Postcolonial In God Of Small Things

Abstract:

The term ‘Postcolonial’ applies the notion that the novel or be it any piece of writing for that matter, goes beyond every possible parameters of the locality, region and nation to participate in the global scenario today which is an aftermath of European colonization. This paper examines the cultural and social implications which exist in The God of Small Things written by Indian postcolonial writer Arundhati Roy. The novel does reveal a decisive post colonial condition; through its dialogues, characters and various events and instances it encompass. The study analyzes Roy’s work according to the postcolonial theory and gives importance to the premises of main theorist in this field. Postcolonial literary texts like Roy’s are rewritings

The history, culture, language, customs and beliefs of the white colonizers are imposed on the colonized and they are eventually coaxed to consider them as universal, normative and superior to their own local indigenous culture. This creates a strong sense of inferiority in the colonized subject and leads to an adoption of the language, culture and customs of the colonizers by the colonized as a way of compensating for these feelings of inferiority in their self-identity. This creates a divided sense of self in the subject formation of the colonized. Through this study I intend to do a post colonial analysis of the novel. ‘Post colonialism’, the term itself is in want of a cohesive definition. It contains within it historical and geographical notions. All post colonial experiences are nearly the same regardless of history. To conquer, to subjugate, to occupy and to dominate another being are all intrinsic colonial

(Gandhi 130) Seeing themselves inferior, the colonized people recognized that the only way to make their situation better is to become similar to the colonizer, and thus, they try to imitate the colonizers ideas, values and practices. They appreciate and value the colonizers way of living and try to imitate their culture in view of not having of their own. Roy in narrating Chacko’s thoughts reports:

Chacko told the twins though he hated to admit it, they were all anglophile. They were a family of Anglophiles. Pointed in the wrong direction, trapped outside their own history, and unable to retrace their steps because their footprints had been swept away. He explained to them that history was like an old house at night. With all the lamps lit. And ancestors whispering inside. ‘To understand history, ‘Chacko said, we have to go inside and listen to what they’re saying. And look at the books and the pictures on the wall. And smells the smells. (TGST