"The use of innocence in literature is never innocent" How far do you agree with this statement in the light of "The god of small things" by Arundhati Roy, and "Clear light of day", by Anita Desai?

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Callum Reid, Coursework 2003 ENGLISH A LEVEL

"The use of innocence in literature is never innocent." How far do you agree with this statement in the light of "The god of small things" by Arundhati Roy, and "Clear light of day", by Anita Desai?

Introduction

The innocent child has been a long-standing literary figure, used throughout the centuries and cultures by authors such as Dickens, keen to explore the subtleties and paradoxes of children. The latter-part of the twentieth century, however, has been especially rich in novels which give innocence a central role within the plot and the writing. In a society increasingly concerned with nurturing and protecting children, recognising their rights and their ability to express their thoughts and feelings, some authors have developed a fascination and a respect for children which is quite new in the world of literature. Whilst "Oliver Twist" may have struck a chord with nineteenth century readers, and resulted in an increase in the concern for the poor children of London, there is little true analysis of the deeper psychology of the child. This, however, cannot be said of the works of two female Indian authors, Arundhati Roy and Anita Desai, who in their respective novels "The god of small things", and "Clear light of day" have explored with depth and novelty the child, and hence the theme of innocence. It is their use of innocence in their novels, and the impact that this has over their style, as well as over the social, political and psychological aspects of their novels which I intend to study.

The child as a "social thermometer"

It is no coincidence that children were chosen by both Roy and Desai to figure as or amongst the main characters of their novels. Indeed, India is a country which has undergone great social and political turmoil in the last 50 years, and comparing the adult to the child that he or she was inevitably leads to comparing the way the world has changed and evolved in the time it took for the child to grow up. In both novels, however, one must keep in mind that the socio-political situation is not the point of the stories, but that it is merely the setting, as well as a contributing factor to the way the child develops.

This is a point that has been stressed by many of Desai's critics , because it could lead to a serious misunderstanding of the point of "Clear light of day" if one were only to consider it as a political novel. Indeed, "Anita Desai disowns all social concerns and asserts more than once that she is interested in individuals and not in social issues. Social issues intrude only where they affect the character" . Political turmoil of the summer of 1947 is presented only through the eyes of Raja, the brother, who is worried because his neighbours, the Hyder Alis are in danger. She also manages to convey her own thoughts about the absurdity of the conflict by showing to what extent "Raja and Bim are aghast at the sudden outbreak of hatred, mistrust and parochialism among the Hindu-Muslim sections in India when Independence was to be declared". Because they are children, Raja and Bim do not understand the complex situation which the country is in, and are uninfluenced by their knowledge of India's past in perceiving the absurdity and horror of the sudden hate between neighbours. Their perception carries so much weight because it is so pure and is probably the only one which could show with such impartiality what is occurring in India at the time.

Social issues such as the restrictions imposed on women are shed light on through Bim, who in her naiveté, fails to realise that "the Hindu social code sees external ambition in women as detrimental and unnatural" , and that "sociological factors regard Bim's high ideals of service as only "sacrifice for the family." Judged by this conventional social matrix her sublime ambition is reduced to a pathetic search" In both novels, the authors are careful not to let their books become a piece of political propaganda, and remain intent on showing the absurdities of politics through the children. It is the effect of an event on the people rather than the event itself which remain the focus of the authors.

In "The god of small things", one senses a great bitterness on Roy's part towards the western influence and world in general, as well as the decaying Indian culture. Scenes such as the airport scene, where Roy dedicates a whole paragraph to the arrogance of the westerners, or those who have experienced the western world towards the traditional India : "And there they were, the Foreign Returnees, in wash'n'wear suits and rainbow sunglasses. (...) With love and a lick of shame that their families were so... so... gawkish. Look at the way they dressed! Surely they had more suitable airport wear! Why did Malayalees have such awful teeth?" are full of bitterness and a sense of resentment. This western-Indian conflict, is of course widely exemplified throughout the novel by Sophie Moll and her mother, Chacko's ex-wife's, arrival in India to stay at the family home. It is this constant sense of competition and jealousy felt by Rahel towards her western cousin, and eventually the fact that because of Sophie's arrival, and death, the whole of Rahel and Estha's world crumbles and disintegrates which symbolises the conflict.

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This, of course, is probably the main point of Roy's novel : that it is through the small things, like a child, that one understands the world, because it is the small things which define our world. During the Communist march, for instance, Roy focuses on details, such as the car window : "Effortfully, because the black knob on the handle had fallen off" , and whether or not Velutha was present at the march. Roy shows a genuine concern with informing the reader about the political scene in Kerala in 1969, which is reflected in her extensive explanations of ...

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