Youth Aspirations and Socio-Cultural Struggles in Contemporary India: Interpreting Chetan Bhagat’s Narratives

Abstract

The fiction of Chetan Bhagat occupies a distinctive space in contemporary Indian English literature by foregrounding the aspirations, anxieties, and socio-cultural struggles of urban and semi-urban youth in post-liberalization India. His narratives, often situated within the context of education, employment, romance, and family expectations, capture the lived experiences of a generation negotiating rapid economic transformation alongside persistent social hierarchies. This paper examines how Bhagat’s novels—such as Five Point Someone, 2 States, One Night @ the Call Center, Half Girlfriend, and Revolution 2020—represent the aspirations of Indian youth while simultaneously exposing structural constraints rooted in class, caste, regional identity, and institutional pressures. Through thematic and socio-cultural analysis, the study argues that Bhagat’s works function as popular cultural texts that mirror the dreams and dilemmas of India’s emerging middle class. His accessible language and relatable characters democratize literary discourse by bringing youth concerns into mainstream conversation. However, while Bhagat celebrates ambition, entrepreneurship, and individual choice, his narratives also critique rigid educational systems, parental control, and socio-cultural conservatism.