Roy - The God of Small Things

The English language is used as a means of control and as an indicator of America's supposed "superiority" over other countries. It is interesting that this movement only continues to grow. The fall of Communism in recent years has made the demand to spread and the desire to learn the English language even greater. After I graduate next May I plan to take a trip to Europe, and I am highly considering utilizing the opportunity to teach the English language in newly "westernized" Eastern European nations as a means to fund my travels. I have been corresponding with one such organization in particular based in Budapest, Hungary which seeks college graduates to teach English in Hungarian schools. No teaching experience is required due to such a high demand and need for teachers. All I would need is to pass a TEFL course here in the states, and I'm "certified". Thinking more about this, it's quite scary that I, along with other students, would be changing a culture and way of life. At the same time, I think the experience would be a change for me as well, in that I would be greatly influenced by my host country’s culture. I would hope that the positive impacts would way out the negative. However, Roy’s novel makes me focus more on the negative impact that the English language has had on many cultures of the world. Rahel and Estha were both resistant to learning the conventions of the English language. What some may view as opportunity, Roy views as a detriment to her culture.