Poverty and Class Struggle in the Works of Arundhati Roy and Mahasweta Devi

Abstract

Poverty and class struggle have been persistent concerns in Indian society, shaped by historical, social, and political factors. Indian literature, both in English and in translated regional languages, has served as a lens to examine these inequalities. Among contemporary writers, Arundhati Roy and Mahasweta Devi stand out for their deep engagement with issues of economic deprivation, social marginalization, and systemic oppression. Roy’s The God of Small Things (1997) explores poverty, caste discrimination, and gender oppression in Kerala, highlighting how social hierarchies and economic inequality affect the personal and psychological lives of her characters. Devi’s works, such as Chotti Munda and His Arrow (1990) and Draupadi (1989), depict the struggles of tribal and rural communities, foregrounding systemic exploitation, labor oppression, and gendered marginalization.
This paper examines how poverty and class struggle are represented in the works of Roy and Devi, focusing on their narrative techniques, thematic concerns, and socio-political commentary. Through a comparative analysis, the study demonstrates how these writers illuminate the multi-layered dimensions of poverty, revealing the intersections of class, caste, gender, and political marginalization, while asserting literature’s role as a vehicle for social awareness and ethical reflection.