Abstract
Gender relationships in The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy change over the course of the book. In many ways, gender and caste are inseparable from one another in how they interact; it is Estha who bridges the gap between both. Whether consciously or subconsciously, he engages in this transgressive behavior in order to become his sister Rahel. This essay positions Estha as a trans woman longing for a becoming, and it is through his successful pursuit of Rahel in both a queer and psychoanalytic sense that he becomes a woman. This pursuit manifests through transgressive behavior, putting him at odds with his family and community, and is mirrored in the natural world around him.
Recommended Citation
Reid, Clara.
"Estha and Trans Identity in The God of Small Things."
Critical Humanities
3,
1
(2024).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33470/2836-3140.1064
Included in
Continental Philosophy Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Literature in English, Anglophone outside British Isles and North America Commons
