Familial Hegemonies and Resistance in "The God of Small Things"

Latha Aviti; Bhavani S

doi:10.18172/jes.6670

Authors

Aviti Latha Christ University https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6716-4812
Bhavani S Christ University https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1057-6089

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18172/jes.6670

Keywords:

Familial world, intersectionality, interpersonal relationships, matrix of domination, strategic essentialism, societal hierarchies

Abstract

This study investigates the interplay between familial power dynamics and intersections of caste, gender, and class oppressions in Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things (2002). It argues that family structures serve as microcosms of societal hierarchies, significantly shaping personal development and perpetuating systemic inequalities. Through a qualitative analysis of Roy's novel, the article examines how characters experience multifaceted oppression within intimate family settings, influencing individual psyche and behaviour. Employing Spivak's strategic essentialism concept and Collins' intersectionality and matrix of domination, the study highlights resistance to interpersonal power structures. Using intersectional feminist and postcolonial theories, it demonstrates how familial subjugation reflects and reinforces broader societal oppressions based on caste, gender and class in postcolonial India. The findings emphasize the importance of addressing intimate power structures to understand and counter systematic inequalities while revealing nuanced pathways of agency and transformation.

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Author Biographies

Aviti Latha, Christ University

Research scholar Department of English and Cultural Studies, Christ University, Bengaluru

Bhavani S, Christ University

Associate Professor, Associate Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities and Dean of Performing Arts, Christ University, Bengaluru

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