The Representation of Nature in Eco-Fiction:A Postcolonial Examination of The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

This study examines the representation of nature in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things through the combined lenses of eco-criticism and postcolonial theory. The novel presents nature not merely as a passive backdrop but as an active force intertwined with memory, history, and socio-political structures in postcolonial India. By analyzing natural elements such as the river, landscape, and flora, this paper argues that Roy constructs nature as both a witness to and a participant in human suffering, resistance, and transgression. The degradation of the environment parallels the oppression produced by colonial legacies, caste hierarchies, and patriarchal norms, revealing how ecological exploitation mirrors social injustice. Furthermore, Roy’s eco-fiction challenges anthropocentric and colonial modes of domination by foregrounding indigenous relationships with the natural world and emphasizing interconnectedness between humans and their environment. Through a postcolonial eco-critical reading, this paper highlights how The God of Small Things reimagines nature as a site of memory, resistance, and ethical responsibility, ultimately advocating for ecological and social awareness in postcolonial literary discourse.