THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS

- Sreyoshi

Reading books is one of the best activities I have ever had. 

On my 16th birthday, I bought a book for myself with the money that I was saving for the D-Day...

 

THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS 

- ARUNDHATI ROY 

A very unique novel about age-old concepts of casteism, inter-caste love, patriarchy, isolationism and social boundaries, this book is  written with great craftsmanship, indirectly attacking these social evils still being practised in our society that often remain unnoticed. The book represents the stories of its each character so that we know their personalities and can be the judge to classify each consequence as fair or unfair on our own  part. The three main characters of the novel are, Estha, Rahel ( twins) and Ammu (mother of the twins). Rahel and Estha has the strongest relation among all as they consider themselves as "ONE" and know each other so well that they understand each other's feelings without even directly expressing them. So, they know how to comfort each other. Unfortunately they both struggle with many problems. Estha is molested as a child and is traumatized by it since. On the other hand Rahel lives being a total fool and is tormented during high school.

But soon the only source of comfort they had for eachother also get snatched away. The twins get separated from eachother. Ammu being the lady who crosses every patriarchal boundary to outgrow from the trauma of abusive marriage and devotes her life to grow her beloved children into a more respectful, intelligent and caring beings — completely opposite of their father. The mature Ammu too one day gets swayed away by her feelings and commits an unforgivable mistake according to the society , which is considered a heinous crime - getting involved with a man of a "lower caste". Her steps make her and her children’s life a hell of despair.

We  can see the time switching between past and present in a very rhythmic and poetic manner. It wants to tell us how pain of past has  changed the humans of present.  

As this beautiful novel delves into the complexities of human relationships against the backdrop of social and political strife in Kerala, India and was Published in 1997; it won the prestigious Man Booker Prize and established Roy as a major literary voice. 

Roy's prose is rich with imagery and symbolism, and some of the best I have ever read. Sometimes funny, often sad, her writing touches off an array of the deep emotions. Through a masterful use of language, complex characters, and vivid portrayal of Indian culture. 

"The God of Small Things" allowed me to step into an unknown world.

Finally at the end we learn about who the God of small things was and why he has been termed like that; it was Velutha — the man who used to love Ammu’s children during the day and admired Ammu at night. He was termed like that because  both of them knew that their relation can only cherish these small moments and cannot go beyond that due to the construction of these social norms and boundaries. There was no hope for a happy ending for them, yet their forbidden love sparks and breaks the laws made by the society - ‘who should be loved and how much'.

Do we only love once ? 

And what if it fails? How am I supposed to know this right? 

Does giving ourselves a second chance we all deserve, make us the ones who suffer the most to survive in this society every time ?

The questions stay unheard.

But the book did not fail to make me ask myself these again and again, every single time.

-Aritri