Exploring Boundaries in The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

In The God of Small Things, Roy explores the idea of breaking boundaries by personifying the setting, focusing on everyday events, and manipulating the characters within society. The most predominant boundary in the novel remains the rigid social classes known as the caste system in Indian society. Roy gives each character a specific role to bring out the importance of the Love Laws, which set behavioral margins within the society.

In chapter 1, Roy personifies the setting as the blurring of boundaries where “boundaries blue as tapioca fences take root and bloom (p. 1).” Roy describes, "the countryside turned an immodest green (p. 1)" which connects Ayemenem's natural world with the people who live there. It suggests that sexuality …show more content…

Roy presents two kinds of morality within the novel: social morality and individual morality. Social morality describes how a society believes how one should behave while individual morality includes how one believes the way he or she should act. Roy presents these two dichotomies, but sometimes the characters stand in the middle of this clash of ideas. Therefore, Roy pushes the limits of the characters in exploring the boundaries even if they receive punishment by their society.

To focus on the theme of exploring boundaries, Roy centers the novel on Ammu and Velutha who both cross the boundaries in their lives. At the end of the first chapter, Roy describes the Love Laws as “the laws that lay down who should be loved and how. And how much (p. 33).” These laws represent the social boundaries that Ammu and Velutha break as the characters live in a world where social rules dictate who can love whom. Although they know how the laws work and what will happen if they break them, they don’t let them stop their relationship. They break social rules as an untouchable, cast-less man has a sexual relationship with an upper-middle class woman. In the final scene, Ammu and Vuelta both make love, showing their care for each other, confirming their mutual relationship. This rebellious act unites the couple in that neither of them seems to care about the social

obligations.

The Oppression of Colonized India Illustrated in Arundhati Roy’s Novel The God of Small Things

children alike lose perspective on their homeland and the struggles within their homeland. They become awe-struck by the development of the colonizers land, and as a result become confused with where their loyalties should lie. In Arundhati Roy’s novel “The God of Small Things”, the Kochamma family is a family of tragic situations and tragic people. Not all of their problems stem from colonization; in fact it is their own cultural traditions that lead to much of the tragedy; however it can be argued…

Unique Cultures in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

Unique Cultures in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart There are a variety of cultures in this world and each culture is unique. Usually when one was born and raised in a certain culture, that person may adapt to that culture for a period of time. It is sometimes difficult to look into someone else’s culture, and understand their culture. Sometimes one must keep an open mind, study the culture, or live in another culture to understand the culture…

Questions and Answers for "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

what—is the God of Small Things? What other names and what divine and earthly attributes are associated with this god? What—or who—are the Small Things over which this god has dominion, and why do they merit their own god? Does Roy's God of Small Things share attributes with any members of the Hindu pantheon? Answer:Roy leads the readers to the small things in the big Indian society which is concerned with the caste system, political associations and social laws. Velutha is presented as the God of Small…

Forbidden Love in The God of Small Things written by Arundhati Roy

This essay focuses on the theme of forbidden love, The God of Small Things written by Arundhati Roy. This novel explores love and how love can’t be ignored when confronted with social boundaries. The novel examines how conventional society seeks to destroy true love as this novel is constantly connected to loss, death and sadness. This essay will explore the theme of forbidden love, by discussing and analysing Ammu and Velutha's love that is forbidden because of the ‘Love Laws’ in relation to the…

Comparing Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Chinua Archebe’s Things Fall Apart

Comparing Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Chinua Archebe’s Things Fall Apart Literature is an amazing form of expression. A multitude of things can be said so in so many creative ways. Whether the story that is being told is true or fiction, the important thing is how it is told. The structure of a story is what gives it power, strength and the ability to move readers. Arundhati Roy and Chinua Achebe are two very talented authors who express their stories in two very different…

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy In The God of Small Things the twin’s mother, Ammu, breaks the laws that lay down ‘who should be loved, and how and how much’ when she has an affair with Velutha (an Untouchable). A relationship with an Untouchable is inconceivable in India, even today, as a woman would be expelled from her Caste if she were to carry out such an undignified act. Before this occurs Ammu is already frowned upon for being a divorced woman, a common view in Indian society…

society with special reference to women. The novel throws light on some important things of life like how love is always associated with sadness, how a person’s childhood experiences affect his/her perspectives and whole life. The novel shows the ugly face of people and society as a whole, a vivid description of the black and sarcastic world especially with reference to women that dwells around us. The God of small thins highlights the position of women folk in India. It presents before us the constant…

From what I have read so far in the book, “The God of small Things,” there are many major themes that have captivated my attention. Those include “The Love Laws,” how the relationship between Chacko and Margaret got to the point of love, the blame and guilt between the characters, and of course “Communism.” Based on four these themes many things have gone wrong for the lives of the characters, especially with, “Blame and Guiltiness.” Love and rules (Love Laws), are constantly butting heads in the…

Some believe that boundaries are made to be broken, that lines are meant to be crossed while others believe that we should “ not move an ancient boundary stone set up by [our] forefathers” (Proverbs 22:28). Everywhere we look, we come across a moral boundary that we at least think we should not cross, but cross nonetheless. “As ye sow, ye shall reap” is a familiar proverb we have all heard at one point in our lives (Roy 31). But is it true? Do we really get what we deserve? And if so, who…

This novel utilises a series of flashbacks which, fragment the story, in which the twins reminisce about their childhood. Roy employs the use of many distinguishing and interlinking features of postcolonial text such as the issues of identity, hybridity and white superiority as an attempt to draw attention to the chaotic situation of postcolonial India. Throughout the past century postcolonial text has risen to prominence following the independence of many colonised countries. Postcolonial texts…