Arundhati Roy's Narrative Style and Political Commentary in The God of Small Things
Keywords:
Narrative Style, Political Commentary, Postcolonialism, Feminism, Arundhati RoyAbstract
Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things intricately weaves narrative experimentation with sharp political insight, making it a seminal work in postcolonial Indian English literature. The novel’s fragmented chronology, shifting perspectives, and poetic language serve as tools for deconstructing power, identity, and memory within a deeply hierarchical society. Roy employs her narrative style not only to tell a story but to question structures of caste, gender, and colonial legacy that shape human experience. Her portrayal of marginalized voices—especially women and Dalits—reflects an intersection of personal suffering and collective resistance. Through an interplay of aesthetics and activism, Roy transforms storytelling into a political act, where the “small things” of everyday life expose the “big things” of injustice and domination. The study examines how her stylistic choices embody resistance, turning fiction into a profound commentary on social inequality and the politics of belonging.
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