The God of Small Things

Hey guys! We are starting a new book, so it is time for a new thread!
This thread can be used to discuss the language aspects and time sequence of The God of Small Things, along with the references to the title, color, and water. Any other things you find interesting are also welcomed.

From Ch. 2 I am already seeing the use of colors with the pairing of red and yellow. I believe these colors have a very important role in the book, and convey significant emotions. Also, more specific descriptions of characters are revealed in this chapter such as those of Pappachi and Mammachi. We find out there are also language barriers between these characters, but for different reasons than those of the twins. This chapter also has a few references to Heart of Darkness. Again dreams are reffered too in many aspects, just like our previous book. In The God of Small Things, a twist is put on this idea of dreams which relates back to the title of the book. On pg. 52 these dreams are described by saying they are never big or important enough. As we have discussed in class many small things come together to form one big thing. Everything is important and must be examined in order to get a full perspective.

These are a few of my thoughts, and now I hope that you guys will add on to this discussion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flgirl073

Hey guys! We are starting a new book, so it is time for a new thread!
This thread can be used to discuss the language aspects and time sequence of The God of Small Things, along with the references to the title, color, and water. Any other things you find interesting are also welcomed.

From Ch. 2 I am already seeing the use of colors with the pairing of red and yellow. I believe these colors have a very important role in the book, and convey significant emotions. Also, more specific descriptions of characters are revealed in this chapter such as those of Pappachi and Mammachi. We find out there are also language barriers between these characters, but for different reasons than those of the twins. This chapter also has a few references to Heart of Darkness. Again dreams are reffered too in many aspects, just like our previous book. In The God of Small Things, a twist is put on this idea of dreams which relates back to the title of the book. On pg. 52 these dreams are described by saying they are never big or important enough. As we have discussed in class many small things come together to form one big thing. Everything is important and must be examined in order to get a full perspective.

These are a few of my thoughts, and now I hope that you guys will add on to this discussion.

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I suppose this book is written by Arundhati Roy. When you recommend a book for discussion give a little bit account of the writer also. People in the forum may not be familiar with the novelist and if you give something about the book it wold be better.

I like this book. But I suppose she has not written anybook of note thenceforth. What she wrote following this book is not commendably of great worth.

I agree one book immortalized her. However people expect more from her. But she disappointed all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flgirl073

Hey guys! We are starting a new book, so it is time for a new thread!
This thread can be used to discuss the language aspects and time sequence of The God of Small Things, along with the references to the title, color, and water. Any other things you find interesting are also welcomed.

From Ch. 2 I am already seeing the use of colors with the pairing of red and yellow. I believe these colors have a very important role in the book, and convey significant emotions. Also, more specific descriptions of characters are revealed in this chapter such as those of Pappachi and Mammachi. We find out there are also language barriers between these characters, but for different reasons than those of the twins. This chapter also has a few references to Heart of Darkness. Again dreams are reffered too in many aspects, just like our previous book. In The God of Small Things, a twist is put on this idea of dreams which relates back to the title of the book. On pg. 52 these dreams are described by saying they are never big or important enough. As we have discussed in class many small things come together to form one big thing. Everything is important and must be examined in order to get a full perspective.

These are a few of my thoughts, and now I hope that you guys will add on to this discussion.

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I think that its important to note all the similairities that we are seeing in the characters of this book. One being the beatings. Mamamachi, Ammu, Sophie Mol, Esta, and Rahel. This is one thing that I have noticed. This family seems to have a problem picking spouses who are not prone to domestic violence; its very sad. Another things I noticed from what we talked about in class today was love. I think that the characters are all struggling because they are lacking love. I think they would all be better people if they loved got more love and showed each other more love. I thing love is the most imporatnt thing in the world. I also think that not being loved can be the most helpless feeling in the world.

I think the dreams vs God of Small things is shown by Rahel. Rahel shows how she wants to be in control of time by her little watch. This is very interesting because she wants to control something so small as a watch. I think that Rahel is also trying to control something as smalll as her watch because she is so small and she probably wouldn't be able to control something that is very big.

1. In chapter four I noticed there was a lot of color symbolism:
RED: In this chapter red was used to foreshadow the bad things that were going to happen. First Roy used the color red to illustrate the bathroom door.
“Through the red Formica door that closed slowly that closed slowly on its own, Rahel followed Ammu […] watching the mirrors till the red door took his sister away” (90)
While reading chapter four and all the events that took place, I noticed all the uses of red and then remembered when Estha was describing the door. I went back and noticed that this passage about the door shows the anguish Estha feels because he feels like he is losing Rahel. It shows the beginning of the differences that separate them. He first seems to experience that he is different from her because he is a boy and her from him because she is a girl. So because of this he experiences a brief separation from her. The passage foreshadows the use of this color to show other events that eventually leads to true emotional separation that Estha and Rahel go through later on in their lives.

One event that emotionally scars Estha and creates an eventual separation from Rahel and the world is the incident with the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man. When I read this part I saw again that red was used. It is used to describe the steps and the carpet that leads to the theatre as well as the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man.
“They had to rush up the red steps with the old red carpet. Red staircase with red spit stains in the red corner” (93)
Like I mentioned red is used a lot. So after I had read what had happened in the movie theatre, I noticed that red kind of describes the evil that is to come. I found this interesting because hell is described as red (burning flames) and this incident for Estha was kind of a living hell after he realized the severity of what had happened.

Another use of this red staircase along with the other red items was used once again when the characters left the theatre. This time, however, Rahel was affected by it.
“So the red steps once again […] ‘So why don’t you marry him then?’ Rahel said petulantly. Time stopped on the red staircase.” (106)
After Rahel says this on the red staircase, she realizes that she has hurt Ammu, and Ammu tells her “when you hurt people, they love begin to love you less” (107). This really affects Rahel, and she deeply regrets her action. It seemed to me (I may be going off on a limb) that they were almost off the red steps and something else bad just had to squeeze its way in, like the characters had almost escaped it but, no, something else had to happen.

Another use of color symbolism that I noticed was with yellow. This color also shows the mood of pretty much the whole chapter. First it is used to describe the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man.
“His yellow teeth were magnets. They saw, they smiled, they sang, they smelled, they moved. They mesmerized” (98)
“Estha went. Drawn by the yellow teeth” (98)
This shows that the yellow teeth weren’t leading him into to anything good. I didn’t quite understand why he was drawn by the yellow teeth all I know is that it kind of gives you an icky feeling kind of how yellow is used again in the taxi.

“A swathe of dirty yellow sponge spilled out and shivered on the back seat like an immense jaundiced liver” (107)
This gave me a nasty feeling again which does describe the whole chapter and the big events that happened. The chapter pretty much just shows that the events that happened during this trip ends up scarring the twins for life.

2. “Finish the drink.
Watch the picture.
Think of all the poor people.
Lucky rich boy with porketmunny. No worries.” (102)
Again I feel like I may be going out on a limb, but this passage kind of described to me maybe that Estha feels blocked in by the demands and horrors that he has gone through and that he feels helpless. This discomfort and feeling of helplessness he feels from the world eventually leads to his withdrawal from it and his retreat into his own one (never talking and breaking away from his family; shown during his “greeting” with Rahel after her return from America).

3. Water is definitely used a lot in these two chapters. It is described as pure which water is usually described as. It is described as something to wash all your troubles away.
“Water always helps” (103)
Estha, in chapter four, seems to develop a connection to it.
“He longed for the river. Because water always helps” (108)
Water seems to comfort him and his connection to it is shown in many different parts through chapters 1-4. I find it interesting that throughout chapter four, Rahel is described as “A fountain in a Love-in-Tokyo” (105). Maybe it shows how Estha did find comfort in her (he goes to her room in the hotel after everything has happened) and maybe it is supposed to show how in the end he will get over his fear and withdrawal from the world and find comfort in his sister once again.

In Ch. 8 and 9 we continue to see the extreme amount of attention Sophie Mol receives. When she reaches the Ayemenem house, there is a whole celebration for her. The factory even shuts down in order for the workers to welcome her. A whole factory will close just to greet a little girl from England! I am shocked by these events! Sophie Mol has not done anything that would cause her to be given attention, but she is automatically compared to “a little angel” (170). The poor twins are cast off to the side as part of a play with very small roles. Estha even disappears when they reach the house and no one notices except Velutha (showing his true love for the twins)! Rahel finally receives attention from Velutha. He hugs her and throws her into the air as if she is his own child. The children visit him at his home, and he whittles them little wooden spoons. Rahel realizes what a kind act this was years later. Would anyone like to explain this concept? Also in this section Ammu’s love for Velutha is revealed. “She had gifts to give him, too” (168). They know that they love each other, but their relationship will be difficult considering the love laws. Finally in Ch. 8 and 9 new colors are used many times. Along with the usual yellow and red, blue and green are also utilized. “The bue-aproned army gathered in the greenheat” (164). Any thoughts on what these colors represent?

I completely agree with you, it is absurd that the family treats this little girl like she is superior merely because she is from England. It baffled me when Kochu Maria said, "When she grows up, she'll be our Kochamma, and she'll raise our salaries, and give us nylon saris for Onam" (175). She is actually excited about this LITTLE GIRL being in charge of her! It is absolutely ridiculous, and only emphasizes Kochu Maria's aforementioned "gullibility" (162). I cheered for Rahel when Sophie showed her true colors. It serves them all right for putting her up on a pedestal (just like Marlow did for Kurtz).
There are a few interesting types of forbidden love that can be seen in chapters 8 and 9. Ammu and Velutha have already been mentioned. I wonder why they both have the sudden realization that they love each other in this chapter. Velutha sees "things that he hadn't seen before. Things that had been out of bounds so far" in Ammu(168). But sparks the sudden change in Ammu? Is it because she sees that he has physically changed and now has a "man's body", because she sees him at the Communist march, or because she sees how well he interacts with Rahel in "their world of hooked fingers and sudden smiles" (167)? Perhaps it is a combination of all these things. She sees that he would the good father that the twins seem to crave desperately and that he also has some of the spunk that Ammu demonstrates later on in this chapter. Oh yeah, and it also helps that he is apparently a total hottie. ;)
Another unique kind of love that can be seen is Mammachi's love for Chacko: "he became the repository of all her womanly feelings. Her Man. Her only Love" (160). This really grossed me out. It's like a reversed Oedipus complex, and it's definitely against the love laws.
In response to your question, flgirl, I think that Velutha's response to the children's dress up game meant a lot to Rahel because he was viewing their world from their perspective instead of from an adult's. Other adults in their lives, like Ammu and Chacko, interact with them according to their own perspectives. Ammu probably did not mean to affect Rahel so drastically by telling her that saying hurtful things makes people loved less. She was only trying to teach her a lesson, not scar her for life. Chacko is completely off in the way that he tries to teach the twins. He is more focused on making himself seem intelligent than he is on helping them to understand. They take his metaphor of the History House literally, and they completely miss the relevance of his literary quotes. Velutha is the only adult in their lives who bothers to treat them on a basis of equality instead of superiority or condescendence, and he appears to be getting positive results. Maybe more adults should try this method.

We see on page 238 Margaret Kochamma's haunting decision to go to India with Sophie Mol. "Margaret Kochamma never forgave herself for taking Sophie Mol to Ayemenem" (Roy 238). We also see how she deals with her grief. She takes it out on the twins because they were the last ones to see Sophie Mol alive, and had she not been with them she would have lived. She takes great violence out on Estha especially previously in the he book, now we know why. But she does apologize in a letter that Rahel receives.

I noticed all the water references that led up to the moment when we learn how exactly Sophie Mol has died of drowning. "Baby Kochamma and Mammachi thought that they might have gone for a swim, which was worrying because it had rained heavily the previous day and a good part of the night. They knew that the river could be dangerous" (Roy 239). This passage shows how even though Baby Kochamma and Mammachi are worried about the kids they are not necessarily a priority. They are too caught up in punishing Ammu for her the terrible "thing" she did with Velutha to actually put two and two together that the kids might be in the river and might have been gone all night.

"Then the Terror took hold of him and shook the words out of him" (Roy 242). This passage is where Velutha's dad goes to tell Mammachi before someone else does about their children's unlawful midnight rendezvous. Then Baby Kochamma has to go and blot the whole story out of proportion to save the family’s good name.

The time sequence in these chapters fit. I was neat how Roy gave just enough information to leave us hanging from one chapter to the next until she goes back to give the rest of the story. We find out that the twins are running away because they are not wanted anymore by Ammu. This goes back to what we were discussing about how a mother's words, to a child especially, go straight to their hearts. We saw how Ammu's words damaged Rahel, and how she now believes her mother loves her a little less. Now we see that she takes her situation out on them, and they feel so unwanted that they run away and take their cousin with them. When the boat tips how are the twins to know that Sophie Mol couldn't swim? They are not old enough to realize the effect that the death will have on the family, and they honestly think that they will have to go to jail. The poor kids, their family has pushed them away. Then they go up to the History House to "make camp" not knowing that Velutha is under their nose. This is the build up we have been waiting for. We know something big and life changing is going to happen in the History House.

Question is this "The Terror" finally?

The entirety of these 5 chapters seems very sad. It's not just that everything is falling apart, although it is. It's things like how things have changed since Rahel was last there, like her description of the elephant. "Rahel approached quietly. She saw that his skin was looser than she remembered. He wasn't Kochu Thomban anymore. His tusks had frown. He was Vellya Thomban now. The Big Tusker" (Roy 217). Rahel's description of the Kathakali Man is also very depressing. "The Kathakali Man is the most beautiful of men. Because his body is his soul....But these days he has become unviable. Unfeasible. Dondemned goods. His children deride him. They long to be everything that he is not" (Roy 219). I also felt it was significant that "Rahel (no Plans, no Locusts Stand I)" (Roy 220) has yet another similarity to her mother. I also felt that the way Sophie Mol views Chacko's airplanes was significant. "A glass-paned cupboard was crammed with damaged calsa airplanes. Broken butterflies with imploring eyes. A wicked king's wooden wives languishing under an evil wooden spell. Trapped. Only one, her mother, Margaret, had escaped to England" (Roy 227). The fact that Rahel married with a sense of "Sitting Down" (Roy 19) and "when Chacko wrote inviting [Margaret] to Ayemenem, something inside her sighed and sat down" (Roy 237). Could it be that this is symbolic for her remarrying Chacko? (not that she ever actually does of course, but symbolism can be pretty weird sometimes.)

When you find out why the twins really ran away, the whole thing just seems so tragic. They just want to know what's going on, and instead, their mother yells at them. "'Because of you!' Ammu had screamed. 'If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here! None of this would have happened! I wouldn't be here! I would have been free! I should have dumped you in an orphanage the day you were born! You're the millstones round my neck!...Just go away!' Ammu had said. 'Why can't you just go away and leave me alone?!'" (Roy 240). Who wouldn't run away if their mother said something like that? Of course they did, and of course Sophie wanted to come along; she was lonely. There was no way for any of them to know that their boat was going to get tipped over by a log, or that there was a real risk of them drowning, and even if there was, they're seven and nine! They feel horrible about what's happened after the fact, but they aren't mature enough to consider the effects of their actions, other than the desired effect. That things might go wrong, horribly wrong, never really enters their minds. The real villain in all of this is Baby Kochamma. She made one woman's personal choices into the destruction of an entire family. Baby Kochamma destroyed everything, not Ammu. She lied to the police!

Velutha seems like he is often referred to in ways that relate him to the God of Small Things. "Strangely, the person that Margaret Kochamma never thought about was Velutha...Perhaps this was because she never really knew him, nor ever heard what happened to him. The God of Loss. The God of Small Things. He left no footprints in sand, no ripples in water, no image in mirrors" (Roy 250). Velutha is again tied to this idea and the God of Small Things when it's said that "[h]e stepped onto the path that led through the swamp to the History House. He left no ripples in the water. No footprints on the shore....He was walking swiftly now, towards the Heart of Darkness. As lonely as a wolf. The God of Loss. The God of Small Things" (Roy 274).

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Originally Posted by blazeofglory

I suppose this book is written by Arundhati Roy. When you recommend a book for discussion give a little bit account of the writer also. People in the forum may not be familiar with the novelist and if you give something about the book it wold be better.

I like this book. But I suppose she has not written anybook of note thenceforth. What she wrote following this book is not commendably of great worth.

I agree one book immortalized her. However people expect more from her. But she disappointed all.

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Um...er... what? What else did she write? I thought this was still her only novel? Or had she finishd and published her second novel already??? :eek2:

I know she published some scripts and political essays, but I'm not really interested in drama and even less in politics, so I didn't read those, so she certainly didn't disappoint me by that. :) But did I miss another prose she wrote?

Anyway, its another one of Neo93's random realization times.

So we're on the verge of discovering what the terror is, and resloving the conflict. The first time I read chapters 14-16, I missed a lot of things, because I was anticipating reading about the terror. But when I went back and read the section again, I had Two Thoughts.

Thought One was about tthe connection between Estha and Rahel. Throughout the book, they have some sort of strong bond (ie, Rahel sees a boat through Estha's eyes). Roy goes into great detail about this connection at the begining of the book, and ventures to hint that something shatters most of this intense connection. But then the connection seems to fade into the background for a while. In chapters 14-16, it reappears with a vengence. I think that Roy is emphasizing this connection here because the Terror is coming, and this is what presumably shatters thier connection. By emphasizing the connection right befdore it is broken, Roy highlights just how terrible the terror is.

Thought Two was about color symbolism. Rahel puts the finger protecters on, and they turn her fingers: Yellow, Green, Red, Blue, and Yellow. These colors aren't random. We've been talking about reading from multiple perspectives, and this ties in nicely. This shows that Rahel has both good (yellow) and anger (red) in her. She has many layers to her personality, and looking at her and all of the story from one perspective makes you miss a lot of important stuff.

Anyway, random realizations complete. Enjoy your day!

I wonder if their connection is actually broken because of the Terror. I know they are physically separated, but does the Terror separate them on a deeper level too? I think the connection is still there, but it manifests itself as Estha's quietness and Rahel's emptiness. They are like parts of a whole so they are not complete unless they are together. Rahel is not comfortable with writing to Estha because "There are things you can't do--like writing letters to a part of yourself. To your feet or hair. Or heart" (156). Also, Rahel experiences eating the tomato sandwiches with Estha on the bus, which happens after the Terror.
BUT! If this postulation is correct, and the connection is never broken, then why do Estha Alone and Rahel Alone exist? And why does Rahel say that "Their lives have a size and a shape now. Estha has his and Rahel hers. Edges, Borders, Boundaries, Brinks and Limits have appeared like a team of trolls on their separate horizons" (5)? Is the connection broken and reformed or is it constant? Is it broken because of distance or because of the Terror?

It is obvious that there is not a clear answer to that question: are they or aren't they connected? ["Estha and Rahel were separated by the breadth of kuthambalam, but joined by a story"] The book makes if difficult to have just a simple answer to the question because there are many interpretations and numerous instances which support each interpretation. They share many things that bond them together, for example, the love for Ammu, Velutha, and each other. Yet, there are many aspects showing their physical and mental separation beginning with the bathrooms: "His for Estha Alone.. (& Hers for Rahel)" in chapter 4. Although they are physically separated, this isn't the only separation they experience. I believe Estha tries to purposefully separate himself from Rahel in order to protect her by grieving alone. "And what has Estha done? He had looked into that beloved face and said: YES" (pg 32) "it was his fault... because he was the one that had said it" (pg 308). Estha blamed himself and in turn, used Quietness as his means of separation "he left his voice behind"(pg 309) because words put not only him, but everyone else into that siutation.
Yes the question is still unanswered but the subject is very dynamic and there isn't only one right answer.

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Originally Posted by IBREAL

I think that its important to note all the similairities that we are seeing in the characters of this book. One being the beatings. Mamamachi, Ammu, Sophie Mol, Esta, and Rahel. This is one thing that I have noticed. This family seems to have a problem picking spouses who are not prone to domestic violence; its very sad. Another things I noticed from what we talked about in class today was love. I think that the characters are all struggling because they are lacking love. I think they would all be better people if they loved got more love and showed each other more love. I thing love is the most imporatnt thing in the world. I also think that not being loved can be the most helpless feeling in the world.

I think the dreams vs God of Small things is shown by Rahel. Rahel shows how she wants to be in control of time by her little watch. This is very interesting because she wants to control something so small as a watch. I think that Rahel is also trying to control something as smalll as her watch because she is so small and she probably wouldn't be able to control something that is very big.

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I think we now see the whole connection and importance of the watch, not just the obvious time shuffle seen in the sequence of the book, but the siginifance of why it ends up being this way.
"The watch they all forgot. It stayed behing in the History House." (pg 295)
Rahel wants to control time so much, not so much being small and wanting to control something, but trying to overcome the fact that she is so powerless after "the Terror" that time doesn't matter for any of them anymore. "Death came for Velutha.. what came for them? Not Death, Just the end of living" (p 304). It shows that Rahel is so powerless (to time) that she can't even control the sequence which her story is being told in [time constantly changing].

(taking a test all day tommorow)

Anyway, is it just me or is Arundhati Roy just plain amazing? I'm goin to go out on a limb here and say that God of Small Things is easily the best book I've ever read in an English class, and possibly one of my favorite overall reads.

First of all, I agree with Eilonwy18 about Estha and Rahel's connection. I really think that the Cochin Harbor terminus scene is the turning point in this connection. Thier seperation profoundly affects thier connection, but it doesn't destroy it. In a way, they are two different entities and one at the same time. This is why Estha Alone and Rahel Alone exist. Roy is trying to show that sometimes, no matter how strong a connection we share with people, there are some things we simply can't share with anyone else. Although everyone's story affects everyone else, no one has the exact same perspective as anyone else. Because of this, there were things that Estha experienced and couldn't share with Rahel, and vice versa. Despite this, thier connection remains intact when they are 31. They just realize that they are 2different people and one person at the same time.

The train station scene just about killed me when I read it, because Ammu, Estha, and Rahel are all so innocent. All they are trying to do is break the terrible cycle the family is caught in, an what do they get? sorrow. Also, this scene pretty much caps Estha's learning of how dangerous words can be. His internal analysis of how his comments to Ammu about how she would never come for him was his final realization that speaking has too many dangerous consequences--"It was his fault that the faraway man in Ammu's chest stopped shouting...Because he was the one who said it." (Roy 308).

"He left his voice behind" (Roy 309).

One last comment on the final chapter. I really liked how it seemed to tie up loose ends for the entire family, while focusing exclusively on Velutha and Ammu. This just goes to show how thier story affected the story of the entire cast of characters. Everyone from Baby Kochamma to Comrade Pillai to Thomas Mathews was affected. There is no way to seperate any of thier stories. all of the seemingly loosely connected characters become so linked by thier converging stories that they can't deny how Ammu and Velutha affected them.

"Never again will a single story be told as though it's the only one."
--John Berger

Analysis of Chapter 12-16

I was absent on Monday and felt it kind of, no, really!, important that I make up for the discussion that I missed in class.

Chapter 12
The first thing that I observed was, of course, on the first page—the title. Kochu Thomban must be an important or symbolic character because it has a chapter named after him/her, much like Chapter 2 (Pappachi’s Moth). However, I was unable to decipher the deeper meaning of this chapter because it was so confusing. “Heart of Darkness” was brought up several times in reference to the History House (218). The representation of “the secret of the Great Stories” was very important (218). As signified in The God of Small Things, Romeo and Juliet, and the Series of Unfortunate Events (), the secret of Great Stories “is that they have no secrets” (218). In all three cases, you know what is going to happen, but continue to read the story anyways.
I was reminded of The Poisonwood Bible when I read the following passage: “In the Heart of Darkness they mock him with their lolling nakedness and their imported attention spans” (220). While Nathan attempted to Christianize the natives of the Congo, all that he could observe on the first day was their nakedness and their inability to focus on his words of deliverance.
The degradation of the culture parallels the degradation of the river. All of the native dancers of Ayemenem dance for the tourists in order to get money and corrupt the native stories of the gods. In chapter 5, the shrinking of the river in which “children hung their bottoms over the edge a defecated” into left an unavoidable stench (119). It was reduced to “no more than a swollen drain” from the magnificent waters the river used to be (118). It was redirected from its natural flow to be profited from, just as the ancient stories were twisted into moneymakers. We also see the origins of the Love Laws, a central theme concerning the God of Small Things. They were derived from ancient beliefs explained through a story. This is ironic, however, because the Love Laws continue to be followed long after the stories they came from have become degraded. How can one follow a creation without respect for the creator?

Chapter 13
The beginnings of Chapter 13 follow the same story of The Pessimist and the Optimist that was found in Riding the Bus With My Sister. What a coincidence. This must be one important story if it is represented by two completely different cultures :P
The theme of Small Things being important is also evident. Things change in a day when “Chacko walk[s] into the café one morning” (229). Margaret Kochamma’s whole like is changed by doing a small event such as meeting and laughing with Chacko. Their marriage, the birth of Sophie Mol, the visit to India, and Sophie Mol’s death are all resulting Big Things from the Small event of meeting Chacko. Question: Why did Margaret Kochamma never believe that she would ever consent to be Chacko’s wife until the day she married him (232)?
The fact that Margaret “persuaded herself that a trip to India would be just the thing for Sophie Mol” is very ironic because it resulted in Sophie Mol’s death (238). This obviously was not the Big Result she expected from such a Small Thing as a visit to a past lover.
The power of water is evident as well because “it was the rain that drove Vellya Paapen to the kitchen door” to expose his son (241). The passage gives the impression that water has the complete power to make things happen, ultimately leading to deaths—both of Velutha and Sophie Mol who drowned.

Chapter 14
Adah’s quote stating: “Misunderstanding is my cornerstone. It’s everyone’s, come to think of it. Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet. They are what we call civilization” (Kingsolver 532) very closely correlates with a passage in The God of Small Things. It is interesting how the theme of misunderstanding is applicable to several literary works (HOD, GOST, etc.). “Comrade Pillai, grateful for the misunderstanding, perpetuated [Chacko’s assumption]” (258). Misunderstandings of the purpose and meanings of Comrade Pillai’s actions prove to set the faulty foundation on which Chacko relays his trust.
It was interesting that Comrade Pillai named his son Lenin, the coincidental name of the great Marxist. He also recites the central monologue of Brutus, asking for the support of the nation after his murdering, and then replacement, of Ceasar (260). This speech is very Marxist in ideals: overthrowing the ruler (upper class) to make a better life of equality for the nation (working class). Estha and Rahel also use a phrase from this Shakespearian play: Et tu Brutus? It is symbolic that Estha and Rahel, relations of the upper class, use this phrase, foreshadowing the betrayal, both political and personal, to come.
The river controls Velutha in the same way that Baby Kochamma controls her family members, “as though they were on a leash” (272).

Chapter 15
Velutha is the God of Small Things, The God of Loss (274). He leaves no ripples in the water and no footprints on the shore because he is one with his environment, not because he is untouchable. The fact that he was untouchable gave him the ability to grow and be molded by the nature around him.

Chapter 16
Sophie Mol’s is “one small life” in the big scheme of things (277). Although her death is a Big Thing to the family, it is a Small Thing to the river.