28th Annual Student Research Conference
Class Politics in Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things
Margaret C. Franklin
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
The God of Small Things displays the role of the Communist Party in Kerala. The novel highlights that, despite the fact that communism is meant to create equality, the Communist Party itself is ultimately classist. Velutha, an Untouchable, faces problems after joining the party, especially when Comrade Pillai, a leader of the Communist Party, shows his true values. While Velutha worries about his social standing in the caste system, the twins Rahel and Estha worry about the unequal and unfair distribution of love between themselves and Sophie Mol. When these issues are mixed with the ideals of the Communist Party, this causes problems for the protagonists. This paper will examine the instrumental role of Comrade Pillai in bringing about the torture and death of Velutha.
Keywords: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things, Asian Literature, Marxist Criticism
Topic(s):English
Asian Studies
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 203-1
Location: VH 1224
Time: 11:00