24th Annual Student Research Conference
Color as Metaphor: The Psychological Significance of Color in Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things
Meghan L. Newton
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
Arundhati Roy's novel The God of Small Things (1997) focuses on the issues of love laws, political conflict, and familial relationships embodied by the Ipe family, as seen through the eyes of Rahel, one of its youngest members. The non-linear structure alternates between Rahel's life as a child and a grown woman. Roy uses recurring color imagery in different parts in the story; specifically, the colors red, yellow, blue, and green. While dialogue is primarily thought to establish mood in a work of literature, this paper asserts that color is also an essential component of creating literary tone. Certain colors carry specific emotional connotations. Roy uses color as a device to evoke the feelings necessary for a reader to understand the novel and its implications. I will be focusing on how Roy uses the general social connotations associated with color to clarify and enhance her purpose of writing the novel.
Keywords: color symbolism, Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 38-2
Location: VH 1236
Time: 3:00