A Comprehensive Analysis of The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy

Shantanu Tilak
Prof. Kunal Ray
Introduction to English Literature
October 2014.
A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF ‘THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS’ BY
ARUNDHATI ROY
Arundhati Roy was born in Shillong in 1961. Her education at the ‘Corpus Christi’
School founded by her mother was very informal, and this enabled her to obtain a very
unconventional outlook towards culture and life. She began being independent and thinking for
herself. She left home at an early age to live a life of hardship and strife. She began to live under
a small thatched hut and sell empty beer bottles for income. She observed the effects of
Marxism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity within the country and began to mold and shape her
outlooks and beliefs. Her writing has a large amount of political purpose infused into its very
being, since she considers herself to be a politically involved person. Since Roy gives
importance to the freedom of thought and independent thinking, she is not afraid to voice her
opinion even if it goes against the norms of society. She has published a plethora of essays and
given a large number of speeches voicing her anti-war activist opinions. 1
1
Biography, Arundhati Roy. University of Minnesota Online. N.p. n.d. Web.
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/roy_arundhait.php
The main objective of this research paper is to comprehensively analyze the several
elements that form the foundation on which the story of ‘The God Of Small Things’ by
Arundhati Roy is built. The components analyzed are listed below and include narrative, setting
and imagery, main themes, and an analysis of characters.
“THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS” AN OVERVIEW
‘The God of Small Things’ is a very special work of literature, since it is the sole novel
written by Roy. The novel was published in 1996 and received extremely high level of acclaim.
It even went on to win the Booker Prize for Literature. In the book, Roy is fearless about
projecting her thoughts and views in order to create a scenario in the book that is genuine and
really striking to readers. The novel ‘unchronologically’ traces the undoing of the Ipe family of
Ayemenem India in 1969 and also details the effects it had through the lives of seven year old
twins Rahel and Esthappen. Readers are given detailed information about the dynamics within
the family. The twins, their mother (Ammu), grandmother (referred to as Mammachi), great
aunt(Baby Kochamma), await the arrival of their uncle’s (Chacko) ex-wife Margaret and her
daughter Sophie from England. There is a lot of mutual tension in the household as preparations
for this visit are ensuing in full force. Ammu and the twins are generally considered to be the
black sheep of the family and are constantly told to be on their best behavior for when Margaret
and Sophie arrive. Kochamma learns that Ammu has been secretly sleeping with Velutha, one of
the servants employed at the house who is a member of the untouchable class. When Sophie and
Margaret visit, the family tries to keep the affair a secret whereas Kochamma calls it rape. In the
midst of all this tension, the three children run away from home and attempt to cross the deadly
Meechenthal river. \the tiny boat that they used capsizes in the swift waters of the river, and
Sophie is found dead the next day. Rahel and Estha are able to swim ashore. As the two sleep in
the abandoned ‘History House’, they wake up the next morning to find Velutha in pain from
being beaten up. This is a consequence of the lies that that Kochamma told. Velutha eventually
dies and Ammu is forced to send her son to his father, and is banished from the family shortly
after. Rahel stays back with Mammachi and Lochamma, and Estha reunite with the family
through a visit to Ayenemen twenty three years later.
Upon returning to the Ayenemen household, Estha finds that a lot has changed since
1969. Kochamma and Kochu Maria (the housekeeper) have discovered the wonders of satellite
TV, and spend their days enjoying the television, with the house in shambles. Baby Kochamma
tells Rahel that she is worried about Estha since he has stopped talking and goes out on
mysterious walks, leaving everyone in the house clueless about his location and intentions. Like
Ammu and Velutha, Estha and Rahel end up breaking the laws of love that hold strong in the
village. Despite their unauthorized union, they are definitely fond of the memories they had in
Ayenemen as children.2
2
Stockdale, Emily. LANGUAGE AND THE CREATION OF CHARACTERS IN ARUNDHATI ROY’S THE
GOD OF SMALL THINGS . University of North Carolina. 2008. P.1-2. Digital.
http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncw/f/stockdalee2008-1.pdf
TITLE
There are multiple interpretations of the title of the novel. Vellutha may be depicted as a
mere Paravan or untouchable, but he is definitely one of the most important characters in the
book. He is the man who the twins loved by day, the man Ammu loved by night. The conflict in
the book is centred around him. He is the scapegoat of cruelty of the human world in the book,
but he is the one who is the real ‘God of Small Things’. 3 Cherishing love and the minute aspects
of love is a main theme in the book, and this is expressed through Vellutha and Ammu’s
relationship.
The forbidden love between Ammu and Vellutha is a very important aspect in the book.
Ammu and Vellutha look no farther than ‘tomorrow’. The childlike perspective in the book
focuses on ‘the small things’ such as Rahel’s watch, Estha’s ‘Two Thoughts’ and the little
Marxist flags rather than getting to the plot in a straightforward manner. Small moments and the
‘small things’ form a mask for bigger things, which are bound to occur later. It is the small
details in Roy’s writing that make it poignant but human at the same time, and this is the possible
philosophy behind the title. The book tells readers to look at ‘the small things’ more carefully. 4
3
Cleverley, Adela. Book Review: The God Of Small Things”. Nerd Fighters. March 16, 2012. Web. LINK.
http://nerdfighters.ning.com/profiles/blogs/book-review-the-god-of-small-things-by-arundhati-roy
4
“The God Of Small Things”. Themes. Litcharts Online. N.p. n.d. Web. www.litcharts.com/lit/the-god-of-small-
things/themes
NARRATIVE
The narrative used by Roy in “The God of Small Things” highlights how she has used
language as an ‘all-purpose weapon’ of sorts. Through her rich narrative, Roy has portrayed the
rich landscape of Kerala through a blend of reality and imagination. She has used her narrative to
help us gain a detailed insight into the lives of her extremely complex characters, especially
5
Rahel and Estha. The narrative style is extremely complex, with the omniscient narrator being
Rahel. There are two dominant narratives and numerous subordinate narratives that make up the
book and these add a layer of intrigue to the book. The key to the novel’s appeal is the very
complex structure around which the narrative is built. It emulates the structure of the memory of
the narrator and is hence an ‘unchronological’ documentation of past events to some extent.
Sequences and events within the book are chopped up and recombined to form a sort of mesh.
This mesh comprises of past, present as well as future events laced together in a jumble which is
surprisingly eloquent in its ability to express. The manipulation of time in the book is to
highlight the contrast between the conflict and the periods of dormancy within the story. The
return of the twins and the switch to the present makes the ‘illegitimacy’ of their incestuous
encounter even more prominent. The preface of the novel promises readers that the story would
enable them to view different situations with varied perspectives. Even though a lot of events in
the book can be viewed with a single perspective, the manipulation of time creates an illusory
5
Stockdale, Emily. LANGUAGE AND THE CREATION OF CHARACTERS IN ARUNDHATI ROY’S THE
aura of varied interpretations. The sexual encounters can only be viewed with one frame of
thought, but the way the narrative is layered makes us think deeper.6
The rich texture of the language used in the book gives readers a very vivid and ‘real’
experience. However, there are some parts of the book that use a spare and economic craft, and
this shows how Roy is able to eloquently express her thoughts irrespective of the nature of the
craft she uses. A very good example of economy of style in the book is the statement ‘the three
of them had loved a man to death’. This statement Is able to compress drama and feelings of
attraction within one statement, along with metaphorically talking about death. Contrasts form a
very important part of the narrative as well. The contrast between intimacy and comic relief is
quite common in the book. For examples the incident of Vellutha’s death is followed by the
event of Ammu stocking herself with a toothbrush.7
‘The God Of Small Things’ is sort of an experiment in linguistic technique. It presents
English from the perspective of a family that does not natively speak the language. Roy makes
the family’s unfamiliarity with English evident through the use of unconventionally spaced
capital letters, sentence fragmentation and odd construction of words. This alters the palette of
sound of the English language and creates a new ‘soundscape’ of sorts. The unfamiliarity of the
family with the language also shows the postcolonial burden of the English weighing down on
people that are not even comfortable with the language. The hybridity of language has
encouraged critics and readers to call the language used by Roy in the book as ‘Inglish’. This
6
Sharma, Amita. Truths of Memory and Transgression: God of Small Things. India International Centre Quarterly,
Vol. 25, No. 1. India International Centre. 1998. P.168. Digital.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/23005614.pdf?acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true
7
Sharma, Amita. Truths of Memory and Transgression: God of Small Things. India International Centre Quarterly,
Vol. 25, No. 1. India International Centre. 1998. P.168-169. Digital
language releases English from the burden associated with it. The complex structure of the
narrative often leaves us perplexed as to who is talking. 8
The use of unconventional capitalization is another peculiar linguistic manipulation in the
book. When Rahel tries to hide from Sophie to avoid greeting her, there is a mention of a
“LaYTer” interaction between them.9 The talk of “der-green, der-blueblack, der-mustard yellow”
of the “chop-licking neck mole” is also an example of the peculiar usage of English.10 “Breath of
Fresh Air” and “the air smelt of Something Burning” are other examples of unconventional
capitalization. These may be associated with actions of the characters. The utterance of these
words can be associated with actions from the characters. For example, in the latter, we can
imagine Kochamma sniffing the air with distaste.11
Unconventional fragmentation of sentences probably aims to add a feeling of th flow of
natural thought. It is natural for us to think in a spurt of ideas rather than in flowery words. This
enables Roy to portray the relationship between ideas with greater ease. “Like a fisherman in the
city. With sea-secrets in him.” Is a good example of such fragmentation.12 This construction
allows us to not only look at the perspective of readers, but delve deeper into their minds as well.
The play on the spelling of certain words in English such as ‘sariflapping’ and ‘furrywhipping’
8
Torres, Augustin. ROY’S INGLISH IN THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS: A
LANGUAGE FOR SUBVERSION, RECONCILIATION
AND REASSERTION. Universitat de Valencia. 2011. P.195. Digital. www.ual.es/odisea/Odisea12_Reyes.pdf
9
Roy,Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Harper Colline. 1998. P.139-140. Print.
10
Roy,Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Harper Colline. 1998. P.141. Print.
11
AND REASSERTION. Universitat de Valencia. 2011. P.195-6. Digital. www.ual.es/odisea/Odisea12_Reyes.pdf
12
are evident throughout the book.13 These manipulations show us how these words sound coming
from the mouths of these characters. It makes us feel like we are being exposed to English as a
second language.14
The juxtaposition of Malayalam syntax and grammar onto English is not continuous and
smooth, but it enables Roy to create her own English and liberate it from the burden of
colonialism. “..little old churchgoing amooma, quiet and clean, idi appams for breakfast, kanji
and meen for lunch.”15 This is an example of the integration of Roy’s native language into
English, to create a hybrid entity of her own.16
SETTING
Kerala and India are woven into the fabric of “The God Of Small Things”. Roy herself
grew up in Kerala. Her mother lived on the outskirts of a town called Kottayam, in the village
Aymanam, which was located along the river Minachal. The bok takes places in a village called
Ayememen. A river called ‘Meechenthal’ is also depicted. Thus, the fusion of facts and
imaginary settings are a very intriguing aspect in the book. The way Roy has portrayed the lush
landscape and sociological scenario in Ayemenem is very similar to those of her hometown, and
thus the setting of the book may draw from real life experience. There are numerous references
13
14
15
16
in the book to the landscape typically seen in Kerala, as well as the cultural and political activity
that ensues there. The mix of the real and the imaginary is also clearly seen through the
references to Kottayam, which is where a lot of events in the book take place as well. Another
minor setting in the book is the major port of Cochin. Thus, the setting of South India in the real
sense is sprinkled with elements of fantasy. This fused setting forms a unique background for the
events in the book to play out. The fusion of the real and the imaginary in the book have led
critics and readers to believe that the book is primarily semi-autobiographical. However, reading
the book with this in mind would definitely make readers overlook some of the other themes play
a much more important part in the book.17
THEMES
“The God of Small Things” deals with a multitude of themes. The narrative, the setting as
well as the events that play out within the book all contribute to setting the foundation for the
themes covered by the book.
WOMEN, PATRIARCHY AND REBELLION
“The God Of Small Things” deals heavily with the portrayal of women in post-colonial
India. The book aims to portray a sort of dual pattern in the way women’ lives are depicted. At
one end of the spectrum is Mammachi, who is representative of the notion of women, considered
as ‘subordinate’. This is because she silently comes to terms with the domestic violence she
17
Dharwadker, Vinay. TEACHING THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS IN WISCONSIN:
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXTS. University of Wiscconsin. 2012. P.1. Digital.
http://humanities.wisc.edu/assets/misc/Vinay_Dharwadker_ROY_BACKGROUND__CONTEXTS_Introduction_Final.
pdf
faces. Kochamma is also a ‘disempowered’ woman in the post-colonial setting, because she is
unable to openly express her love. On the other end, there is Ammu, who refutes the patriarchal
norms of society through her unlawful affair with Velutha. Rahel is also considered to be a
woman on the other extreme of the spectrum, with her interracial marriage and the transgressive
nature of her sexuality.18
The depiction of women in the book also shows the development of a sense of self.
Women in the book who are depicted as strong and empowered make choices based on their
thoughts, and not the generally ‘correct’ choices. For examples, seven years into her life as a
devoted mother, Ammu suddenly develops a sense of sexual awakening through her ‘unlawful
’affair with Velutha. The ‘unlearning ‘of the conventional structure of Indian society which was
dominantly patriarchal is shown through Ammu’s challenging of the ‘laws of love’. These laws,
as depicted in the book, relate to “who should be loved, and how. And how much”.19 The
hypocritical nature of these patriarchal constructs is depicted through Mammachi’s opinion of
Chacko and Ammu’s choices with respect to love. She feels that Chacko’s libertine relationship
with women is representative of a ‘man’s needs’.20 On the other hand, she feels that Ammu’s
inter-caste affair is a dishonor to the family as well as Ammu’s reputation.
Ammu is a victim of gender subordination in addition to being impoverished when she is
banished from the household. When Chacko dispossesses her from their home, he says:
18
Nazari, Fatimeh. Revisiting Colonial Legacy in Arundhati Roy’s
The God of Small Things. Journal of Educational and Social Research , Vol.3, No.1. 2013. P.206. Digital.
http://www.mcser.org/images/stories/jesr.january.2013/fahimeh.nazari-revisiting.pdf
19
20
“Get out of my house before I break every bone in your body! My house. My pineapples. My
pickles.” 21
This repeated use of ‘my’ shows the domineering nature of the patriarchal system, and
also Roy’s annoyance with it to some extent. Women in the book are depicted facing a mesh of
power relationships which they must negotiate by either obeying the norms or breaking them.
Ammu chooses the latter, even though she knows it threatens her reputation and safety. Unlike
Ammu, Rahel chooses the path of rebellion to go on a journey of self-actualization. She makes
spontaneous choices and enters the modern world from a village. She even marries an American
man. Her transgressive reunion with her brother is to ‘heal his psychic wounds’. Thus, she
represents the strength and resilience of the woman through the way she is depicted.
There may be an autobiographical edge to “The God Of Small Things”, especially when
it comes to the portrayal of women. Ammu’s widowhood and her forced return to Ayemenem are
reminiscent of the divorce between Roy’s parents and her mother’s return to rural Kerala. Both
these events can be correlated since they show how both these women were not accepted readily
into the ‘conservative world of rural Kerala’.22
NEOCOLONIALISM
21
22
The book presents some discourse about life in the post-colonial era. The desire for
superiority was a very important part of this era. The upper-middle class status of the family,
which had ties to the British Government, takes its status for granted, and boasts of its social
status. This is shown in Mammachi’s pride about her English bride. The element of capitalism in
Indian society I portrayed through Chacko’s plan for globalization of the pickle-factory. When
Rahel returns to Ayemenem, she notices Estha’s odd behavior and his newly acquired habit of
taking long strolls. This odd behavior can be seen as Estha ‘re-experiencing’ his past through
iconic images. Whatever Estha sees during his strolls may be a part of his unconscious. He could
be a person haunted by his past, whose memory reproduces mental images of capitalist greed
from the past.23
He walked for hours on end … . Someday he walked along the banks of the rivers that smelled of
shit and
pesticides bought with World Bank loans. Most of the fish had died. The ones that survived
suffered from finrot
and had broken out in boils. Other days he walked down the road. Past the new, freshly baked,
iced, Gulfmoney
houses built by nurses, masons, wire-benders and bank clerks, who worked hard and unhappily
in
faraway places. Past the resentful older houses tinged green with envy, cowering their private
driveways
23
among their private rubber trees.24
It is interesting to see the possible symbolism in this passage. The river symbolizes the
flow of Indian life and culture, filled with middle-class families desperate to privatize their
holdings, raise capital and make their services available to Imperial markets. There was
definitely a shift in the attitude towards the colonial rule in this period. People did abhor the
oppression that colonialism brought along, but were at the same time positive and hopeful about
the economic prospects the colonial rule brought along with it. The policies of the colonizers
shifted from the desire to exploit. The colonies were made into markets, and this prompted the
natives to ‘safeguard’ their economic interests by cooperating.25
The ‘backward’ life of Baby Kochamma is speculated to be a representation of the desire
to embrace a more ‘modern’ culture. As a citizen of a formerly colonized country, she deems her
nationality as inferior, and wishes to adopt the luxurious ways of the west. This desire is mainly
seen in her favour for the colonizers and her love for father Mulligan, who resides in kerala to
study Hindu scriptures. To manifest the feelings she has, she adopts Roman Catholicism as her
religion and enters a convent to lure the man of her dreams. Upon seeing his lack of interest for
her, she quits her position at the convent and leaves the country to study ornamental gardening.
She does this in order to tame her frustration by devoting herself to nature.26
24
25
26
Upon Rahel’s return, it is clear to see that Baby Kochamma has undergone a mutation of
sorts, by completely embracing Western culture.
“Under the table she swung her tiny, manicured feet, like a small child on a high chair. They
were puffy with
edema, like little foot-shape air cushions. Wearing makeup. Wearing a lot of jewelry.”27
The reason of this complete mutation is the fact that the house is now equipped with
satellite television which is now a sort of addiction for Kochamma.
“American NBA league games, one-day cricket and all the Grand Slam tennis tournaments. On
weekdays she
watched The Bold and the Beautiful and Santa Barbara, where brittle blondes with lipstick and
hairstyles rigid
with spray seduced androids and defended their sexual empires. Baby Kochamma loved their
shiny clothes
and the smart, witchy repartee. During the day, disconnected snatches of it came back to her and
made her
chuckle.”28
27
28
The aforementioned excerpts from the book highlight how Kochamma is completely
consumed by capitalism and the West. This is mainly due to her lack of a positive self-image,
which forces her to be passively captivated with consumerism and material wealth. However,
Roy depicts America as an equally wild and uncivilized place where people are ‘shot through
their car windows’. Thus, she depicts the West in a similar light as well, as a brutal place which
is equally undemocratic. This balance enables us to show how the allure of the West is not really
all that it seems. The attractive aspect is solely material.29
THE ‘LAWS’ OF LOVE AND TABOO
The story is essentially a love story. The ‘laws of love’ which are mentioned earlier are
very important in the setting considered, and they govern decisions of the characters. The book
represents a mosaic of human lifestyles that are linked by love, whether considered lawful or
‘forbidden’. The aspect of rebellion in Ammu when she chooses to have an intercaste affair with
Vellutha is very important in highlighting the boundary transcending nature that love has. The
concept of taboo in love was very sensitive in post-colonial India, and the ultimate fate of
transgressors was death or grave misfortune, if the ‘laws of love’ were broken. This is seen
through Velutha’s demise and Ammu’s banishment from her home. It is interesting to see that
the ‘laws of love’ only had grave consequences in some cases. 30Chacko’s former marriage and
subsequent divorce from Margaret is seen to symbolize the ‘needs of a man’ by Kochamma, and
29
30
earth-rim-roamer. The God of Small Things: Love Laws. Hubpages. March 20 2012. Web. http://earth-rim-
roamer.hubpages.com/hub/The-God-of-Small-Things-Love-Laws
this shows the patriarchal bias in the cultural setting. The concept of incest was also a taboo in
the time, and their ineraction is also seen as ‘forbidden’. The breakage of the laws of love sort of
highlights how one should be free to love whomever they want. The book aims to show that love
is a universal entity.31
INNOCENCE
“The God of Small Things” helps readers look at the world through the perspective of a
child. This adds a dimension of innocence and purity to the events in the novel, whether they are
horrific (like the death of Sophie Mol) or simple everyday events. Innocence and simplicity of
thought are definitely two entities that are inseparably linked. Ignorance is bliss for an innocent
person. What these children do not know cannot hurt them. However, the book takes a different
spin on this concept, by extensively depicting what the kids do know, and how they tend to
interpret it.
The loss of innocence is also a major theme in the book. The story basically traces the
gradual loss of innocence of the two twins. Estha is definitely more affected when he is molested
and forced to condemn Velutha for the act. He begins to see the world differently and ties his
best to protect his sister from this loss of innocence and sudden change in perspective.
COMMUNISM
31
Bedjaoui, Fewzia. True Love from Taboo in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things. Sidi Bel Abbes University.
2014. P.1. Digital. http://blacksatchel.com/dcu/BedjaouiFewzia.pdf
The novel is an embodiment of Roy’s views on Communism. Since she is a politically
driven writer, it is but natural for Roy to include some form of political discourse within her
work. The characters that are depicted as Communist come from a large variety of social
background, from political leaders like E.M.S. Namboodiripad to the Paravan Velutha. Even
though the novel is a work of fiction, Namboodiripad is a historical character. Combining reality
and fiction, she describes him as the ‘Mao-Tse Tung of Kerala’. Namboodiripad desired a
peaceful transition to Communism; however this was not the case. The struggle for this shift
manifested in protest marches and riots. The basis of Communism was to establish a
fundamentally egalitarian society through equitable distribution of land among land-owners and
peasants. This raised protest from both sides. The main plan of action was to use the judiciary
against the land-owners. Since Namboodiripad expected the transition to be peaceful, it can be
inferred that his understanding of human psychology was not very deep. However, it is obvious
that his aims and objectives were for the greater good. The description of Communist rulers in
the novel is given to be ‘extraordinairy’ rather than absurd. The depiction of Naxalites in the
novel as robbers and plunderers is another important aspect since it showcases the sociological
diversity of Kerala. The ambivalent nature of Communism in the country is highlighted through
their views on caste. They did not overlook the rules of caste, and hence their form of
Communism is like a sort of ‘cocktail’ or mix between orthodox Hindu customs and Marxist
principles. Conflict arises in the novel over the notion of support for Communism as well. Pillai
cannot tolerate Velutha since he is an untouchable. He finds that Chacko is his caste enemy and
abhors him for making righteous speeches in favour of the rights of untouchables. Later on,
Chacko develops a hatred for Velutha as well, because of his illicit affair with Ammu. Thus, the
framework of Communism plays a very major role in the novel, and also presents an elaborate
discourse about the political constructs within post-colonial India.32
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
RAHEL
Rahel is the omniscient narrator in the book, and we get to know Rahel more wholly than
Estha, since a large majority of the book deals with Rahel’s passage through life in Estha’s
absence. Rahel seems to be the rogue of the two twins. Estha is calm and earnest whereas Rahel
is extremely curious and cannot seem to sit still. Their personalities are thus able to balance and
negate each other. She also may have a slight mean streak, and this is seen when she hides
behind the curtains at the airport because she does not want to say hi to Sophie Mol. Rahel has an
extremely odd power of imagination. Her imaginative capacity is very childlike. Estha definitely
has concerns that are more serious than Rahel’s. One of Rahel’s main concerns is to whether
Ammu has stopped loving her that much. In contrast to this, we can surely compare Estha’s
thoughts and concerns to a worst case scenario handbook.
Rahel is later expelled from the house for her odd and childish behavior. She decorates
dung with flowers, and scares senior girls at school by hiding behind the door of a classroom.
She is expelled from two other schools for smoking and for setting someone’s hair piece on fire.
Every teacher’s note received back home says she is a polite child who lacks any friends. This
32
Sharma, Brahma. Communism in the eyes of Arundhati Roy. Occasional Papers. P.33-40. Digital.
http://www.academia.edu/822616/Communism_in_the_Eyes_of_Arundhati_Roy
shows how Rahel is sort of a lost soul without the presence of her brother to complete who she
truly is. Rahel is portrayed to be a ‘rolling stone’ of sorts when she leaves home to go study
architecture. She gets married to a white man named Larry in Delhi. She accompanies him back
to the United States, but their love is not romantic at all. They end up getting divorced and Rahel
ends up flitting from one job to another until she returns home, only because her brother has
returned as well. 33
ESTHA
Estha is the ‘older brother’ among the twins. Not only was he born eighteen minutes
before Rahel, but he is also more mature and earnest in character. While Rahel is wild and
impetuous in her actions, Estha is of a calmer demeanor. As mentioned before, Estha’s thoughts
are very contrasting to Rahel’s . He sees the world as it is because of his early loss of innocence.
Upon being molested by the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man, he begins to see the sinister aspects
of the world, and hence we can recognize his capacity in protecting his sister from falling prey to
these aspects. The misfortune and trouble Estha experiences are definitely very disturbing. As if
the death of Sophie was not bad enough, he is forced to testify against Velutha for the
molestation and sees him beaten to a bloody pulp. He is completely disillusioned when the
household he has lived in is broken. Upon his return to Ayemenem twenty three years later,
Estha becomes a brooding, introspective and rather confused man. We can see how the twins are
inseparable, since Estha finally opens up when Rahel returns as well.
33
Petra. How the Childhood Can Affect a Person. 21 November 2012. Fictive Characters Online. Web.
https://fictivecharacters.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/1049/
“It had been quiet in Estha's head until Rahel came. But with her she had brought the sound of
passing trains, and the light and shade and light and shade that falls on you if you have a
window seat. The world, locked out for years, suddenly flooded in, and now Estha couldn't hear
himself for the noise”34
He is able to vent his repressed emotions to Rahel, who is like his Siamese twin. They are one
entity. They cannot thrive without one another. Their brief sexual encounter is a way of grieving
together for all they’ve lost.35
VELUTHA
Velutha is Vellya Paapen’s younger son, and Estha and Rahel’s best friend, despite being only
three years younger than their mother. He works as a factory carpenter for Mammachi. Velutha
is an untouchable or ‘Paravan’, at the lowest level of the pyramid of class in society. There is no
part of his life uninhibited by his caste and social background. With regards to his work in the
factory, his co-workers are furious at the fact that he commands respect despite his social status.
Another example of a part of his life which is inhibited by his caste is his relationship with
Ammu. This relationship is forbidden according to the ‘laws of love’. When the two of them
were children, Ammu would be given wooden toys made by Velutha. While accepting these
toys, Ammu would stretch her palm out so that Velutha wouldn’t touch her. But as time passed,
she stopped doing this, and soon realized she was in love with him.
34
35
Biswas, Sutapa. A Comprehensive Study of the male characters in the novel
‘The God of small things’ by Arundhati Roy. Jamshedpur Women’s College. Digital.
http://sahyogjsr.com/articles/Sutapa%20Biswas-%20Artical.pdf
“She saw the ridges of muscle on Velutha's stomach grow taught and rise under his skin like the
divisions on a slab of chocolate. She wondered at how his body had changed – so quietly, from a
flat-muscled boy's body into a man's body. Contoured and hard. A swimmer's body. A swimmer-
carpenter's body. Polished with a high-wax body polish.He had high cheekbones and a white,
sudden smile.”36
Even though readers know that their love is forbidden, they tend to think that the two are
meant for each other. However, looking at this from a rational point of view, the breakage of
societal norms is what leads to Velutha’s eventual downfall.37
AMMU
Ammu is the mother of Estha and Rahel. She is a vulnerable and sensitive woman. She
has experienced a lot of hardships when it comes to her relationships. She was earlier married to
Baba, who was physically abusive. This forced her to divorce her insensitive husband who also
tried to commodify her. She wants the best for her children and loves them with all her heart
despite the fact that she does not show it openly. She is the most independent character in the
book, and does not let social norms weigh her down. She does not care for the ‘laws of love’,
36
Roy,Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Harper Colline. 1998. P.80-81. Print.
37
Biswas, Sutapa. A Comprehensive Study of the male characters in the novel
‘The God of small things’ by Arundhati Roy. Jamshedpur Women’s College. Digital.
caste or even appearance. Her love for Velutha is based on pure passion, and is an escape from
her mundane life. All she wants is to live a happy life and be a good mother to her children.38
BABY KOCHAMMA
Kochamma is the main antagonist in the story. After her infatuation with Father Mulligan
and her consequent shift to Roman Catholicism, she realizes that Mulligan has no feeling for her.
Frustrated, she leaves the country to study ornamental gardening and devote herself to nature.
Kochamma is portrayed as the typical vindictive and evil character in the book. She abhors
Ammu and the twins, and wants Ammu to be ashamed of her divorced status. Her desire to adopt
a new culture other than her own is seen in her appreciation of Margaret and Sophie on their visit
to India. She finds every opportunity she gets to humiliate the twins during this period of time.
Twenty four years later, it is seen that Kochamma is absorbed by the consumerism of the West,
since she is addicted to western television and the luxurious consumer attractions of the west.
She is the one who is responsible for Velutha’s death and the disbandment of the household. She
is selfish and devious. She lives her life ‘in the past’ since she wears all of Ammachi’s jewellery
as if she is playing dress up to bring back memories of the past. Though she is definitely hard to
like, she is a very important character who causes the main conflict in the book.39
CONCLUSION
38
Mustafa, Jalia. Love Conquers All? Literature Lunatics. November 6 2009. Web.
http://litlunatics.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/love-conquers-all/
39
Hastie, Meghan. Character Analysis of Ammu & Baby Kochamma. Prezi. June 5 2013.
http://prezi.com/u2ctqvoblccq/copy-of-character-analysis-of-ammu-baby-kochamma/
The aforementioned analysis of “The God Of Small Things” makes it clear that the book
has a great deal of complexity involved with the themes it deals with. The varied perspectives
that readers have about the book arise from the small minute aspects of language and time which
Roy has manipulated. She has created a work of art, which is engineered by her creativity. She
has molded and distorted the English language to give readers a unique experience and has
incorporated elements of the real and the fake in her depiction of the landscape. The contrasts in
her writing style, which often shifts from expansive and rich to a rather spare variant show her
diversity as an author. All these aspects make “The God Of Small Things” a book which requires
an immense amount of thought and insight to read, since it is the minor details of the ‘small
things’ that readers need to look out for.
Works Cited
1. Bedjaoui, Fewzia. True Love from Taboo in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things. Sidi Bel Abbes
University. 2014. P.1. Digital. http://blacksatchel.com/dcu/BedjaouiFewzia.pdf
2. Biography, Arundhati Roy. University of Minnesota Online. N.p. n.d. Web.

http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/roy_arundhait.php
3. Biswas, Sutapa. A Comprehensive Study of the male characters in the novel
4. Cleverley, Adela. Book Review: The God Of Small Things”. Nerd Fighters. March 16, 2012. Web. LINK.
http://nerdfighters.ning.com/profiles/blogs/book-review-the-god-of-small-things-by-arundhati-roy
5. Dharwadker, Vinay. TEACHING THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS IN WISCONSIN:

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXTS. University of Wiscconsin. 2012. P.1. Digital.
http://humanities.wisc.edu/assets/misc/Vinay_Dharwadker_ROY_BACKGROUND__CONTEXTS_Introducti
on_Final.pdf
6. earth-rim-roamer. The God of Small Things: Love Laws. Hubpages. March 20 2012. Web. http://earth-rim-
roamer.hubpages.com/hub/The-God-of-Small-Things-Love-Laws
7. ‘The God of small things’ by Arundhati Roy. Jamshedpur Women’s College. Digital.
8. Hastie, Meghan. Character Analysis of Ammu & Baby Kochamma. Prezi. June 5 2013.
http://prezi.com/u2ctqvoblccq/copy-of-character-analysis-of-ammu-baby-kochamma/
9. Mustafa, Jalia. Love Conquers All? Literature Lunatics. November 6 2009. Web.
http://litlunatics.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/love-conquers-all/
10. Nazari, Fatimeh. Revisiting Colonial Legacy in Arundhati Roy’s . The God of Small Things. Journal of
Educational and Social Research , Vol.3, No.1. 2013. P.208. Digital.
11. Petra. How the Childhood Can Affect a Person. 21 November 2012. Fictive Characters Online. Web.
https://fictivecharacters.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/1049/
12. Roy,Arundhati. The God of Small Things. Harper Colline. 1998. P.2-250. Print.
13. Sharma, Amita. Truths of Memory and Transgression: God of Small Things. India International Centre
Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 1. India International Centre. 1998. P.168-170. Digital.
14. Sharma, Brahma. Communism in the eyes of Arundhati Roy. Occasional Papers. P.33-40. Digital.
http://www.academia.edu/822616/Communism_in_the_Eyes_of_Arundhati_Roy
15. Stockdale, Emily. LANGUAGE AND THE CREATION OF CHARACTERS IN ARUNDHATI ROY’S THE
16. “The God Of Small Things”. Themes. Litcharts Online. N.p. n.d. Web. www.litcharts.com/lit/the-god-of-
small-things/themes
17. Torres, Augustin. ROY’S INGLISH IN THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS: A

AND REASSERTION. Universitat de Valencia. 2011. P.196-202. Digital. www.ual.es/odisea/Odisea12-
_Reyes.pdf

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Shantanu Tilak

Prof. Kunal Ray

Introduction to English Literature

A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF ‘THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS’ BY

given a large number of speeches voicing her anti-war activist opinions. 1

and imagery, main themes, and an analysis of characters.

“THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS” AN OVERVIEW

through a visit to Ayenemen twenty three years later.

event of Ammu stocking herself with a toothbrush.7

‘The God Of Small Things’ is sort of an experiment in linguistic technique. It presents

narrative often leaves us perplexed as to who is talking. 8

The use of unconventional capitalization is another peculiar linguistic manipulation in the

imagine Kochamma sniffing the air with distaste.11

Unconventional fragmentation of sentences probably aims to add a feeling of th flow of

English, to create a hybrid entity of her own.16

a much more important part in the book.17

themes covered by the book.

WOMEN, PATRIARCHY AND REBELLION

nature of her sexuality.18

hypocritical nature of these patriarchal constructs is depicted through Mammachi’s opinion of

inter-caste affair is a dishonor to the family as well as Ammu’s reputation.

Ammu is a victim of gender subordination in addition to being impoverished when she is

into the ‘conservative world of rural Kerala’.22

from the past.23

suffered from finrot

natives to ‘safeguard’ their economic interests by cooperating.25

The ‘backward’ life of Baby Kochamma is speculated to be a representation of the desire

sorts, by completely embracing Western culture.

were puffy with

satellite television which is now a sort of addiction for Kochamma.

all that it seems. The attractive aspect is solely material.29

THE ‘LAWS’ OF LOVE AND TABOO

discourse about the political constructs within post-colonial India.32

thoughts and concerns to a worst case scenario handbook.

inseparable, since Estha finally opens up when Rahel returns as well.

himself for the noise”34

together for all they’ve lost.35

societal norms is what leads to Velutha’s eventual downfall.37

things’ that readers need to look out for.

2. Biography, Arundhati Roy. University of Minnesota Online. N.p. n.d. Web.

3. Biswas, Sutapa. A Comprehensive Study of the male characters in the novel

5. Dharwadker, Vinay. TEACHING THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS IN WISCONSIN:

17. Torres, Augustin. ROY’S INGLISH IN THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS: A

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