Social Inequality In The God Of Small Things - 1746 Words

Arundhati Roy’s novel, The God of Small Things, underlies the social caste system of the 1960s characterized by social, cultural, and economic injustices toward lower classes. India’s caste system reflects the social hierarchy, which promulgates unfair systems of power and oppression. As portrayed in the novel, the social caste system creates unfair divisions amongst people and essentially determines the amount of respect they will receive since their time of birth. The God of Small Things illustrates how despite the fact that the social caste system is heavily imposed in India, it is through resistance and social opposition that can stretch far enough to override these barriers. To begin, it is important to understand the difference†¦show more content†¦They had to put their hands over their mouths when they spoke, to divert their polluted breath away from those whom they addressed† (Roy 71). Although Roy never clearly states the exact time period, it i s likely â€Å"Mammachi’s time† is around the 1930s, which was only a few years before the Untouchables Act was established. This excerpt illustrates the oppression Untouchables faced; they were belittled and ignored because of the inevitable social caste system they are born into. It is this rigid social system that allowed for the subordination of those who didn’t fit in at the top of the social caste spectrum. Even more, this shows how social categorizations and hierarchies produce negative outcomes such as contributing to the dehumanization and oppression of individuals. While it may seems odd that the social caste system wouldn’t be eradicated after so many years, there have been many impediments to being able to overcome such system. In fact, Charles Bressler states in Literary Criticism, â€Å"All people in a given culture are consciously and unconsciously asked to conform to the prescribed hegemony† (Bressler 198). As Bressler posits. the social caste system that has been imposed for decades, is not without easily eradicated; it’s not that people don’t want to see change, but it is because it has been integrated and imprinted into people’s lives for decadesShow MoreRelatedImportance Of The Views Of Karl Marx And Abraham Kuyper1709 Words   |  7 Pagessaying two brains is greater than one comes to play. While looking at different views people can come up with different ideas on how to solve a problem. The main purpose is to look at Marx’s and Kuyper’s ideas of human nature, main causes of social i nequality and economic hardship, the solution, assumptions that come with the solutions, and if their ideas hold up in the twenty-first century. Marx has the idea that human nature is based on communism. Through history we see the oppressors and the oppressedRead MoreSociology-Social Class1065 Words   |  5 Pagesa bad thing made by man, and by God that’s something we can change.† John Steinbeck. 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