Gender-Based Violence and Intersectionality: A Comparative Analysis of Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye

This research explores the theme of gender-based violence through the lenses of intersectionality and feminist theory in Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. Both novels examine the destructive effects of societal structures that intersect race, caste, gender, and class, forming oppressive systems that contribute to violence and psychological trauma, particularly for marginalized women. The study uses intersectionality theory, as developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, to understand how overlapping social identities compound oppression and feminist theory to analyze gendered violence within patriarchal structures.

In The God of Small Things, Ammu and Velutha’s tragic relationship highlights caste and gender-based oppression, while in The Bluest Eye, Pecola Breedlove’s psychological decline symbolizes the impact of internalized racial and gender-based violence. Both narratives expose how marginalized women are subjected to violence that is both external (societal) and internal (self-inflicted), shaped by the intersection of their gender, caste, and race.

Keywords: Gender-Based Violence, Intersectionality, Feminist Theory, Caste, Race, Social Oppression, Psychological Trauma.