The God of Small Things - 'A simple story set against the backdrop of social discrimination, communism and the caste system' The story unfolds the lives of people in Kerala who are the captives of Communism, the caste system, and the Keralite Syrian Christian way of life. It embarks on the journey of the dizyotic twins Rahel and Esthappen (Estha), the children of Ammu Ipe. The book opens with Rahel returning from Calcutta and he reaches Ayemenem during the gloomy month of summer.
Ammu Ipe who had become desperate to marry after she got rejected during marriage proposals due to her dowry, moves to Kolkata to her aunt where she marries a man who worked in a tea estate. The man soon turned out to be an alcoholic and who used to beat her. After Rahel and Estha were born, she moved back to her house in Ayemenem and lived with her mother and brother Chacko. Sophie Mol is Chacko and Margaret's daughter. Sophie Mol is dead.
When Ammu Ipe came to knew about Rahel and Velutha's (who worked at their house and belonged to the untouchable class) relationship, she sacked Velutha from work and she locked herself in her room. Rahel and Velutha tried to flee together by rowing across the river to an abandoned house and were helped by Sophie Mol. When they were rowing across the river, an accident takes Sophie Mol's life. Pappachi is Rahel and Estha's grandfather. Navomi Ipe Kochamma nicknamed "Baby Kochamma" was Pappachi's sister.
Baby Kochamma blamed Velutha for Sophie Mol's death and complained to the police. The police who beat ruthlessly beat Velutha for crossing caste line. This had a deep effect on the twins who became silent after this savage act. The twins reveal the truth of Sophie's death to the police chief; the police chief knew that since Velutha was a communist his wrongful arrest and beating would antagonise the local communists. Baby Kochamma fearing arrest convinces Chacko into believing that the twins are responsible for his daughter's (Sophie Mol) death.Chacko asks Ammu to leave the house.
On account of poverty Ammu was forced to send Estha to live with his father. Rahel returns from the US, where he had left after an abusive childhood, got married and divorced, finally returns back to Ayemenem. Rahel, who was 31-year old when he returned back, met Estha again for the first time since childhood. The twins realised that no one understood them better than themselves. This book shows that how small things in life can affect a person's life but there is always a ray of hope sent by the almighty himself.This book is narrated brilliantly from the third person point of view and also from Rahel's point of view.
The book's beauty lies in its way of narration, a non-sequential way of narration with the words chosen enticingly. A simple story of the complicated Ipe family set in the backdrop of social discrimination, communism and caste system, this book is mainly based on the betrayal and always pops the question into the mind of the reader 'Can we trust anyone? Can we trust ourselves? An individual striving constantly to understand human behavior, I completely love the author’s way of expressing the sensitive thoughts and dilemmas of human mind as a child, as an adult, as a mother, as a lover. The story gives me the reassurance about human vulnerability to be loved, to dream and to be happy every time I read it. Apart from the touching story I love the book’s language which is a completely different experience in itself.
Arundhati’s finest work till now and unarguably one of the most beautiful books of our times, the book is a must read for every sensitive and passionate reader.
