Capitalist Modernity, Ideological Control and Subaltern Resistance in Aravind Adiga’s Fiction

Abstract

Aravind Adiga’s fiction presents a critical picture of contemporary Indian society shaped by capitalist modernity, widening economic inequalities, and deep-rooted class divisions. This paper examines how capitalist systems operate as powerful ideological forces in Adiga’s select novels and short stories, and how subaltern characters respond to these forces through various forms of resistance. Using a Marxist critical framework, the study explores key concepts such as ideology, hegemony, class domination, and resistance to understand the social realities represented in Adiga’s fiction. The paper argues that capitalist modernity in Adiga’s works is not merely an economic condition but an ideological structure that controls people’s thoughts, desires, and aspirations. By analysing select texts within a Marxist perspective, this paper highlights how Adiga’s fiction exposes the hidden power of capitalist ideology and brings attention to the struggles of subaltern groups in modern India.