POSISI PEREMPUAN SUBALTERN DALAM KELUARGA PADA THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS (2008) KARYA ARUNDHATI ROY

Abstract

This article discusses the forms of postcolonialism that operate within a family, through
the novel "The God of Small Things'' by Arundhati Roy (2008). The study method used is
Text Analysis. The objective of this study is to prove that The God of Small Things is a way
the author highlights issues of postcolonialism, female discrimination, and the
implementation of the caste system that is still strong in India. The theory used in this study
is the Subaltern Theory by Gayatri Spivak (2021). Results of the analysis shows that
families can become strategic environments for patterns of power relation to thrive and
become a unit in the structure of colonialism in India. The author describes that female
figures in novels such as Mammachi, Esta, and Ammu, have a subaltern position within the
family. As a result, this novel is a critique of the author's held values about colonialism,
caste and patriarchy that has not diminished in Indian society after the end of colonialism.