How Estha's Boyhood Experiences Shape his Relationship to the External World in The God of Small Things

Caleb A. Barkhurst
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor

In Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, the character Estha’s development is altered drastically by his boyhood experiences.  This essay will delve into those boyhood experiences and how they affect his relationship with the world around him. Boys learn what “being a man” is supposed to look like from the adult male figures in their lives. This essay will also examine the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man and Estha’s father as foils to Estha’s concept of manhood. Estha’s experiences with these adult men are primarily negative, particularly in the case of the Orangedrink Lemondrink man's molestation. The impact that these experiences have on his development as a boy are central to the character that he becomes. His perception of the world and how it works is forever changed by his encounters with these men. In order to grasp Estha's relationship to his world, it is necessary to analyze these boyhood experiences.

Keywords: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things, Boyhood, Childhood, Trauma, Molestation

Topic(s):English
Creative Writing

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA