For the Love of Caste in Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things
Regina D. Rodgers
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor

Arundhati Roy's novel, The God of Small Things (1997) confronts issues of forbidden love in a world dominated by India's rigid caste system and the Love Laws that govern "who can love whom and how much." Roy challenges India's social structure and Love Laws through the relationships presented in her novel, including Ammu's and Velutha's illicit affair and Rahel's and Estha's incestuous encounter. Ultimately, Roy's characters act as a voice against the social injustice of India's class structure. I will demonstrate that Ammu and Velutha and Rahel and Estha move beyond an erotic experience in the pursuit of finding equality and justice.

Keywords: forbidden love, caste system, Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things