Of big gods and small things : national allegories in Arhundhati Roy's The god of small things

Abstract

This dissertation attempts to outline, define and explore the national allegories embedded within Arundhati Roy's debut novel, The God of Small Things. The research project demonstrates and highlights how Roy is not only interested in condemning British colonial rule, she is also highly critical of mass culture and of India's global engagements. Moreover, she also strongly opposes India's oppressive Hindu tradition, namely the caste system and female subordination. The important notion of identity as delineated in the novel is discussed within the theoretical frameworks outlined by Homi K. Bhabha. The analysis of national allegories also takes into account the concept of trauma, as it seeks to expose its relevance on both an individual and collective level. These issues are discussed in detail and draw on psychology and collective trauma theory to show how both are highly relevant to the fictive environment that Roy presents in her novel, and to the Indian national landscape she foregrounds in all her works. Furthermore, the dissertation juxtaposes Arundhati Roy's novel and her non-fiction essays whilst stressing the interconnectedness of both genres. The God of Small Things is considered in relation to Roy's political works, and strives to show to what extent and intensity her engagements with social and environmental issues are present in her novel. Ultimately this study aims to show how the same need for social justice voiced in Roy's political writings, is also echoed in her fiction. Ten years after the publication of her highly acclaimed novel, Arundhati Roy's fundamental object remains unchanged; showing how small lives are governed by the hands of the big god, insisting on the need to challenge the one, authoritative History with the multiple histories of the individual.