In her novel, The God of Small Things, published in 1997, Arundhati Roy succeeds in creating an unorthodox narrative through her refashioning of the English language. Through the novel’s unexpected events, Roy presents the melancholy predicament of untouchables as well as the struggle of a woman in pursuit of romantic love in a patriarchal society. In this analysis, I will demonstrate how the reader reacts to Roy’s art of storytelling and how her unconventional style illuminates the novel’s central themes.
One of the most conventional narrative structures of a novel is the chronological exposition. In most novels, the plot gradually builds up as the story progresses. However, despite its effectiveness, this technique may seem too common and predictable. Roy’s play with chronology creates an unorthodox narrative that draws the reader in and provokes bafflement at the same time. The story runs through different time frames, moving back and forth from the present to the past, foretelling without disclosing upcoming events. The warped timeline leaves the reader, if oblivious to India’s historical context, estranged from the concepts brought up in the novel. Previous knowledge is needed when reading this text to find out the …show more content…
This assumes that the reader has previous knowledge regarding India’s political history. In the novel, Roy mentions the Marxist community; “The real secret was that communism crept into Kerala insidiously. The Marxists worked from within the communal divides. They offered a cocktail revolution. A heady mix of Eastern Marxism and orthodox Hinduism, spiked with a shot of democracy”. Additionally, Roy introduces political characters such as Comrade E.M.S. Namboodiripad, which estranges the reader, given that the reader is not familiar with Kerala’s political state. This can also contribute to the reader’s bafflement as he advances through the
One of the most conventional narrative structures of a novel is the chronological exposition. In most novels, the plot gradually builds up as the story progresses. However, despite its effectiveness, this technique may seem too common and predictable. Roy’s play with chronology creates an unorthodox narrative that draws the reader in and provokes bafflement at the same time. The story runs through different time frames, moving back and forth from the present to the past, foretelling without disclosing upcoming events. The warped timeline leaves the reader, if oblivious to India’s historical context, estranged from the concepts brought up in the novel. Previous knowledge is needed when reading this text to find out the …show more content…
This assumes that the reader has previous knowledge regarding India’s political history. In the novel, Roy mentions the Marxist community; “The real secret was that communism crept into Kerala insidiously. The Marxists worked from within the communal divides. They offered a cocktail revolution. A heady mix of Eastern Marxism and orthodox Hinduism, spiked with a shot of democracy”. Additionally, Roy introduces political characters such as Comrade E.M.S. Namboodiripad, which estranges the reader, given that the reader is not familiar with Kerala’s political state. This can also contribute to the reader’s bafflement as he advances through the