Open Access English Literature / Cultural Studies

Postcolonial Identity and Hybrid Consciousness in Arundhati Roy's The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

Dr. Deepa Rani

Published in IJMEER (Vol. 1, Issue 2, April–June 2026)  ·  Pages 159-170  ·  DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21809155

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Abstract

Arundhati Roy's second novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017), offers a profound engagement with postcolonial nationhood, marginality, and hybrid identities in contemporary India. Applying Homi Bhabha's concepts of 'third space', 'hybridity', and 'mimicry', this paper analyzes how Roy subverts monolithic nationalistic discourses through marginal characters such as Anjum, a hijra who establishes a sanctuary in a Delhi graveyard, and Tilo, an architecture student caught in the turmoil of Kashmir. The study demonstrates how Roy's fragmented narrative structure mirrors the contested geopolitical landscapes of postcolonial South Asia.

Keywords

PostcolonialismArundhati RoyHybridityThird SpaceIndian English LiteratureSubaltern Studies

Author Affiliations

  • Assistant Professor, Department of English, Maharani Banka Bihari College, Hazaribag, Jharkhand

How to Cite

Dr. Deepa Rani. (2026). Postcolonial Identity and Hybrid Consciousness in Arundhati Roy's The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Explication and Emerging Research (IJMEER), 1(2), 159-170. https://www.ijmeer.com/article-v1i2p14.html

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