The Last Labyrinth: Character Mind Map & Summary
The key characters of Arun Joshi's The Last Labyrinth (1981), grouped into branches, with the key episodes, a quick summary and the exam facts that come up again and again in UGC NET.
The Character Mind Map
Tap any name to open the details.
Som Bhaskar
A rich, restless Bombay industrialist who feels an emptiness that money cannot fill. His desire to buy a Benares company brings him to the mysterious Anuradha, who becomes the key to his search for meaning.
Ending: alone, still searching👑 Benares
The labyrinthAnuradhaA mysterious woman
Role: Lives with Aftab Rai in the old Lal Haveli; Som becomes obsessed with her.
Outcome: DisappearsAftab RaiBusinessman
Role: Owner of the company Som wants to buy.
GargiA mute holy woman
Role: A spiritual presence linked to Anuradha.
🏠 Bombay
HomeGeetaSom's wife
Role: Patient and faithful.
Key Episodes
The turning points examiners love to ask about.
Quick Summary
The story, stage by stage.
Stage 1Restless
- Som's emptiness.
Stage 2Benares
- Meeting Anuradha.
Stage 3Obsession
- The labyrinth of desire.
Stage 4Crisis
- His illness and her sacrifice.
Must-Know Exam Facts
Quick points for UGC NET, SET and PGT.
Award
Sahitya Akademi Award (1982).
Theme
Existential search, desire and spirit.
Symbol
The labyrinth of the haveli and of the mind.
Author
Joshi's novels study alienated modern men.
Additional Revision Notes
Deeper characters, themes and context for UGC NET English revision.
Som Bhaskar
The central figure Som Bhaskar pursues emotional and spiritual fulfilment without finding an easy reconciliation between desire and meaning.
Title and Structure
The labyrinth suggests an inward journey of uncertainty, obsession and unanswered questions. The novel's psychological dimension is as important as its external events.
Arun Joshi Comparison
Compare the search for purpose here with the estrangement of the hero in The Strange Case of Billy Biswas. Both challenge purely material definitions of success.
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