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TRANSNATIONAL FEMINISM IN ARUNDHATI ROY‟S
NOVELS AND ESSAYS
BY
SYEDDA FAREEHA HUSSAIN BINTI SYED MOHD.
JAVED HUSSAIN
A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for
the degree of Master of Human Sciences (English Literary
Studies)
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human
Sciences
International Islamic University Malaysia
NOVEMBER 2018
ii
ABSTRACT
Arundhati Roy is an example of an Indian literary figure who is known for actively
addressing issues that concern the world. Her early writing career was centred on
issues in India. Over the years, her writings included issues at the international level.
In fact, her journey in the literary and humanitarian realm has seen her transcend
national borders. In regard to that, this study aims to discover transnational feminism
in Arundhati Roy‟s novels The God of Small Things (1997) and The Ministry of
Utmost Happiness (2017) and three selected essays namely “The Great Indian Rape
Trick I” (1994), “My Seditious Heart: An Unfinished Diaries of Nowadays” (2016)
and “Capitalism A Ghost Story” (2014). Using the transnational feminist theoretical
framework, this study identifies the predicament of women around the world. This
study finds that women end up in a disadvantaged position mainly because of pre-
existing customary practices in society. The development of characters is seen in the
second novel. The characters from her second novel adopt the idea of transnational
feminism regardless of whether they are male or female. As a matter of fact, she
introduces the third gender to bridge the gap between men and women which is her
way of supporting transnational feminism. The essays on the other hand show how
Roy addresses issues pertaining to women at the national level and then slowly
transcends to include women at the international level. In doing so, she makes use of
the different layers of society such as the individual, family, national community and
international community. Besides that, Roy uses mixed gender struggles and the
unification of different struggles with women‟s struggles to bring forward
transnational feminism. This proves the interconnection between atrocities women
face at the national and international level. It is hoped that this study on Roy‟s
transnational feminism will be able to give a better understanding of her inclusive
approach in defining the world.
iii
خلاصة البحثABSTRAC IN ARABIC
أرونداتي روي مثال للشخصيّة الأدبيّة الهنديةّ المعروفة بنشاطها في معالجة القضايا التي تهم العالم. حيث كانت مسنًتها المهنيّة السابقة في الكتابة تتمحور في قضايا الهند. وعلى مرّ السننٌ، تطورت
المستوى الدولّي. في الواقع، رحلتها في المجالنٌ: الأدبّي والإنسانّي قد كتاباتها لتشمل القضايا على جعلتها تتخطى الحدود الوطنيّة. وفي ىذا الصدد، تهدف ىذه الدراسة إلى اكتشاف النسويةّ عبر
والوزارة للسعادة القصوىم(، 7991) الله لأشياء صغنًةالوطنيّة في روايات أرونداتي روي: م(، 7991مقالات مختارة وىي: "خطف الاغتصاب الهندي العظيم الأوّل" )م(، وثلاثة 7171)
م(، و"الرأسماليّة قصّة أشباح" 7172"قلبي الفتّنة: يوميات غنً مكتملة في أيامنا ىذه" )م(. باستخدام الإطار النظريّ النسويّ عبر الوطنّي، تحدد ىذه الدراسة مأزق النساء حول 7171)
راسة إلى أنْ النساء ينتهي بهن المطاف إلى وضع محرّم بسبب الممارسات العالم. وتخلص ىذه الدالعرفيّة الموجودة في المجتمع. في دراسة روايتنٌ لها، ينظر إلى تطور الشخصيات في الرواية الثانية.تتبنى
ثى. الشخصيات من روايتها الثانية فكرة النسويةّ عبر الوطنيّة بغض النظر عمّا إذا كانت ذكراً أم أنفي واقع الأمر، فإنّّا تقدّم النوع الثالث من أجل سد الفجوة بنٌ الرجال والنساء، وىي طريقتها في دعم الحركة النسائيّة عبر الوطنية. من ناحية أخرى ، تظهر المقالات كيفية عالجت روي القضايا
على المستوى الدولي. المتعلقة بالمرأة على المستوى الوطني، ثّم متجاوزة ذلك ببطء لتشمل النساء وبذلك، تستفيد من طبقات المجتمع المختلفة مثل الفرد، والأسرة، والمجتمع القوميّ، والمجتمع الدولّي. وبالإضافة إلى ذلك، استخدمت روي صراعات مختلطة بنٌ الجنسنٌ وتوحيد الصراعات المختلفة
ىذا يثبت الترابط بنٌ الفظائع التي مع نضال النساء من أجل تحقيق الحركة النسائيّة عبر الوطنيّة.تواجو النساء على المستوى الوطنّي والدولّي. ومن المأمول أنْ تكون ىذه الدراسة في الحركة النسائيّة عبر الوطنيّة لروي قادرة على تقديم فهم أفضل من خلال نّجها الشامل في تعريف العالم بشكل
.محدد واضح
iv
APPROVAL PAGE
I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion, it conforms
to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and
quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (English Literary
Studies).
…………………………………
Nor Faridah Abdul Manaf
Supervisor
I certify that I have read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable
standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a
dissertation for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (English Literary Studies).
…………………………………
Siti Nuraishah Ahmad
Internal Examiner
This dissertation was submitted to the Department of English Language and Literature
and is accepted as a fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human
Sciences (English Literary Studies).
…………………………………
Aimillia Mohd. Ramli
Head, Department of English
Language and Literature
This dissertation was submitted to the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and
Human Sciences and is accepted as a fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of
Master of Human Sciences (English Literary Studies).
…………………………………
Mohammad Abdul Quayum
Dean, Kulliyyah of Islamic
Revealed Knowledge and Human
Sciences
v
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own investigations, except
where otherwise stated. I also declare that it has not been previously or concurrently
submitted as a whole for any other degrees at IIUM or other institutions.
Syedda Fareeha Hussain Binti Syed Mohd. Javed Hussain
Signature ........................................................... Date .........................................
vi
COPYRIGHT
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT AND AFFIRMATION OF
FAIR USE OF UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH
TRANSNATIONAL FEMINISM IN ARUNDHATI ROY’S
NOVELS AND ESSAYS
I declare that the copyright holders of this dissertation are jointly owned by the
Student and IIUM.
Copyright © 2018 Syedda Fareeha Hussain Binti Syed Mohd. Javed Hussain and International Islamic
University Malaysia. All rights reserved.
No part of this unpublished research may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the
copyright holder except as provided below
1. Any material contained in or derived from this unpublished research
may only be used by others in their writing with due acknowledgement.
2. IIUM or its library will have the right to make and transmit copies (print
or electronic) for institutional and academic purposes.
3. The IIUM library will have the right to make, store in a retrieved system
and supply copies of this unpublished research if requested by other
universities and research libraries.
By signing this form, I acknowledged that I have read and understand the IIUM
Intellectual Property Right and Commercialization policy.
Affirmed by Syedda Fareeha Hussain Binti Syed Mohd. Javed Hussain
……..…………………….. ………………………..
Signature Date
vii
DEDICATION
To Chewy, Pie and Fluffy,
my companions through many long nights of writing…
viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to Allah S.W.T. in giving me
the perseverance and strength to complete this thesis. It is with His blessings that I am
able to acquire this achievement.
I cannot thank my supervisor Prof. Dr. Nor Faridah Abdul Manaf enough for
her guidance and relentless efforts in ensuring I reach the finish line. My interest in
women‟s writing was in fact sparked by her lectures on Women’s Writing Around the
World. I would also like to extend my gratitude to my co-supervisor Dr. Wan Nur
Madiha Ramlan for her suggestions and guidance in directing my thesis in the right
way. My respect goes to the both of you.
To my parents Syed Mohd. Javed Hussain and Aisha Begum, thank you for
your love and support throughout the writing of this thesis. Papa, I will always
remember your words of wisdom. Ammi, your push is what that has brought me here
today. To my brother Syed Akbar Hussain, thank you for the video calls to boost my
spirit and uplift me.
To my friends Nurul Izzati, Mahya Abolmasoomi, Nurul Hanin and Nurul
Hanani thanks for being there for me and encouraging me all the way through this
journey. To Mr. Muhammad Hafeez Ashraf, thank you for making me gain a new
perspective on feminism. Last but not least, I would like to thank Kak Noorsiah
Abdullah from DELL for her support in the administrative setting. Thank you all....
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract .................................................................................................................. ii Abstract In Arabic .................................................................................................. iii Approval Page ........................................................................................................ iv
Declaration ............................................................................................................. v Copyright ............................................................................................................... vi Dedication .............................................................................................................. vii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ viii Table of contents .................................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 1 1.1 Background Of The Research ............................................................. 1
1.2 Statement Of The Problem .................................................................. 6 1.3 Significance Of The Study .................................................................. 8 1.4 Scope Of The Study ............................................................................ 9 1.5 Objectives Of The Study ..................................................................... 10
1.6 Research Questions ............................................................................. 10 1.7 Literature Review ................................................................................ 11
1.8 Theoretical Framework ....................................................................... 17 1.9 Methodology ....................................................................................... 24 1.10 Limitations Of The Study .................................................................. 25
1.11 Outline Of Chapters ........................................................................... 25
CHAPTER TWO: A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRANSNATIONAL
FEMINISM ........................................................................................................... 27 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 27 2.2 Theory Of Transnational Feminism .................................................... 27
CHAPTER THREE: TRANSNATIONAL FEMINISM IN ARUNDHATI
ROY’S NOVELS .................................................................................................. 38 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 38 3.2 Analysis Of Novels ............................................................................. 38
3.2.1 The God of Small Things (1997) and The Ministry of Utmost
Happiness (2017) ....................................................................... 38
CHAPTER FOUR: TRANSNATIONAL FEMINIST ELEMENTS IN
ARUNDHATI ROY’S ESSAYS ......................................................................... 61 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 61 4.2 Analysis Of Essays .............................................................................. 62
4.2.1 The Great Indian Rape Trick I (1994) ....................................... 62 4.2.2 My Seditious Heart: An Unfinished Diary of Nowadays
(2016) ......................................................................................... 67 4.2.3 Capitalism: A Ghost Story (2014) ............................................. 80
x
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ................................. 93 5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 93 5.2 Transnational Feminism In Arundhati Roy‟s Novels And Essays...... 94
5.3 Women Of Various Backgrounds In Arundhati Roy‟s Works ........... 95 5.4 Treatment Of The Traditionally Marginalised In Arundhati Roy‟s
Works .................................................................................................. 96 5.5 Struggles Of Women In Areas Of Conflict In India And Beyond ...... 96 5.6 Conclusion .......................................................................................... 97
5.7 Recommendations For Future Research ............................................. 98
REFERENCES ..................................................................................................... 101
1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCH
Indian writing in English or also known as Anglo-Indian writing has a relatively
recent history. It began with Sake Dean Mahomed and spread till women too
embraced the tradition of writing in English. Indian women‟s writing in English
appeared much later than that of their male counterparts. It will be important for one
to know the literary history of Indian writing in English before they can understand
Indian women‟s writing in English. This thesis will look at Indian women‟s writing in
English with regards to Arundhati Roy‟s works from the perspective of transnational
feminism. Transnational feminism is used as the theoretical framework as issues in
India are no longer localised and have in fact crossed geographical barriers. In regard
to this, it will be interesting to study Roy as her works discuss issues of humanity
around the world and thus the importance of understanding Roy in terms of
transnational feminism.
Indian writing in English began with Sake Dean Mahomed (1759-1851) as he
was the first Indian to publish a work in English when he published his
autobiographical travel narrative called The Travels of Dean Mahomet in 1794.
During this time, writings were mostly non-fictional such as autobiographies,
biographies and political essays. This only changed after 70 years when Bankim
Chandra Chatterjee wrote Rajmohan’s Wife (1864). This was followed by
Rabindranath Tagore‟s translations and works by Dhan Gopal Mukerji and a new
generation of Indian writers in English like R.K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand and Raja
2
Rao. Yet, when was the beginning of Indian women writers writing in English? Did
they exist at that time? If they did, what were their concerns?
Toru Dutt is considered to be the first Indian woman to write in English. She
was born on 4th
March 1856 in Calcutta. She attained education from Cambridge at a
time when university had just begun accepting women. In 1873, she returned to India
where she completed the translation of poems from French to English called A Sheaf
Gleaned in French Fields (1876). Her linguistic competence in French, English and
Sanskrit enabled her to write a substantial amount of prose and poetry such as the
half-done Bianca or The Young Spanish Maiden (1878) written in English and Le
Journal de Mademoiselle d’Arvers (1879) written in French and lastly Ancient
Ballads and Legends of Hindustan (1882). From here, it could be concluded that
access to education for women had enabled writing in English in India to take place.
Indian women‟s writing in English during this time was socially acceptable in
the orthodox patriarchal society. However, writings by women had to be subtle in
order to be culturally correct. This changed during the pre-independence period when
works by feminists such as Sarojini Naidu and Shevanthi Bai Nikambe became
noteworthy. In her novel Ratnabai (1895), Shevanthi Bai Nikambe addressed the issue
of child marriage and thus began the efforts to improve the status of women through
writing. This led to the founding of women‟s organizations such as The Women‟s
Indian Association (WIA), The National Council of Women in India (branch of
International Council of Women), All India Women‟s Conference and Indian
Federation of University Women‟s Association. This further resulted in the enactment
of the Hindu Marriage Act in 1947 followed by the Dowry Prohibition Act in 1961.
The contributions of women writers in earlier periods have granted women writers
today liberty to express themselves through writing. This has produced feminist
3
writers like Meena Kandasamy, Kamala Das, Anita Nair, Manju Kapur and the like.
This generation of writers is more open to risqué themes and is fearless in expressing
themselves. With the birth of this group, future feminist writers became comfortable
writing taboo topics and Arundhati Roy is included in this category of writers.
Indian writing in English took a turn with Roy‟s The God of Small Things
(1997). Indian literature would usually point to writings on India by Rudyard Kipling
and EM Forster if not works by Rabindranath Tagore, Mulk Raj Anand, Anita Desai,
Kamala Markandaya and Salman Rushdie. The God of Small Things marks the
beginning of India‟s contemporary novel. The novel displays a fresh writing style
rather than the typical idioms and exoticisms used in earlier novels. Roy‟s new novel
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017) has a chance to change the course of Indian
writing in English like she has previously done.
Arundhati Roy came into focus after the release of her successful novel The
God of Small Things. Born to a Bengali tea planter father and a Syrian Christian
activist mother, Suzanna Arundhati Roy was born in Meghalaya, India in 1961. She
was only two when her parents divorced and the family moved to Kerala. For a while,
the family stayed at her maternal grandfather‟s house in Ooty, Tamil Nadu before they
returned to Kerala where her mother started a school for children. Roy went to school
at Corpus Christi, Kottayam and then Lawrence School, Lovedale and later attended
the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. In 1997, she achieved international
fame with her book The God of Small Things.
The strong maternal figure in Roy‟s life is responsible in influencing her very
own strong sense of self. Though Roy may not have had the best relationship with her
mother, the same upbringing had shaped her. To be divorced in India, a place where
Sati is still practised although it had been outlawed, is considered to be taboo. The fact
4
her mother chose to leave her alcoholic husband in the 1960s shows her love and
respect for herself. She disregards the perception she may receive from society for
being a divorcee. This is to say that feminism was already exposed to Roy at a tender
age as she saw her mother struggle as a single mother. Roy was born at the beginning
of the second wave of feminism. By the time she was 17, she left her family home to
embark on a journey of a lifetime. This happened during the peak of the second wave
of feminism. Among her works analysed for this research is her first essay “The Great
Indian Rape-Trick I” (1994), The God of Small Things (1997), “Capitalism: A Ghost
Story” (2014), “My Seditious Heart: An Unfinished Diary of Nowadays” (2016), and
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017). These were written during the third and
fourth waves of feminism.
The following section is a discussion on the position of women in post-
independence India and this is in line with the time frame of Arundhati Roy‟s works.
The post-independence women‟s movement in India fought for gender equality and
against the oppression they faced under the patriarchal structure. Upon the
independence of India on 14 August 1947 Part III of the Indian Constitution on
fundamental rights which consists of Article 14, 15 and 16 were passed. The
following are the contents of Articles 14, 15 and 16:
The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the
equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.
The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of
religion, race, sex, place of birth or any of them.
There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating
to employment or appointment to any office under the State.
(“Constitution Society”, n.d., “Right to equality”)
5
Many were relieved, thinking that women and the marginalized would now
have a better life as the Indian people would be able to decide things for themselves.
However, these dreams were left unrealised. This resulted in the surge of many
different movements which raised concerns on topics such as discrimination based on
gender, caste, employment, wages and education including abuse women face. It is
important to understand the women‟s movement in relation to the law. To make things
more complicated, matters pertaining to women of different religious groups also
started to rise. The women‟s movement was under constant pressure to find ways to
address women of different religious backgrounds and at the same time address issues
related to them.
Roy‟s career can be divided into two parts. The first part consists of her early
career before the novel The God of Small Things was published, and the second part is
her career after obtaining fame from the novel The God of Small Things. Earlier in her
career, her essay concentrates on women at a national level. An example of this is her
essay “The Great Indian Rape-Trick I”. A similar theme could be seen in The God of
Small Things. However, a shift in her writing could be seen in her later essays where
she emphasises issues at the international level. Her support for Kashmir to become
independent from India and criticism of U.S foreign policy relating to the war in Iraq
and Afghanistan are just a few of the issues she has written about.
Generally, a gradual shift in her subject of writing can be seen. As Arundhati
Roy calls herself a “natural born feminist”, she may have taken up the challenge to
write on the struggle women face on a day-to-day basis in her essays and why there is
a need to study her in light of transnational feminism (Adams, 2009). Being at the
peak of her writing career certainly allows her to voice her opinions on a global
platform. Through transnational feminism, her writings on women at an international
6
level can be explored. That way, her development as a transnational feminist will be
seen. As mentioned in her interview, her “non -fiction is always written with urgency
and a fair bit of anger” which demonstrates the true emotion she feels about certain
issues (Subramanyam, 2016, “How about non-fiction?”). This would be a perfect
reason to study her works as there is originality in her voice.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Women living in the 21st Century are not assured that the subjugation of women has
ended. Despite the liberation of women in some places around the world, most women
have not really overcome their daily struggles. This proves that the passage of time
does not guarantee a woman‟s emancipation and empowerment. Even the most
advanced countries face this problem. The Guardian reports:
In Japan, 93 out of every 100 people in top positions are men, in the US
this is 80 out of 100, and even in the countries at the top of the list, only
China has more women than men, and this is a leap from 25% the
previous year. And interestingly, despite many years of legislation for
gender equality, Sweden and Norway are only 27 and 22 in the ranking
of top countries.” (van der Gaag, 2014, para.11)
The problem in these countries usually lies in the job sector and hierarchy in
the work place.
India for an example is a country that is governed by very strict cultural rules.
Women there need to battle discrimination in the name of culture. The situation is
worse for women in the lower social classes. To add to this matter, at times religion is
used as an excuse for the crimes committed. Often, women are objectified, and their
sufferings continue to be politicised. Inderpal Grewal in her article “On the New
7
Global Feminism and the Family of Nations: Dilemmas of Transnational Feminist
Practices” states her disappointment in how:
Organizations devoted to women and children‟s welfare, such as
UNIFEM, INSTRAW, or UNICEF, seem to have fewer resources than
the Security General, the General Assembly, or the IMF, revealing that
gender and women‟s issues are relegated to second place even in the
U.N. (Grewal, 1998, p.509).
The common sight of this includes hate crime, social boycott and assaults as
portrayed in Arundhati Roy‟s The God of Small Things. Though the novel‟s main
victim of torture is a male character; an untouchable. The readers can almost guess
what would have happened if the character were a female. The women involved in
such a mess are carrying a double burden on their shoulders. They do not just carry
the burden of being a woman, but also the burden of behaving “culturally correct”.
However, the question here is what is the correct code of conduct for a woman?
In a newspaper article by Business Standard, it was reported that “hate crimes,
social boycotts and forced conversions have escalated dramatically since 2014
amongst the religious minority communities and Dalit” (“Religious minorities”, 2017,
para.1). Arundhati Roy had highlighted the same issues 20 years ago and to see
similar problems on the rise now attests that there is a serious problem that needs to be
addressed in our community.
In addition to that, issues in India are no longer localised and transcend
geographical barriers. In regard to that, a transnational perspective is needed to
address any challenges. Besides that, it is noteworthy to say that Arundhati Roy‟s
fiction and non-fiction writing are seldom studied together which makes this study a
unique one. This research is also interested in examining Roy‟s activism on a broader
8
cross-cultural and international level. In doing so, it will be important to revisit
Arundhati Roy‟s essays in light of transnational feminism.
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The global landscape is changing. Thus, there is a need to understand writings by
women writers around the world, particularly Arundhati Roy‟s writings. By using
transnational feminism as a theoretical framework, a good understanding of Roy‟s
writings can be achieved. In other words, the transnational feminist activism that
Arundhati Roy advocates for can be exposed to more people for a better
understanding. Having more people understand the need to defend women‟s rights
will allow for the discrimination that women face to decrease. The constant reminder
to society is crucial. Some light will be shed on “mini biases” and the “mini-me”
syndrome. “Mini bias” is a phenomenon that takes place in a job environment and can
occur consciously or subconsciously in an individual. In this phenomenon, individuals
in the recruitment process hires candidates similar to themselves and this is called the
“mini-me” syndrome. However, in the context of this study the term will be analysed
from another point of view. The study will reveal how mini-me syndrome causes
injustice to take place between women. It is hoped that by shedding light on this
situation, the society will be more alert on the different forms injustice that can take
place.
Additionally, by looking at the Indian politics of minority, the way the age-old
caste system affects the treatment of the traditionally marginalized can be studied. In
the transnational feminist context, women are affected twice as much as they suffer
the double burden of being women and belonging to the minority community. The
study may help argue against the relevance of the caste system in contemporary times.
9
By doing this research, efforts put in fighting for the rights of others regardless
of race and religion can be highlighted and continued by future activists. By
comparing Roy‟s novels and essays, readers will have clear insights on how Roy‟s
writing has developed.
1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This research will look at Arundhati Roy‟s selected essays “The Great Indian Rape
Trick-I” (1994), “My Seditious Heart: An Unfinished Diary of Nowadays” (2016),
and Capitalism: A Ghost Story” (2014) and novels The God of Small Things (1997)
and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017).
Prior to The God of Small Things, not much attention was given to Roy‟s
writings especially in relation to feminist issues. It almost seems that it has become a
requirement for someone to be famous for their voices to be heard. Sparks of
feminism could actually already be seen in Roy‟s commentary essay on Shekhar
Kapur‟s controversial film Bandit Queen (1994) based on the life of the dacoit
Phoolan Devi. In her essay entitled “The Great Indian Rape-Trick I”, she questions the
definition of truth portrayed in the movie. The events that took place in Phoolan
Devi‟s life had been altered to suit the taste of the viewers. Her inability to tell her
own story is silencing the voice of the already voiceless. This is where studying Roy‟s
essays will be able to shed light on such events that occur in real life.
Though Arundhati Roy calls herself a feminist, her approach when writing
about such topics is very subtle. Although she champions the idea, she does not put it
at the forefront of her writing. This may be a strategy adopted to allow readers to
slowly embrace such ideas. Her essays especially are very subtle when it comes to
discussing feminism and that they usually only contain one or two points that relate to
10
feminism. This is the reason why Roy‟s other essays and speech may be referenced
when writing. Therefore, having more essays and speech that relate to the earlier
mentioned books will enhance this research.
1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The thesis has the following objectives:
1. To explore how transnational feminism is reflected in Arundhati Roy‟s
novels and essays.
2. To examine how Roy deals with women of diverse backgrounds in her
writings.
3. To analyse the treatment of the traditionally marginalised in Roy‟s works.
4. To study how Roy‟s transnational feminism informs the struggles of
women in areas of conflict in India and beyond.
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. How is transnational feminism reflected in Arundhati Roy‟s novels and
essays?
2. How does Roy project the identity of women of various backgrounds in
her works?
3. How are the traditionally marginalised portrayed in Roy‟s works?
4. How does Roy‟s transnational feminism inform the struggles of women in
areas of conflict in India and beyond?
11
1.7 LITERATURE REVIEW
Recent years have seen an increased interest in feminism. Nevertheless, research on
Arundhati Roy‟s role as a novelist and essayist is scarce. The studies are limited to
The God of Small Things and the patriarchal social norms and history embedded in the
novel. Arundhati Roy began her writing career when she wrote her first essay called
“The Great Indian Rape Trick-I” in 1994. The essay criticises the director and the
producer of the film Bandit Queen for failing to depict the life of the dacoit Phoolan
Devi accurately. The movie premiere began with an introductory remark by Shekhar
which says “I had a choice between Truth and Aesthetics. I chose Truth, because
Truth is Pure” (Kapur, 1994). However, the fact is that Shekhar Kapur has never met
Phoolan Devi. In fact, he did not feel the need to meet her at all. The producer of the
film, as noted by Roy had actually went on to support Shekhar by saying that
“Shekhar would have met her if he had felt a need to do so” (Sunday Observer, 1994
as cited in Roy, 1994). Phoolan Devi‟s need for her truth to be told had already been
abused by the time Bandit Queen was released due to the misrepresentation of her
experience in the film. Despite being an interesting essay highlighting the injustices
against women, research and articles on Arundhati Roy tend to focus on The God of
Small Things and her essays after she obtained fame. Roy‟s earlier writings have not
gotten enough attention and this research aims to address the research gap. By looking
at Roy‟s writing early in her career and then comparing it to her most recent writings,
the trajectory of how her writing has development can be examined.
In the article by Antonio Navarro-Tejero “Power Relationships in The God of
Small Things” she states how “the first generation of women in the novel give extreme
importance to patriarchal social norms, indeed they succumb to them….”(Navarro-
Tejero, 2006, p. 105). In Smith‟s article references to history are made using the
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Marxist and Foucauldian theories. According to Smith “events, which go against the
ruling ideas of the time and blur the distinctions that have developed over time in
discourse, can change the ways of thinking of humans, can change their way of life,
and even change society itself through fidelity” (Smith, 2004, p.29). Studies on
Arundhati Roy have not included transnational feminism and this research will fill in
the research gap as Roy‟s latest novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness will be
studied.
Graham Huggan sees the central position Arundhati Roy enjoys as a Booker
Prize winner as an instance of the neo-colonial “othering” process (Huggan, 2001,
p.115). He believes that her “marketably exotic looks” and “good interview value” are
responsible for her success in writing about the double burden: as a woman of colour
and the marginalization her kind faces (Huggan, 2001, p.77). It is safe to say that
Huggan believes the success Roy has gotten from her writings is from her exotic looks
rather than her talent for writing. This is a stereotypical perception that women
struggle against and thus the need for it to be eliminated.
Nevertheless, in opposition to what Huggan believes, there are others who
believe that Roy‟s achievement is because of her genuine voice. Madeline Bunting in
her article in The Guardian labelled Roy as a “grassroots gamine”. As Bunting puts it,
Roy‟s feminism:
is not about imitating masculine models of achievement and
competition, nor about sexual power; it is not about glass ceilings and
stilettos. Her feminism is about articulating a voice and a sensibility
which is authentically feminine and offers no deference to a largely
male-determined status quo. (Bunting, 2002, para.7).
In a book chapter called “Towards the Politics of the Small Things: Arundhati
Roy and the Decentralization of Authorship”, Maria-Sabina Alexandru places Roy in
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a powerful position within Indian fiction in English though the field is dominated by
male writers such as Rushdie and Vikram Seth (Alexandru, 2007). Nonetheless,
Arundhati Roy does not associate herself with any fashionable writers. This gives her
an identity of her own.
Quite a number of ethnographic researchers in literature are of the opinion that
Roy‟s The God of Small Things is not representative of an authentic Kerala. The novel
challenges and destabilizes the idea of normative Indian culture and values through its
story line which involves incest, cross-caste affair and a political culture which is
unfair. R.S. Pathak consequently calls The God of Small Things a “powerful protest
novel” where “all sorts of boundaries are being transgressed upon” (Pathak, 2001,
p.17). Additionally, A.N. Dwivedi calls Roy‟s failure in representing the normative
values of India “a blunder” though he never clearly specifies his definition of values
(Dwivedi, 2001, p.185).
Critics like Elleke Boehmer (2000) have argued that The God of Small Things
is unoriginal simply because the transgression in it is imbued with Western ideology.
Elleke Boehmer claimed so due to the author‟s reference to “western cultural forms”
in the novel (Boehmer, 2000). These are expressed through the family‟s love towards
the English language, to the incest that happened between the twins, the love between
two people of different castes and the divorce that took place. The question here is are
such transgressions only suitable to take place in the West and not in an Asian setting?
According to Dwivedi, “Arundhati Roy has written her novel with a Western
readership in mind” which he stresses is not necessarily a bad thing. However, he is
disappointed as he believes that she has neglected the Indian aesthetics of Satyam,
Shivam, Sundaram (Truth, Goodness and Beauty) (Dwivedi, 2002, p. 219). Though
the novel is fictional, the events that take place in it can‟t be delegitimized as it is
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something that can happen to anyone. It seems as though Dwivedi is in a bubble to
believe that such things can only happen in the West. It is actually a problem that the
larger community is facing which highlights a gap in the research. This research will
try to compare Roy‟s fiction and non-fiction in order to look at the issues addressing
women. This way, the reality of the current situation of women being marginalised
globally can be assessed. Palmer in her paper “How to Write Home: (Un)Mapping the
Politics of Place and Authorial Responsibility with Arundhati Roy‟s The God of Small
Things makes it clear how India in “Western cinema and storytelling, is frequently
represented as impoverished and turbulent” (Palmer, 2017, p. 4). The fear of labelling
may have caused many to shy away from addressing such issues in a novel.
Nilanjana Bardhan implies that exoticising and depicting India as polluted can
result in the country being labelled as a poverty stricken country along with the low
moral standards of the people which is commonly associated with stereotyping third
world countries (Bardhan, 2011). Many a time people still continue this labelling
practice though these countries have achieved independence and many third world
countries no longer have this unclean landscape anymore. It is just the mind-set of the
society which continues the labelling. Echoing this concern, Palmer argues that “it is
the subjectively amoral conscience of Roy‟s characters that blur an image of India as
cultivated” (Palmer, 2017, p. 4). Thus, this re-emphasizes the need to draw a line
between fiction and non-fiction.
“My Seditious Heart: An unfinished diary of nowadays” (2016) on the other
hand discusses on the caste systems affecting society. Roy mentions two names in this
essay: Soni Sori and Bela Bhatia. Soni Sori was formerly a school teacher turned
politician belonging to the Adivasi tribe in India. She was arrested and tortured for
allegedly having sympathy for the Maoists. Soni Sori suffered sexual abuse at the
