Gender and Patriarchy in The God of Small Things

Dr Tarun Kumar Yadav Assistant Professor Department of English S R P S College B R Ambedkar Bihar University Official Email: drtarunkumaryadav3@gmail.com ORCID iD: 0009-0005-7563-1581 VIDWAN ID (INFLIBNET - UGC): 652669 Researcher ID (Web of Science): OJT-0076-2025 Google Scholar ID/URL (Google): https://scholar.google.com/citations?a uthuser=2&user=l86cIqQAAAAJ Abstract This research paper explores the complex interplay of gender, patriarchy, and women’s resistance in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things (Penguin Books, 2002). Set in the socio-cultural landscape of Kerala, the novel reveals how women become central victims of strict patriarchal codes that define identity, sexuality, and family honor. The study critically examines the lives of three key female characters - Ammu, Baby Kochamma, and Rahel - whose experiences not only reflect oppression but also attempt to break through restrictive boundaries. Ammu’s pursuit of love outside prescribed norms is treated as a social crime, showing how female desire is constantly regulated by family and caste values. Her tragic fate becomes a powerful critique of a society that denies women the right to selfhood. Baby Kochamma represents internalized patriarchy, where a woman polices other women to gain validation within the system that once suppressed her own desires. Her character demonstrates how patriarchal authority survives through compliance, fear, and rivalry among women. Rahel, belonging to the younger generation, embodies silent defiance and emotional detachment. Through her fragmented upbringing and unconventional choices, Roy reveals the long-term impact of gendered trauma and broken motherhood. Motherhood in the novel is portrayed with striking limitations. Ammu’s inability to protect her children from social judgment and institutional cruelty emphasizes how motherhood is judged based on moral conformity rather than nurturing love. The narrative exposes how mothers are blamed for everything yet granted very little agency over their own lives or their children’s future. Through a feminist reading, this paper argues that Roy not only criticizes the mechanisms of patriarchal dominance but also highlights acts of small yet significant resistance. These moments of defiance challenge traditional power structures and open conversations on women’s autonomy, identity, and emotional survival in a deeply regulated society. Keywords Gender, patriarchy, sexuality, critique, fragmented upbringing, trauma, autonomy