Thinking Activity
This blog is crafted in response to the thinking activity assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir, Head of the Department of English, MKBU. As a part of that, I will try to answer the questions assigned by sir. Which are,
1) How is the intertextual references to other writers in the novel connected with the central theme of the novel? [also mention the epigraphs in English & Hindi]
2) What is the symbolic significance of Vulture and Gui Kyom (Dung Beetle) in the novel? Click Here to visit my blog
3) Instead of privileging the center stage, "The Ministry of the Utmost Happiness" shifts the spotlight to the back alleys and hidden corners, granting agency to those typically relegated to the sidelines. Analyze how Roy's decision to center the periphery enriches our understanding of social, political, and existential realities often ignored by mainstream narratives. Click here to visit my blog..
Let's begin...
Introduction:
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is the second novel by Arundhati Roy which was written in Minnesota in the year 2017 and published in the same year. The novel is set in India 2002 and narrated in the first and third person narrative.
In the novel, Arundhati Roy interwoven multiple disjointed stories and weaves then together- interconnects it to navigate the darkest and most violent episodes of modern Indian history, from land reform that dispossessed poor farmer to the Bhopal disaster, 2002 Godhra train burning and Kashmir insurgency.
Introductory presentation on 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness':
1) How is the intertextual references to other writers in the novel connected with the central theme of the novel? [also mention the epigraphs in English & Hindi]
In Arundhati Roy's book "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness," there are twelve chapters grouped into six sections. Each section begins with a short quote, called an epigraph, from different poets and writers. These writers were strong and rebellious, just like Arundhati Roy. They faced tough times – some were imprisoned, others exiled, and some even lost their lives. They were mistreated because of their skin color, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Despite all this, they stayed strong and didn't bow down to authority. These epigraphs set the tone for the book and reflect the shared spirit of resistance and courage among these writers, including Arundhati Roy.
1. I mean, it’s all a matter of your heart.
The first epigraph was taken from Nâzim Hikmet’s poem “On the Matter of Romeo and Juliet”. [ यानी सारा मामला दिल का है... नाज़िम हिकमत ]
The quote "I mean, it’s all a matter of your heart" from Nâzim Hikmet’s poem "On the Matter of Romeo and Juliet" sets the tone for the novel. The first quote, "I mean, it's all a matter of your heart," is from a poem by Nâzim Hikmet called "On the Matter of Romeo and Juliet" (Hikmet 145). When we look at this quote in the context of Hikmet's poem, it connects with a playful paragraph written by Arundhati Roy. In that paragraph, she talks about the links between Romeo and Juliet and the Arabo-Persian story of Laila and Majnun (Roy 2017, 4). In a roundabout way, she introduces the first of her two heroines by delaying the mention of her name and personal history.
Roy plays with words, highlighting the uncertainty of gender in her character Anjum. Anjum moves between words like Anjuman (a meeting place) and mehfil (an artistic gathering), emphasizing the rejection of exclusion and discrimination with the phrase "Everyone's invited." Anjum's cemetery, typically seen as a marginalized space for minorities who bury their dead, becomes ironic. In Roy's portrayal, it becomes a symbol of an inclusive, diverse, and secular nation that India once claimed to be.
2. In what language does the rain fall / on tormented cities?
The second epigraph quotes Pablo Neruda’s last book, Libro de las Preguntas (The Book of Questions), published posthumously in 1974 - “In what language does the rain fall / on tormented cities?”
[ बारिश किस भाषा में गिरती है/ यातनाग्रस्त शहरों के ऊपर ? - पाब्लो नेरुदा ]
Neruda's question, "In what language does the rain fall on tormented cities?" raises an inquiry about the nature of suffering and how it transcends linguistic barriers.
It draws parallels to the defiance shown during Neruda's funeral in the face of Pinochet's orders. It is reminded of the resistance during the burials of Kashmiri martyrs, signaling protest against an occupying army. The novel explores the ritualized mourning of the dead and the disposal of animals.
The opening page can be seen as a humorous ecological fable illustrating the dangers of "progress" and the collateral damage of globalization and American-style consumerism. Yet, the vultures on this page also hold tragic dignity as the lost "custodians of the dead", with whom Anjum "confer[s]". These vultures, killed by the carcasses they were meant to clean, serve as a metaphor for the paradoxical treatment of Untouchable cow skinners by Hindu lynch mobs.
3. Death flies in, thin bureaucrat, from the plains”, a fit frame for the third “section"
The third epigraph (141) quotes the first line of one of Agha Shahid Ali’s Kashmiri poems, “Death flies in, thin bureaucrat, from the plains”, a fit frame for the third “section”, narrated by “The Landlord”, a cold and somewhat cynical servant of the State.
[ मौत एक छरहरी नौकरशाह है, मैदानों से उड़कर आती हुई - आग़ा शाहिद अली ]
Drawing from Agha Shahid Ali's Kashmiri poem, the epigraph introduces a theme of imminent death and bureaucratic indifference. This sets the stage for the portrayal of the oppressive political landscape in Kashmir and the characters entangled in the conflict.
This quote aptly sets the tone for the third section, narrated by "The Landlord," a cold and somewhat cynical servant of the State. Agha Shahid Ali, who left Kashmir for the USA as a young man, experienced the pain and sorrow of the devastation in his homeland from afar. His collection, "The Country Without a Post Office," including the quoted poem, has been a source of inspiration and comfort for many Kashmiris. Ali's presence is felt as a guiding voice in books written by Kashmiris since his death in 2001, either explicitly through quotations and epigraphs or implicitly, as in Roy’s novel. In one poignant scene, Roy describes mourners at a funeral fleeing from shooting soldiers, leaving behind the dead and wounded, along with "thousands of shoes," capturing the heart-wrenching reality of the conflict.
4. Then, as she had already died four or five times, the apartment had remained available for a drama more serious than her own death.
The fourth epigraph quotes Jean Genet's novel "Notre-Dame-des-Fleurs," highlighting the gravity of a drama surpassing death. [English: "Then, as she had already died four or five times, the apartment had remained available for a drama more serious than her own death." / Hindi: "क्योंकि वह पहले चार या पाँच बार मर चुकी थी, अपार्टमेंट उसकी मृत्यु से भी ज़्यादा गंभीर किसी नाटक के लिए उपलब्ध था। - ज्याँ जेने"]
The quote from Jean Genet's novel speaks to the recurrent theme of death and drama, suggesting that the characters in the novel face challenges and conflicts surpassing mere mortality. This echoes the complex and intense nature of the characters' lives.
Jean Genet's novel "Notre-Dame-des-Fleurs" and life experiences offer surprising yet meaningful connections to the themes of "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness." Genet's life of torment, imprisonment, and activism resonates with Roy's portrayal of characters and political themes. Genet's narrative originality, fluid genres, and resistance to classifications likely inspired Roy's complex storytelling. The novel incorporates comedy, satire, tragedy, poetry, and more, with shifting perspectives and a shattered chronology. Genet's influence is evident in the portrayal of transgender characters and the exploration of death in life and life in death. The interweaving of themes and narrative techniques enriches Roy's exploration of complexity in her novel.
5. And they would not believe me precisely because they would know that what I said was true.
The fifth epigraph is an excerpt from James Baldwin's essay "Down at the cross. Letter from a Region in my Mind," delving into race relations in the USA. [English: "And they would not believe me precisely because they would know that what I said was true." / Hindi: "और वे मेरी बात पर सिर्फ़ इस वजह से यक़ीन नहीं करते थे की वे जानते थे कि मैंने जो कुछ कहा था वह सच था। - जेम्स बाल्डविन"]
James Baldwin's reflection on truth and disbelief resonates with the broader socio-political context. This epigraph links to the exploration of truth, justice, and the struggle against societal prejudices, mirroring Baldwin's examination of race relations in the USA. The passage discusses an epigraph from James Baldwin's essay in Arundhati Roy's novel. Baldwin's reflections on denial of cruelty are extended by Roy to caste relations in India, criticizing the dismissal of caste issues even by intellectuals. Roy prefers Baldwin over Martin Luther King due to her critical view of Gandhi's distorted narrative. She highlights the comparable nature of casteism and racism, emphasizing their discrimination based on ancestry. The passage connects Baldwin's insights on dehumanization to the Indian situation, and a symbolic detail about owning a horse in the novel underscores the caste-based discrimination faced by Dalits, evident in a real-life tragic incident.
6. Then there was the changing of the seasons. ‘This is also a journey,’ M said, ‘and they can’t take it away from us'.
The final epigraph, from Nadezhda Mandelstam's "Hope Against Hope," reflects on the changing seasons as an enduring journey. [English: "Then there was the changing of the seasons. ‘This is also a journey,’ M said, ‘and they can’t take it away from us.’" / Hindi: "फिर मौसमों में परिवर्तन हुआ। 'यह भी एक यात्रा है,' एम ने कहा, 'और इसे वे हमसे छीन नहीं सकते।' - नादेज्दा मान्देल्स्ताम"]
Nadezhda Mandelstam's words about the changing seasons being a journey connect with the novel's narrative arc. This epigraph symbolizes resilience and the indomitable spirit of those facing adversity, echoing themes of hope and endurance amid challenging circumstances. In the final epigraph, Arundhati Roy quotes Nadezhda Mandelstam, Osip Mandelstam's widow, reflecting on his tragic fate during Stalin's purges. Nadezhda's memoirs depict the harsh realities of oppression. Roy resonates with Nadezhda's theme of "hope against hope," emphasizing resilience amid adversity. The "Russian connection" in Roy's intertext reflects the influence of the Indian Communist Party and cultural exchange with the USSR, adding depth to the exploration of hope in the face of despair.
These carefully chosen epigraphs collectively enrich the narrative by providing thematic touchpoints that align with the novel's exploration of human experiences, political turmoil, and the indomitable spirit of those who resist oppression.
Introductory Presentation of 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness' by Arundhati Roy
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(Note: The language in my write-up has been polished with the assistance of ChatGPT.)
References
Barad, Dilip. “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.” Dilip Barad | Teacher Blog, 28 December 2021, https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2021/12/the-ministry-of-utmost-happiness.html. Accessed 16 February 2024.
Pesso-Miquel, Catherine. “Arundhati Roy's The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, or How to Recruit...” OpenEdition Journals, 2021, https://journals.openedition.org/polysemes/9239. Accessed 16 February 2024.
Roy, Arundhati. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.
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