Spivak’s gender based Subaltern Concerns and Gendered Subalternity in Arundhathi Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

Abstract

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, is a superb exemplum of fiction at its best while highlighting the issues of marginality and subalternity. It is a story of human resilience and determination. The incendiary borders in the novel create solidarity as opposed to alienation. Roy declares that she is an optimist. She gives a direction to directionless, a new strength and vigor to the marginalized subalterns, and a voice to the voiceless. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness depicts Arundhati Roy’s attempt to bring all the subalterns and marginalized castaways of India under one roof.  The present research has been conducted to fill up the gaps present in the subaltern perspective. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s theory of subalternity is specifically gender based. Roy depicts a typical Indian society, in this saga of subalterns. All the characters are trying to reclaim their identities and they emerge triumphant at the end when they rediscover the true meanings of life, while facing their respective dilemmas of existence.