The invading of Territory and Psyche: Contextualizing Solastalgia in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things

Abstract

Today’s world faces a shift to the Anthropocene which has been brought on by anthropogenic activities at a global level. Sustainable development has now become a vital part of environmental protection. However, the damage already done cannot be negated. The trauma that has stemmed from said activities is increasingly coming to light when studying the physical and psychological effects on individuals, pertaining to their natural spaces. With environmentalism gaining great importance in the present-day scenario, many writers are portraying their ecological activism through their literary works. One such writer is Arundhati Roy, a brave activist who gives a voice to the voiceless and acknowledges the marginalized. Her literary works posit social and political issues, boldly bringing to light harsh societal realities and cruelties that many others would try to evade. This signature first novel of Roy, The God of Small Things received great critical acclaim for its narrative technique and the various societal issues skilfully and impactfully uncovered by the writer. This research will attempt to contextualize and critically analyse the concept of solastalgia in the novel, uncovering markers of trauma and debilitation. The primary focus of this paper will be to create a deeper understanding of the characters in relation to their ecological situations in the story, particularly the protagonists, Estha and Rahel, tracing their lives from their childhood in Ayemenem, Kerala to the current state of affairs in the same place when they return as adults.