you may explore one of six questions. Be sure to use the literary theory Marxism to examine The God of Small Things book
Essay Questions
1 What is the role of colonialism in this text? That is, while India is no longer under colonial rule, how is the presence of the old colonial power, Britain,still felt through the lives of these characters?
2 In what ways is The God of Small Things a political text, one that makes a statement about the nature of power in that society?
3 Explore how one or more characters’ “race” or “color” affect their lives.
4 To what extent does money and access to resources determine the characters’ quality of life?
5 Who is Velutha and what, if anything, does he symbolize in this complex text?
6 How does the gender of two characters in separate texts play a role in the challenges they face in the society depicted by two authors?