A Journey Towards Self-realization: An Indian Reading of Iris Murdoch's 'Henry and Cato'

Spiritual crisis seems to be the problem of the post-modern psyche, in general, and Murdoch’s characters, in particular. This paper intends to highlight the influence of the Indian theological text, The Bhagavad Gita, on Iris Murdoch’s novel, Henry and Cato. The authors have attempted to analyse the character of Cato Forbes. The central concept analyzed in this paper is Cato’s state of illusion. Though Cato is considered as one of the most flawed characters, this paper attempts to portray the goodness latent in him. critics highlight Murdoch and novels as pessimistic and her characters representing hopelessness. On the contrary, this paper, using certain concepts from the Bhagavad Gita, will prove how Murdoch’s voice resonates with the profound truths irrespective of her seemingly existential plots. This paper aims to make a novel contribution to Murdoch's studies, drawing on some fascinating sources (including the original commentary from the Iris Murdoch Archives, London).