The god of small things Essay Example

The god of small things Paper Velutha had worked at the Paradise Pickles and Preserves Factory for a number of years and had been a worker (caste aside) who was appreciated for what he does. He had become an invaluable worker, with Mammachi giving him the accolade that if only he hadnt been a Paravan, he might have become an engineer. [7] I think Roy adopts a more lenient portrayal of Velutha as a Paravan. Mammachi pays him less than a touchable carpenter but more than a Paravan[8]. Veluthas presence is unsettling to many who believe he acts above his station. Veluthas oppression is compounded by the fact that his own father seems to reject his behaviour. : Perhaps it was just a lack of hesitation. An unwarranted assurance. In the way he walked. The way he held his head. The quiet way he offered suggestions without being asked. Or the quiet way in which he disregarded suggestions without appearing to rebel[9]. In the context of this novel, Roy portrays Velutha as someone who doesnt really adopt a different lifestyle simply because he is of an apparent lower class. We will write a custom essay sample on The god of small things specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The god of small things specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The god of small things specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In simple terms Velutha doesnt adhere to the unfortunate limitations placed upon him to the idea of being of a lower class and he openly acts in a way that implies he doesnt regard him being an inferior person. I dont think that this is ignorance on Veluthas part, simply Roys ability to expose and explore peoples reactions to those who go against the social conventions of the time. Hindus believe that being an Untouchable is punishment for having been bad in a former life. By being good and obedient, an Untouchable can obtain a higher rebirth. Veluthas lack of complacency causes him many problems throughout the novel. It was not entirely his fault that he lived in a society where a mans death could be more profitable than his life had ever been [10]. Although he is a dedicated member of the Marxist Party, his Untouchable status makes other party members dislike him. This idea is comical in its entirety; Velutha is accepted into this party and yet still manages to be denied full recognition as a party member. When Velutha has an affair with Ammu he breaks the rigid love laws, he breaks the rigid social rules of the caste system and therefore he must be punished for his actions. Roy describes the policemens violent actions as being done out of fear, civilizations fear of nature, mens fear of women, powers fear of powerlessness[11]. The division between the Touchables and Untouchables is so ingrained in Kerala society that Velutha is seen as a nonhuman. If they hurt Velutha more than they intended to, it was only because any kinship, and connection between themselves and him, any implication that if nothing else, at least biologically he was a fellow creature- had been severed a long time ago. [11i] Looking at the History House, it demonstrates exactly how those who go against the rules of society are treated. It seems as though the police use force and then hope to answer questions later. Society responds to this act swiftly, with unwavering harshness[12]. Roy doesnt treat the beating of Velutha with dignity or nobility, to which I thought she might, but with gritty detail thud of wood on flesh boot on bone[13]. This grittiness is used by Roy to perhaps contrast with the graceful and enchanted[14] use of vocabulary that goes before. The book as a whole has been acclaimed for its flowery and extravagant use of words and the way theyve been put together. But with this chapter in particular this typical Roy technique subsides to become a more real representation of whats happening. She uses short, sharp sentences to mirror the continual attack of Velutha. Roy makes it clear that the police hold no regard for Velutha, and presents it in such a way that the police feel it is their duty to do what they did, they were merely inoculating a community against an outbreak. [15] I think the image of one policeman flicking at his (Veluthas) penis with a stick[16] expresses his and perhaps societys need to be dominant. This mocking of someones manhood, someone who cant argue back is suggestive of society as a whole where people are oppressed because of their caste, sex, even age. But I think that Roy does go too far in trying to glorify the character of Velutha. Although I think his death was acceptable within the context of the novel, Velutha as a character doesnt seem to fit in with gritty realism and despair of others. Roy liked to use symbolism in the novel and the Untouchable could therefore be more a symbol than a person, necessarily distant from the middle class embroilments that engulf him. [17] It could also be argued that Roy suffers from constraints, that she follows political correctness in the novel and feels compounded to depict the oppressed untouchable without criticism. Similarly the death of Ammu seems too much as if Roy is succumbing to the power of the Indian-woman-as-victim[18]. Limitations placed on females are inherent in Indian society, perhaps all over the world, and Arundhati Roy uses this prejudice to good effect in the novel. Mammachi is a character who is weighed down heavily by male dominance. As the founder of the family pickle factory, this is one of only a few acts of female assertiveness. And yet she is still not given the respect that she deserves, One night Pappachi broke the bow of Mammachis violin[19]. Mammachi runs the business and Whenever anything serious happened in the factory, it was always to Mammachi and not Chacko that the news was brought. [20] But still it is Chacko who assumes the position of the leader of the factory. It seems, inbuilt into the minds of men is the impression that they shall take a dominant role in affairs whether it is their rightful place or not. Chacko arrogantly says My pickles, my jam, my curry powders. [21] However it could be argued that this arrogance is not in Chackos character but merely representative of mens attitudes towards women in India as a whole. Not only is Mammachi contending with her chauvinistic son who frequently uses the women at the factory for sex she also has to contend with her husband, Pappachi. We clearly see the relationship that Mammachi has reluctantly stayed in for many years is wrong. And we find it hard to understand why Mammachi has put up with the beatings for so long. However what Roy is trying to say is that in Indian society leaving your husband is not the done thing, whatever the circumstances. Roy beautifully and yet painfully uses the description of the great grandmothers portrait With her eyes she looked in the direction her husband looked. With her heart she looked away[22] to reveal to the reader the true feelings of Mammachi- a feeling that we as readers suspect to be true but which hadnt been revealed to us. Roy deals with this concept without emotion, which allows the reader to impart the emotion. Perhaps she feels that as English readers we can empathise more with the wife beating because we live in a society that holds no regard for the abuser, whereas Indian readers may be more used to a husband beating a wife, and therefore accept that it happens. Although Roy introduces us to a culture that has many differences to the one that we are part of she does try to make it more accessible to western readers. Now and again Roy will use a minor detail such as television to remind us that this country is not alien. When reading the novel it is hard not to get encapsulated into the unfolding story and at times Kerala does seem like another world. However these minor touches to detail remind us that this is a country that is not so different, albeit that it has differences with respect to traditions. I think Baby Kochammas encounter with the material world is quite amusing- the idea that she has lived her life backwards. As a young woman she renounced the material world, and now, as an old one, she seemed to embrace it. She hugged it and it hugged back[23]. This possibly shows a warmer side to Baby Kochamma or most probably is symbolic of the idea that if someone shows a little love they would receive a little love. This love is evidently missing from the life of Baby Kochamma. For Roy to fully exploit and explain the culture in Kerala would be intensely difficult; and to accomplish it in a novel is simply impossible. We mustnt forget that The God of Small Things is a novel, and that Roy dictates what happens- Velutha is not a real person, Sophie Mol didnt die and probably doesnt exist. But as the reader we are drawn into her [Roys] story and can only be intrigued by the new ways of life introduced to us by Kerala, India. One critic has said that the women in Kerala are relatively free[24]. But as the Western reader we can only take the perspective of how we expect women to be treated in society. It can be argued that we still place limitations on women, yet when presented with the restraints on women in the novel we feel astounded at how confined women are. Roy allows us as readers to make up our own mind about the culture of India; she doesnt simply condemn the caste system or the repression of women. Vulnerability, the ability to be physically and psychologically wounded, appears in this novel as the condition almost all the characters; whether likeable or unlikable, share. I think the role of the bitter and resentful Baby Kochamma is used by Roy to show how people, especially women, can be affected by their surroundings and moulded into the person they become. Roys intentions in writing the novel were probably to move away from the conventional exotic post-colonial novels about the land of heat and dust, incense and spices[25] and impart some gritty realism into Indian society. She shows death, family decay, incest, paedophilia for what they are but intertwined with them is exotic and vibrant language. This antithesis I feel is what makes the novel more tragic because on one hand you are tempted by the bright mangoes Red bananas[26] and on the other are repulsed by the gurgle of blood on a mans breath[27]. It is these stark contrasts that will forever alter the course of the lives of all the members of the family, sending them each off on spinning trajectories of regret and pain. [28] The problem is, its a very sad book and somehow the sadness of the book is what stays with me. [Arundhati Roy][29]. I think the sadness is not simply the deaths of Sophie Mol and Velutha, or the destruction of lives but why these things occur: caused by the unlawful set of laws that dictate the lives of Indian society. Word count: 2567 words References [1] www. freespeech. org/manushi/103/review. html [2] http:/website. lineone. net/~jon. simmons/roy. com [3] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [4] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [5] www.emory. edu/ENGLISH/Bahri/caste. html [6] Mr. Williams English teacher [7] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [8] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [9] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [10] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [11] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [11i] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [12] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [13] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [14] www. londonstudent. org. uk/4issue/arts/godofsmall. htm [15] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [16] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [17] www. freespeech. org/manushi/103/review. html [18] www. freespeech. org/manushi/103/review. html [19] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [20] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [21] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [22] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [23] www. freespeech. org/manushi/103/review. html [24] www. wsu. edu:8080/~brians/anglophone/roy. html [25] www. freespeech. org/manushi/103/review. html [26] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy [27] The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. [28] www. curledup. com/godsmall. htm [29] Arundhati Roy Bibliography i The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy i www. freespeech. org/manushi/103/review. html i www. emory. edu/ENGLISH/Bahri/caste. html i www. londonstudent. org. uk/4issue/arts/godofsmall. html i www. wsu. edu:8080/~brians/anglophone/roy. html i www. india50. com/arundhatI. html i www. postcolonialweb. org/india/roy/nishant1. html i endeavor. med. nyu. edu/lit-med/ /webdocs/webdescrips/roy1177-des-. html i www. becal. net/toolkit/damaris/godost. html i www. greenville. edu/~hayes/roy. html.