The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy)

 Introduction:  There are critics, and reviewers who have generally spoken of several themes expounded in the novel The God of Small Things. In one sense, the novel evokes the child's world through the twins’ experiences. Another concern of the novel appears to be separation of people from one another and from society. Class-division, casteist oppression, feminist rebellion against patriarchy and also political dissatisfaction against Marxism are some of the major elements discussed in the novel. Even decaying of Syrian Christianity in Kerala may be termed as the Chief concern of the novel. Above all, there is sufficient ground to believe that the theme of the novel is symbolically expressed in the title itself.

Plot: The main action centers around Sophie Mol’s visit to Ayemenem. Joe dies in an accident, and Chacko invites Margaret Kochamma to Ayemenem for the holidays. Estha, Rahel, Ammu, Chacko, and Baby Kochamma make a trip to the airport, and on the way their car is trapped by a Communist march. The family then goes to see The Sound of Music, and Estha is molested by the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man, a vendor at the theater. The next day Sophie and Margaret arrive, and the family returns to Ayemenem.

Estha fears that the Orangedrink Man will come for him, so he and Rahel find a boat and row across the river to the “History House,” the abandoned home of an Englishman who “went native.” The twins set up a hideout there. Meanwhile Ammu dreams about Velutha, and that night she and Velutha meet by the river and have sex. They continue to meet every night for the next two weeks.

Finally Vellya Paapen (Velutha’s father) comes to Mammachi and confesses his son’s relationship with Ammu. Mammachi and Baby Kochamma lock Ammu in her room, where she screams that the twins are “millstones” around her neck. The twins decide to run away to the History House, and Sophie Mol comes with them. Their boat tips over as they cross the river and Sophie Mol drowns. The twins reach shore and, terrified, fall asleep in the History House, unaware that Velutha is there too.

Baby Kochamma goes to the police, telling Inspector Thomas Mathew that Velutha tried to rape Ammu and kidnapped the children. Six policemen find Velutha and beat him brutally in front of Estha and Rahel. When Mathew finds out that Velutha is innocent, he threatens to charge Baby Kochamma. Terrified for herself, she convinces Estha to “save Ammu” by telling the police that Velutha killed Sophie Mol. Velutha dies in jail that night. After Sophie Mol’s funeral Baby Kochamma convinces Chacko to throw Ammu out of the house, and Ammu is then forced to “return” Estha to Baba.

The twins are separated for twenty-three years, during which Estha stops speaking altogether. When he is thirty-one Baba “re-returns” him to Ayemenem. Meanwhile Rahel is kicked out of many schools, and Ammu dies when Rahel is eleven. Rahel marries an American and lives in Boston, but then gets divorced and returns to Ayemenem when she hears Estha is there.

The twins are reunited in 1993. Mammachi has died and Baby Kochamma and the cook, Kochu Maria, spend all day watching TV as the house falls apart. The History House has become a five-star hotel. Rahel and Estha (who still doesn’t speak) sift through some old trinkets and notebooks and end up reaffirming their closeness by having sex.

Themes:

1. Life of the Weak and the Helpless Portrayed in the Novel:

For Roy The God of Small Things stands for the portrayal of life of weak and helpless, poor and destitute , whether they are small creatures like frogs and ants or human beings such as the victim of Hollick's lust or the women supplying chacko's man's needs  or children like Estha and Rahel . In contrast with 'The God of Big Things ',  the novel accounts for life and sufferings , even tragic hopes and triumphs of the downtrodden like Vellya Paapen and his sons or Ammu. The God of Small Things represents all those people who are victimized by dead traditions and conventions, fake pride and honour, the tyranny of the state and the politics of opportunism. 

2. Portrayal of the Ordinary, Simple and Natural Life of Children and Innocent Creatures: 

The God of Small Things is also the portrayal of the ordinary, simple and natural life of children and innocent creatures. One reason for this assumption is to be found in Roy's treatment of symbolism. It shows that the novel is mainly concerned with those creatures whose lives and works are treated as insignificant but they also have the natural but unsophisticated urges of life. 

3. The Big God of Big Things and ‘The Small God of Small Things’: 

The first clear allusion to the theme occurs in the first chapter of the novel. But it is checked as the wisdom is taken out from the sufferings of life, since it is a comment on the strange look that Rahel's eyes wore when McCaslin made love to her. The whole experience of rejection and loss of relations lies behind that look.

The Small God rules the destiny of those who are doomed to assume the role of offenders, because they are guided by nature and not by conventions. Ammu, Estha and Rahel tampered with the laws which settle as " who should be loved and how, and how much.” Those governed in this way are like the banana jam illegally produced by “Paradise Pickles and Preserves. It is wrong to say that trouble began with the coming of Sophie Mol to Ayemenem. The truth is “it really began in the days when the Love Laws were made. The laws that lay down, who should be loved ... and how much”. But this theory in reality means that all forms of social restrictions and discipline are injurious to the freedom of the human spirit and love. It is possible to proclaim the theme of the novel in these terms, but if it is done, then any restriction on sexual relations including incest is regarded by the author as injurious and an act of “The God of Big Things.” 

4. The Problem of division: 

The problem of division is met with in Pappachi's moth with its sudden bursts of violence in inter-personal behaviour. On the one hand it accounts for Pappachi's cruelty against Mammachi and Ammu, on the other; it is held responsible for outbursts of temper in Ammu, constituting a rebellion against patriarchal oppression and social tyranny. 

5. Depiction of Love in the Novel: 

It does not appear to be a sudden decision of the author that right in the middle of the novel, we have a short chapter entitled The God of Small Things. The chapter is highly symbolic. It deals with Ammu's dream, which can only be interpreted as her version of The God of Small Things, who is an embodiment of strong irrepressible urge for love and sex. Since this God of Small Things does not recognize and accept the social conventions and restrictions, he is bound to come in conflict with history and traditions and that too without any chance of success. This kind of love as personified in the novel, is like a person with serious handicaps. 'The God of Small Things' uses Velutha as a Vehicle and crosses over to the place of destruction. From now on, the lovers are completely under the spell of the God of Small Things. The social oppression fear of caste disparity, religious stigma - in short, the God of Big Things is recklessly forgotten. 

6. Division of the Life: 

The life is divided into two sets of forces, fighting for existence. The upper class consists of the burden of history, dead and decayed traditions false family honour and pride, patriarchy and political opportunism - the God of Big Things. The other lower world comprises children, insecure women, untouchables, the working people with their struggle for identity, existence and independence, and natural urges and desires - the God of Small Things. 

7. Manifestation of the Struggle on the Levels of Society, State, Family and Personal Relations: 

(a) Ammu: 

While exploring the manifestation of the struggle on the levels of society, state, family and personal relations; we should start with Ammu because the maltreatment she suffers has a disastrous effect upon her life as a child. As a girl she had witnessed the vagaries of patriarchal power. Her father used to beat her mother and once had turned them out of the house. She was deprived of higher education because her father thought that college education was an unnecessary expense for a girl. At Ayemenem, she remained totally uncared for and to minimise her sense of insecurity she drifted into a loveless marriage. Her husband an alcoholic went to the extent of asking her to satisfy the lust of his boss, to ensure his job. Ammu and her children were constantly reminded that socially and financially they had no locus standing in the Ayemenem House. 

Things come to a head when her night-meetings with the untouchable Velutha are discovered. At police station she is subjected to extreme humiliation being called as 'Vaishya' and her children as illegitimate. The state power, the family establishment and the society - all are seen to be in collusion against Ammu and her children. The remaining period of her life makes up story of misery, desperate search for livelihood and despondency tinged with fruitless day - dreaming. Her death and disgraceful cremation bring the story of her life to an end - the God of Small Things. 

(b) The Wounds of the Twins, Rahel and Estha: 

The same force of tradition and reaction are operative against Estha and Rahel, the condemned twins, being product of an inter-caste marriage - hated by the family as outsiders. The first shock that comes to the tender mind of Estha is his child abuse, which sinks deep into the psyche of the seven year old child and haunts him throughout his life. The second shocking wound for the twins, especially Estha, is the emotional blackmail to betray the person, they loved dearly which totally disintegrates the boy; thus associated symbolically with the God of Small Things. 

As far Rahel, the circumstances make her become to the diseased condition of her dying mother and after Ammu's death she drifts aimlessly. Her recklessness and awakening sexuality come in direct collision with the traditional Christian attitude; the God of Big Things. Her neglect at home and in school gives rise to a defiant mood in her mind - the God of Small Things. 

(c) Velutha an Embodiment of Extreme Social Discrimination, Poverty and Humiliation: 

Velutha the sufferer is symbolically associated with the God of Small Things, perhaps for the reason of extreme social discrimination, humiliation and poverty. He becomes a transgressor, when he indulges in illicit love affair with Ammu. This is not tolerated by anyone even by the communist, “The God of Big Things”. The police are also irked by the said illicit relation. Thus pitted against the ' God of Big Things, this small man in his small acts gets no chance of survival or escape. 

Conclusion: 

Thus the theme of the novel has been divided into two parts; first one is the upper class carrying the burden of history, dead and decayed traditions, false family honour, pride and reputation, patriarchy and political opportunism - the God of Big Things. Whereas the 'God of Small Things', consists of children , insecured women, untouchables, working people struggling for existence, natural urges and desires. Thus, it is clear that the basic theme of “The God of Small Things” sets in socio – political, cultural, historical contexts the India.