dilemmas confronted by individuals in the modern era. Through an examination of Chatterjee’s narrative techniques, character development, and thematic preoccupations, this paper delves into how characters’ search for identity and purpose evolve into a journey through suffering and absurdity. The paper concludes that Way to Go offers a critical commentary on the incoherence of modern life, emphasizing the human condition’s exposure to the existential void inherent in existence. In confronting this void, the novel suggests that one must accept the futility of searching for ultimate meaning, offering instead a reflection on personal and existential freedom.