PARADIGM OF POWER POLITICS AND LANGUAGE IN THE NOVELS OF ARUNDHATI ROY AND ARAVIND ADIGA

Abstract

This research work is an analysis of the theme of power politics and its language in the selected novels, namely; The God of Small Things (1997) by Arundhati Roy, and The White Tiger (2008) and Last Man in Tower (2011) by Aravind Adiga. This study aims at examining the socio-political realities of contemporary India through covert and overt power politics going on all the time in success-driven society, where human values are relegated to the background for material gains, as found in the select novels of Arundhati Roy and Aravind Adiga. Only three novels are analysed to keep the focus of the thesis intact for an in-depth textual study. As language makes the major difference between a sociological study on the same topic and a literary work, so the related objective is to analyse the language of Roy and Adiga to link their themes of power struggle and resultant protest to that of languages used by them. The language used makes their novels a piece of literary protest. In the case of Roy, the protest is powerful but subdued and largely passive; in that of Adiga the physicality of protest is much more vehement and violent. The thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter, “Introduction”, includes the conceptual frame of the thesis, along with literary background of the selected novels of both the writers. Chapter 2 named, “Paradigm of Power Politics and its Matching Language in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things”, discusses how the novel has intensity of a tragedy because of the poignant death of Velutha and the lonely death of Ammu. The language in the novel is highly experimental to match the power politics of the theme. The God of Small Things is unique in its use of language through many innovations to make the reader feel the events directly. It is more a language of intuition than a formal intellectual expression. ii The third chapter named, “Oppressor Strikes Back: Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger”, extends the link between power politics and language in Adiga’s debut novel with the difference that Balram, the protagonist of the novel, is not as powerless as Ammu and Velutha. Balram does not leave himself to fate but fights back, even if he has to kill his master Ashok. The fourth chapter, “Another Story of Power Game in Aravind Adiga’s Last Man in Tower,” presents the lonely, relentless struggle of Masterji with the formidable Dharmen Shah, the mighty builder of Mumbai. Masterji, in many ways, is a study in contrast if one takes the character of Balram. While Balram is pragmatic, Masterji is thorough idealist, who lives by his beliefs. Unlike Balram, he is a tragic figure, who lives with his ideals and dies for his ideals. This novel is the depiction of a colossal fight between a common man like Masterji and the corporate giant Shah. And it has global implication. The fifth chapter, “Conclusion”, summarizes this study that how power politics governs socio-political life in India, and how a suitable language is needed after the modification of the conventional one of the colonial times.