Intersections and Collective Consciousness in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness: Understanding Micropolitics of Arundhati Roy

Prakhar Medhavi

Vol-9,Issue-2,March - April 2024

Author: Prakhar Medhavi

Keywords: Collective Consciousness, Marginalization, Micropolitics, Globalization, Neoliberalism, Capitalism, Intersection, Identity, Gender and Sexuality, Structural Norms, Oppression, Individualism.

Abstract: Interconnected experiences reveal ongoing marginalization and injustice in the contemporary globalized society. The accounts provided in this study connect the experiences of marginalized people, exposing common struggles and collective consciousness. Based on the concepts of Durkheim, the study examines how common challenges cultivate collective identity. Micropolitical dynamics, which take place in an unusual guest house, emphasize power relationships and resistance to systemic oppression. The narrative demonstrates persistent prejudices that widen societal divisions while critically evaluating the unfulfilled promises of globalization. Arundhati Roy's The Ministry of Utmost Happiness presents a transformative vision that questions established norms. Roy's characters demonstrate how neoliberal intersections may spark a collective consciousness and provide insights and inspiration for an alternative model to prevailing neoliberal globalization. This research emphasizes the literature's effectiveness in addressing today's critical concerns and paving the road for diversity and inclusivity.

Article Info: Received: 03 Mar 2024; Received in revised form: 10 Apr 2024; Accepted: 19 Apr 2024; Available online: 27 April, 2024

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.92.31