God of Small Things - 960 Words

Critical Race Theory in The God of Small Things Sex and race are always useful and mentioned with intention in texts. In Arundhati Roy’s novel The God of Small Things there is a clear intention to the use of sex and race to keep and rid of the main key characters in the novel. The character or characters who engage in unlawful sexual acts are punished while unwanted or undesired race is purged. In this Indian society that worships England, Love Laws, and the Caste System race and sex creates intra-racial racism within the Indian communities that is reinforced with force through the government and Caste System. Intra-racial racism is a result of internalized racism while internalized racism is a result of Anglophilia. The God of Small†¦show more content†¦Additionally, throughout the story there are references to Africa, especially amongst the twins and Velutha, yet when Rahel says to Kochu Maria that she will eventually be living in Africa, Kochu Maria responds saying â€Å"Africa’s full of ugly black people and mosquitoes,† showing disdain for people of dark color (Roy 175). The correlation between blackness and vice becomes even more entangled when the character of Kari Saipu is introduced as the â€Å"Black Sahib†. This man had taken a young boy as his lover and then killed himself when the child was taken away, leading to the connection of even the word black as something taboo (Roy 51). When Sophie Mol drowns it is Velutha, who was not even present when the accident occurred, who is blamed and then brutally beaten, and dies in prison. There can be no doub t that, though his position in the caste system sets him aside culturally, Velutha’s uniquely dark color consecrates him visually as unclean and unworthy. In conclusion, intra-racial racism can be seen in The God of Small Things through the hierarchal distinction of skin color in India. This can be seen in relation to the caste system as well as the family structure. Anglo traits in a person make them worthy of worship while darkShow MoreRelatedThe God of Small Things1370 Words   |  6 PagesVelutha of Small Things The small, more trivial things in life are more often than not eschewed, and because of this they are left to find a safe haven in furtive localities similar to â€Å"History House† or the river. Being the watch keeper of these small things can be good as well as bad, as shown through Velutha’s ultimate fate. In the novel â€Å"The God of Small Things†, Arundhati Roy shows the minute details that fill her characters lives and furnish the dwellings that cannot protect them. Not onlyRead MoreThe God Of Small Things1065 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the God of Small Things, the author develops a romantic relationship between Velutha and Ammu. The author was able to build on this relationship given that the two characters hardly interact with each other due to their caste and race. Within this relationship, it is shown that Velutha is the God of Small Things. Velutha is believed to be the God of Small Things as he is the pivotal character of Ammu’s dream a nd her love interest. Velutha is suggested to be the God of Small Things accordingRead MoreThe God of Small Things1501 Words   |  7 PagesThe Gods of Small Things, written by Arundhati Roy, tells the story about an Indian family, forbidden love, and horrors during the upbringing of twins Estha and Rahel. It is a sad but humorous story of a peculiar family in India, the West s intrusion, and the caste systems terrifying regime. The family we follow is a family that is pretty well off. They own a small factory, Paradise Pickles and Preserves, where they have workers who are of lower caste. The twins Estha and Rahel have always feltRead MoreThe God Of Small Things Essay1380 Words   |  6 Pagesair was full of Thoughts and Things to Say. But at times like these, only the Small Things are ever said. Big Things lurk unsaid inside.† ― Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things INTRODUCTION The God of Small Things is a novel by Indian author Arundhati Roy. This novel is debut novel of Arundhati Roy and known for wining booker prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the English-language literary world. Roy started writing her first novel (The God of Small Things) in 1992 and novel got completedRead MoreArundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things1145 Words   |  5 Pagessociety 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 constantRead MoreThe God of Small Things Book Analysis1593 Words   |  7 PagesThe God of Small Things Book Analysis Character: Esthappen, referred to as Estha, and Rahel are twins. Both are innocent children who are still learning their manners. When they grow up and separate, Rahel moves to America and gets married, and Estha leaves to go with Babu, their father who has left them. When he returns to Ayemenem, Rahel also returns because they have a special bond. Their mother is referred to as Ammu. She raises her children well with structure. Ammu has an affair with VeluthaRead MoreSocial Realism in God of Small Things2574 Words   |  11 Pageswretten by multani Social Realism in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things Chapter-1 Introduction In this micro research, it is all about social realism in Arundhati Roy’s novel The God of Small Things. Here major aim is to work on social problems, that have come up in the contemporary India, found in this novel. It can be seen as one of the most powerful novels on a definite social problem, that of the oppression of the down trodden, also touching upon related problems. It problematizes theRead MoreThe God Of Small Things By Arundhati Roy1628 Words   |  7 PagesArundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things explores the tragic lives of twins Estha and Rahel through a profound application of language and detail. Roy’s utterly unique writing style reels the reader in through hard to grasp yet beautiful language, allowing one to appreciate the beauty within such a tragic story. Roy repeats a specific phrase throughout the novel at pivotal moments within the twin’s, specifically Estha’s, lives. This phrase, â€Å"Little Man. He lived in a cara-van. Dum dum†, is utilizedRead MoreThe God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy532 Words   |  2 PagesFrom what I have read so far in the book, â€Å"The God of small Things,† there are many major themes that have captivated my attention. Those include â€Å"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 â€Å"Communism.† Based on four these themes many things have gone wrong for the lives of the characters, especially with, â€Å"Blame and Guiltiness.† Love and rules (Love Laws), are constantly butting heads in theRead MoreThe God of Small Things: A Plot Summary Essay1380 Words   |  6 PagesAlthough desire presents itself in many charged forms in The God of Small Things, we can view the plot of the narrative as a series of disrupted yet connected events that are propelled by, or a product of, individual resistance fuelled by a Desire to Transgress. This plot of individual resistance is represented through the female protagonist Ammu and her daughter Rahel, as a foil of her mother, and is most explicit in the ending of the novel, when they both commit sexual acts that violate the conditions