Ethnicity, identity and the search for a new social order: A study of Zakes Mda’s The Madonna of Excelsior and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things

Abstract

This research paper examines ethnicity and identity as represented in Zakes Mda’s The Madonna of Excelsior and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things. In the reading of these novels one realises that the South African and Indian societies still face ethnic rivalry which has been a perennial problem from time immemorial. The bone of contention underlying this research is the fact that Zakes Mda and Arundhati Roy in their texts present societies fragmented by ethnic rivalry and identity crises which have hindered the effective evolution of these societies. This paper thus, seeks to answer the following questions: How is the fragmented nature of South Africa and India presented by Mda and Roy and what strategies are adopted by characters in these novels to remedy this situation? As a follow-up to these questions, this paper hypothesised that Zakes Mda and Arundhati Roy in similar ways highlight the predicaments of their societies and propose reconciliatory strategies through which these societies can evolve. To proceed with this study, we have chosen the postcolonial theory which aims at scrutinising the inter-human relationships in these societies as presented in these novels. Throughout the analysis, we realised that in societies with many ethnic groups, relationships are developed based on colour or tribal lines, or upon the binaries of the Manichean Allegory, which have a great impact on the relationship between characters. This led to the conclusion that a future space of peace, harmony and fraternity can only be achieved if characters express tolerance, respect each other, and above all reconcile their differences.