19th Annual Student Research Conference
Language & Literature
The Power of Childhood Perception in Roy's The God of Small Things
Ashleigh N. Jones
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
Caste and class are two themes in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things. The caustic events that create these themes are narrated through the eyes of very young, innocent children. By placing children in the roles of narrators, Roy deconstructs socially-constructed mechanisms that mask the significance of tragic events. This paper explores how Estha and Rahel use their imaginative powers to convey what they are too young to understand. Thus, they not only create a world for themselves that is more peaceful and liberated, but also allow us as readers to consider the childrens’ experiences as though our own reactions to violence and bigotry had never become desensitized by that which facilitates our acceptance of tragedy. Roy proves through the perceptions of these children that depraved forces of discrimination still thrive in our world and in order to destroy them we must first destroy our tendencies to overlook them.
Keywords: caste , class, children , racism , imagination, tragedy , death, India
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 50-5
Location: VH 1320
Time: 3:45