Author(s): Srija Nandy

Abstract: We identify the fundamental elements of reality and their simultaneous co-existence in Aymenem, a village in the Kottayam district of God’s Own Country, Kerala, where the post-colonial novel The God of Small Things is set. Arundhati Roy’s seminal work portrays those tumultuous times when India was plagued with socio-political malpractices such as poignant post-colonial legacies, pollical chaos, social discrimination, casteism, racism, class conflict, gender issues, patriarchy, and economic inequality – only to name a few. In this study, we seek to analyze individualistic perspectives, but also the collective effect of these fundamental elements of the societal irrationalities through the lens of post-colonialism, nature’s roleplay, casteism, gender, and contradiction. Not only do we briefly review the noteworthy reports and scholarly publications along these lines, but also report our contribution in the form of a holistic analysis of the individual-collective behavior, interpersonal and human-nature relationships presented in the novel. Finally, we also discuss our perspectives on the innate conflict, inner chaos, and contradictions at a time when we almost near three decades of the publication of the masterpiece family drama novel, The God of Small Things.

Keywords: Caste, Contradictions, Gender, Love Laws, Post-Colonial, The God of Small Things.

Article Info: Received: 20 Dec 2024; Received in revised form: 22 Jan 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2025; Available online: 02 Feb 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.101.12