Twentieth year of The God of Small Things: Recalling its impact

Abstract

This year marks the twentieth year of the publication of The God of Small Things, a fiction written by Arundhati Roy. When it first came, it had taken the literary world by storm. A number of articles and edited books were written aftermath of it. Some seminars and symposia etc were held as well. What were the issues it had dealt with, if any? After twenty years, does it still inspire someone? The second question may not find a straightforward answer. The first question, however, might be easier to deal with in comparison with the second one. A close reading of the novel will give an impression that it deals with various issues like politics, women's state, untouchability etc to name a few. R. K. Dhawan writes, "A cursory reading of the text gives us the impression that the novel is quite simple, but a close study reveals that it is a well-planned work and has a subtle and complex plot. It is composed of memories treated artistically by the author. Even though the reader knows the story right at the outset, he never loses interest in the long narrative, and finds its events absorbing and interesting" 1 . In this novel the predicament of Indian women is studied in depth along with the plight of dalits (untouchables) and the people of lower class. Roy sees the resistance against gender oppression to be leading towards, if not instigating, resistance against caste, class oppression and spurring on anti-colonial thought and action.