24th Annual Student Research Conference
Colonial Legacy in Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things
Matt R. Hernandez
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
In Arundhati Roy's novel, The God of Small Things, British colonial history and the traditional caste system are what Roy boldly criticizes about her Indian homeland. The social and political turmoil plaguing both the aristocratic Ipe family and Velutha, as an Untouchable, are not brought about by either colonialism or by the stigmatizing caste system of India; rather, the social and political tragedies facing the Ipe family and Velutha are brought about by the corruption of Christianity by the caste system and, in turn, Christianity, the novel shows, assists in upholding the caste system and its attached values by providing a model of living and reinforcing an accepted way of life in India.
Keywords: Colonialism, Caste system, Christianity, Socialization
Topic(s):English
Asian Studies
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 2-5
Location: VH 1236
Time: 9:00