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By: Arundhati Roy
The God of Small Things
Summary- The main characters of this novel are fraternal twins, Rahel and Estha. Their minds are somehow connected to one another. They grew up in an Indian family with only their mother Ammu, in a village called Aymenem near Kerala, India. After Rahel turns to Ayemenem from the United States, she feels completely empty inside because of the neglect from her own brother. The story then continues with flashbacks from Rahel about her childhood with Estha. Many horrible memories come about like the death of Sophie Mol, their cousin, and how it haunts Rahel constantly, and the forbidden love of Ammu with the untouchable Velutha. The consequences of these intertwined events are what cause Estha to stop speaking and contribute to the main theme of appreciating the small things in life.
Opinion- The God of Small Things was very detailed and somewhat whimsical. I did not really enjoy reading it solely because of the fact there were way too many characters and the plot was constantly becoming more complicated. It was somewhat of a sad story but the poetic like prose did make it a little less gloomy. I think that Roy, the author, did an exquisite job writing this novel. I could understand how others would really enjoy reading it, but it was just not my type of story.
Scandals The family members’ of this story have constant scandal running through their lives. Sophie’s death is the jumpstart of the scandals. From her death leads to Ammu’s and Velutha’d affair. More deaths occur after the discovery of this affair. Estha also is molested, which is a scandal only acknowledged by Rahel and Estha. Other scandals like Velutha’s ties to the Communist party also take place.
Themes
Small Things Through this novel, the discussion of “small things” is mentioned often. Things like small creatures, whispers, secrets, and promises. These small things seem unimportant, but since these things are shunned they must find refuge through other things. Velutha, the “god’ of small things, lurks undetected, actually gives a great deal of attention to the small things without noticing the “big” things. Like the fact that he is an untouchable and should not be invlolving himself with the twins and their mother. Recognizing the small things in life means that there is always something watching. This theme is seen often through Velutha, Estha and Rahel and Sophie Mol.
Kerala, India The setting of this novel takes place in Kerala, India. Kerala is a state at the southwestern tip of India, meeting the Arabian Sea on the west and the Ghat mountains on the east. The state's tourism board coined its official slogan "God's Own Country." It is very religiously diverse and it has progressed in the quality of life there. It is extremely rich in cultural heritage though traditional dances and story telling.
Setting
Characters
Rahel and Estha Rahel and Estha are male and female fraternal twins. Much of the story is told from Rahel’s perspective as child and as a woman. She and Estha have a very connected relationship, almost an unconscious one. Rahel grew up in Ayemenem, like Estha, but as an adult she lives in the United States. After her divorce, she returns home around the same time as Estha does. Estha on the other hand is not as experienced as much as Rahel has and he is one of the more underdeveloped characters. He erratically decided to just stop talking everyday, and has been considered crazy by the rest of the inhabitants of Ayemenem.
Connection- The God of Small Things was quite comparable to The Kite Runner because it was set in a culture that was very strict to their traditional values. Although the settings of the novels are different, they still have a big impact on the story. Like in The Kite Runner, the author includes a lot of violence as a punishment for going against cultural values. They are also very similar because some of the characters move to the United States. In The Kite Runner, Amir leaves Afghanistan and eventually goes back to bring Sohrab back to the United States. In The God of Small Things Kochamma, Rahel, and some others move to the United States to learn and experience a new environment.
