
The Criterion: An International Journal in English
Indian Literature
Expressing Existential Crisis through Fragmented Voices: A Critical Perspective on Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
Abstract
Arundhati Roy’s novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is, undoubtedly, one of the contemporary texts that examines the characters not only from the socio-political but also from the existential point of view. The author, however, does not merely underpin the sufferings of characters in a very usual way, rather symbolizes it through their ruptured language; which conveys existential themes such as fractured individuality, quest for meaning in an absurd world, and cultural pluralism promoting confused identity. Roy’s novel reveals the lives of marginalised people, who pursue a life of socio-political unrest and uses fragmented language to echo the voice of sufferings and narrate it using language as the tool for rebellion. The individual agency creates meaning and develops human consciousness, which vehicles the absurdity of existence. Roy’s characters aren’t only oppressed by the rigid value system, but they also seek oppression by the conflict, creating inner turmoil. The language in the form of dialogues, inner monologues, and even the silence portrays a vivid expression of their fragmented realities. The paper, primarily, highlights the ambiguous duality of language spoken; the character like Anjum and her confused gender identity deliver the facet of transcending binary notions of identity. The novel serves rebellion using language; Saddam Hussein uses his name with a political connotation to embark on a big revolt against who oppresses him. The tension arises in the novel when language succumbs and it is not being able to come as an expression; transparently, this barrier also conveys a fragmented reality to the readers. The research paper aims to analyse how the characters use disjointed language, negotiate their realities, and confront themselves to an absurd world.
Keywords
Fragmentation, Language, Existentialism, Intersectionality, Fractured individuality
How to Cite
Himanshu Negi, Dr. Vipin Kumar. “Expressing Existential Crisis through Fragmented Voices: A Critical Perspective on Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 1, Feb. 2026, pp. 27-46. ISSN: 0976-8165.
