LIVING LIKE A TREE: NARRATIVES OF SLOW VIOLENCE IN ARUNDHATI ROY'S THE MINISTRY OF UTMOST HAPPINESS

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Çukurova Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi
Cilt: 34 Sayı: 2
LIVING LIKE A TREE: NARRATIVES OF SLOW VIOLENCE IN ARUNDHATI ROY'S THE MINISTRY OF UTMOST HAPPINESS

LIVING LIKE A TREE: NARRATIVES OF SLOW VIOLENCE IN ARUNDHATI ROY'S THE MINISTRY OF UTMOST HAPPINESS

Pages : 1123-1134

View : 64 | Download : 200

Publication Date : 2025-10-24

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This article bridges postcolonial studies and ecocriticism to explore the entanglement of environmental degradation and systemic marginalization in Arundhati Roy\\\'s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. Mainly anchored in the theoretical framework of Nixon\\\'s concept of \\\"slow violence,\\\" this study examines how colonial and neo-colonial ideologies perpetuate ecological exploitation and social inequality. Through characters such as Anjum and Gulabiya, Roy critiques the intersection of environmental injustices, displacement, and socio-political exclusion. Anjum\\\'s existence within a graveyard, which is a symbolic site of ecological decay, exemplifies the gradual violence inflicted upon marginalized communities, while the extinction of white-backed vultures symbolizes the ecological ramifications of industrial modernity. Additionally, the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the Bhopal disaster serve as critical case studies of environmental racism, highlighting the disproportionate burdens borne by the Global South in the name of development. By engaging with colonial legacies such as deforestation and industrial expansion, the article underscores how contemporary globalization replicates the exploitative dynamics of imperialism. Roy\\\'s narrative strategies amplify the silenced experiences of the dispossessed while critiquing the ethical failures of anthropocentrism and capitalist modernity. The article concludes by emphasizing the role of literature as an activist medium, capable of rendering visible the imperceptible impacts of ecological and social violence. In doing so, it advocates for postcolonial ecocriticism as an essential lens for addressing global environmental and cultural issues.
Keywords : Postkolonyal Ekoeleştiri, Yavaş Şiddet, Çevresel Adalet, Arundhati Roy, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

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