'The Interview': Arundhati Roy Knows Where America Is Headed

Overview

This episode features a deeply personal and political conversation with acclaimed author Arundhati Roy, exploring her new memoir Mother Mary Comes to Me. The discussion delves into her complex relationship with her mother, the societal and political forces shaping her life and work, and the parallels between authoritarianism in India and the United States.

Notable Quotes

- One half of me was taking the hits, and the other half of me was taking notes. – Arundhati Roy, on how her childhood experiences shaped her as a writer.

- The reason I like your writing is because you write as though they've already killed you. – Arundhati Roy, quoting a reader on her fearless approach to writing.

- India is a society that accepts injustice as a given. – Arundhati Roy, on the entrenched social hierarchies in Indian society.

🌸 The Complexity of Motherhood and Identity

- Roy’s memoir examines her mother, Mary Roy, as both a public figure and a deeply flawed parent.

- Mary Roy was a trailblazer who fought for gender equality, including a landmark Supreme Court case that overturned discriminatory inheritance laws.

- Despite her public achievements, Roy describes a childhood marked by poverty, instability, and emotional and physical abuse.

- Roy reflects on the duality of her mother’s influence: “She hammered me, but she also created me.”

- Her brother’s contrasting perspective on their mother highlights the complexity of familial relationships and unresolved trauma.

📚 Writing as Survival and Resistance

- Roy credits her tumultuous upbringing for making her a writer, describing how she processed her mother’s actions by observing and taking mental notes.

- Writing became a way to make sense of her life and the injustices she witnessed, both personal and societal.

- She emphasizes the importance of creating work that is not merely reactive but offers a vision of the world: “Your work is a thing in and of itself.”

⚖️ Feminism and Its Contradictions

- Mary Roy’s feminist ideals were groundbreaking, yet her treatment of her son revealed contradictions in her approach to gender dynamics.

- Roy critiques feminism that disrespects men, noting how her mother’s harshness toward her brother complicated her own understanding of gender equality.

- This duality shaped Roy’s nuanced view of feminism as a framework for mutual respect rather than domination.

🌍 Authoritarianism and the Role of Writers

- Roy draws parallels between India’s Hindu nationalist movement and the MAGA movement in the U.S., highlighting shared tactics like voter suppression, media manipulation, and attacks on dissenters.

- She reflects on the fear authoritarian regimes have of writers who connect emotionally and intellectually with people.

- Despite facing legal threats and censorship in India, Roy remains committed to writing fearlessly: “You have to insist that your work is not just a reaction to what's happening to you.”

🎭 The Emotional Toll of Activism and Success

- Roy discusses the personal cost of her activism and literary success, including her mother’s mixed reactions to her achievements.

- She describes the tension between being celebrated and feeling complicit in a world rife with inequality: “When you get applauded, someone else is being beaten in the other room.”

- Her ability to detach and find humor in her experiences has been a survival mechanism, allowing her to navigate both personal and political challenges.