International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 5(5)

Sep-Oct 2020 | Available online: https://ijels.com/

Downtrodden Society in Arundhati Roy's The God

Ex Guest Faculty, Dept. of English, S. S. V. College, Kahalgaon, Bihar, India

Abstract— Arundhati Roy's Booker Prize renowned novel deals with the ravages of caste system in South Indian
state, Kerala. Roy portrays both the sad predicament of untouchables and also the struggle of a woman trying to
have accomplishment in life in a patriarchal society. Velutha transgresses the established norms of society by
having an affair with a woman of high caste. The final upshot of this love affair is the tragic death of an
"Untouchable" by the "Touchable Boots" of the state police, an event that makes a mockery of the idea of God.
God is no more in control of "small things" rather the small things have an crucial power over God, turning him
to "The God of loss"
The society represented in The God of Small Things is Syrian Christian. The Christians of Kerala are divided
into five churches: Roman Catholic, Orthodox Syrian, Nestorian, Marthoma, and Anglican. Syrian Christians
claim the Apostle Thomas as their founder. The term "Syrian" refers to the West Asian origins of the group's
ancestors and to their use of Syriac as a liturgical language. For centuries, their spoken language has been
Malayalam. Syrian Christians have a history that predates European rule. While the Jesuits made only limited
alteration to community life in 1830s and 40s, the nineteenth-century British Colonial state played a significant
role in undermining Syrian Christian-Hindu connections.
The proposed paper studies the conflict that exists in The God of Small Things at individual and societal levels.
The novel graphically shows that how people are helpless to resolve these levels of friction. Velutha, the outcast,
can never co exist peaceful with the "touchable" communities for so long as the stigma of untouchability attached
to him and countless others like him. Velutha is "highly intelligent," an excellent carpenter with an engineer's
mind, but he is also the God of Small Things and he fails to leave any impression on the sand of time.
Keywords— Deprivation, Indian society, Suppression, Untouchable.

The publication of The God of Small Things in 1997 instantly and her brother Chacko, their grandmother Mammachi and
skyrocketed Arundhati Roy to worldwide critical and popular their great-aunt Baby Kochamma. Their father Baba lives in
acclaim. Her first (and to date only) novel won the Calcutta. Ammu left him when the twins were two years old.
1997 Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the The family is expecting the arrival of Margaret and Sophie
English-language literary world. Interestingly, Roy was Mol, Chacko's ex-wife and daughter, who are living in
trained as an architect and had never before considered herself England. Since Margaret's second husband Joe had died in a
a novelist. The novel, which Roy wrote between 1992 and car accident, Chacko invited them to spend Christmas in India
1996, has sold over 6 million copies and has been translated in order to get over the loss. When they have arrived, Sophie
into 40 languages. Mol is taking centre stage. So Rahel and Estha stroll around
The God of Small Things is about a family living in India after on the river bank and find an old boat. With Velutha's help
Independence. Their story isn't told in chronological order but they repair it and frequently cross the river to visit an
it is revealed bit by bit to the reader. abandoned house on the other side. Velutha is an Untouchable,
Rahel and Esthappen (Estha) are seven year old fraternal whom Ammu and Chacko have known since their childhood.
twins. They are living in Ayemenem with their mother Ammu Their family have given him the opportunity to visit a school

ISSN: 2456-7620
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International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 5(5)
Sep-Oct 2020 | Available online: https://ijels.com/

and employed him as a carpenter and mechanic in the family's She married an American and moved with him to Boston.
pickle factory. After their divorce she has been working to make a living.
During the guests' stay Ammu is more and more attracted by Now Rahel returns to Ayemenem because she wants to see
Velutha. One night they meet at the river where they sleep with Estha, who has already returned to their family's house. During
each other. As it is not possible for an Untouchable to have a his stay in Calcutta he someday stopped speaking. After
relationship or even an affair with somebody from a superior spending a whole day together in Ayemenem, Rahel and
caste, they have to keep their meetings secret. But one night Estha, sister and brother, are sleeping with each other.
Velutha's father observes them and, feeling humiliated by his The fact that Estha has stopped speaking and that Rahel and
son's overbearing behaviour, reports everything to Mammachi Estha sleep with each other are only two aspects in which one
and Baby Kochamma. As a consequence they lock up Ammu can see how deeply hurt they still are by the events with
in her room. There Rahel and Estha find her and, through the Velutha and Sophie Mol that happened long ago.
locked door, ask her why she's being locked up. As she is A bird’s eye view of the story clearly reveals to the reader that
angry and desperate, she blames the two children that without the prominent theme dealt within the story is the caste system
them she would be free and they should go away. Hurt and and particularly the status of the Untouchables. A few decades
confused they decide two run away and stay at the abandoned ago the caste system controlled every aspect in the life of an
house. But Sophie discovers the twins' plan and demands to be ordinary Indian, like the profession, the marriage partner and
taken along. While the three are crossing the river, which has the everyday life. One does not really know about its origin
risen from heavy rainfall, their boat capsizes. Rahel and Estha but it is assumed that the castes were introduced by priests to
are able to reach the other shore but Sophie cannot swim and steady their position of power. The myth of Purusha, the
is carried away by the current. After a long search for Sophie, divine ancestor, can give an explanation for the emergence of
the twins go to the abandoned house and fall asleep on its the main castes calledvarnas in Sanskrit. The Brahmans
veranda. Neither do they see Velutha, who is sleeping on the originated from Purusha's mouth, his arms are represented by
veranda nor does he notice the twins' arrival. Earlier that night, theKshatriyas, his thighs by the Vaishyas and the Shudras are
Velutha had visited the house of Ammu's family, not knowing building his feet. The Brahmans traditionally were priests and
that their affair had been discovered. When he arrived academics, the Kshatriyas warriors and superior officers, the
Mammachi insulted him and chased him off. Vaishyas land owners, farmers and merchants and the Shudras
In the morning the children's absence is detected. Then they mechanics and day labourers. Below these four castes the
receive the message that Sophie Mol has been found dead by Untouchables are found, called Paria, Harijans or Dalits. The
the river. Baby Kochamma goes to the police and wrongly four varnas are again split into jatis (subcastes), of which 2000
accuses Velutha of attempting to rape Ammu and kidnapping to 3000 are said to exist.
the children. When the police find Velutha sleeping on the Untouchability is an important topic in the God of Small
veranda of the abandoned house, they beat him up so heavily Things. When Mammachi is referring to the past, there is a
that he almost dies. The twins wake up and observe the whole part in which is said that the Untouchables were not allowed
procedure. At the police station they are forced by Baby to walk on public roads and that they had to wipe out their
Kochamma to confirm the wrong statement which she has footprints so that nobody of a higher caste could accidentally
made. In the following night Velutha dies in prison. step into them. They had to cover their mouths while they were
After Sophie Mol's funeral Ammu and the twins have to leave speaking so that nobody had to breathe in their polluted air.
the family's house because Chacko, manipulated by Baby They actually were not given permission to exist. This non-
Kochamma, accuses them of being responsible for Sophie existence is referred to several times in the book for example
Mol's death. Estha is sent to his father in Calcutta where he when Velutha does not leave footprints or ripples in the water.
attends school and later college. Ammu is forced to leave This makes him almost inhuman and supernatural.
Rahel in Ayemenem in order to look for employment. But
Ammu is not able to earn enough for a living and so she dies
In Hinduism one believes in rebirth. This is a considerable part
of bad health a few years later alone in a hotel room.
of the caste system as it explains some facts which are difficult
Rahel returns to Ayemenem at the age of 31. She hasn't seen to understand. Hindus believe that if one lives a moral and
Estha since they were separated after Sophie Mol's funeral. religious life and does not commit crimes or injustices one will

ISSN: 2456-7620
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International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 5(5)
Sep-Oct 2020 | Available online: https://ijels.com/

be reborn in a superior caste. As a conclusion one will be Pillai's double standards are also seen when despite his slogans
reborn in a lower caste if one does not respect moral and of "caste is class," he deliberately distances himself from
religious instructions and the law. Thus the Untouchables Velutha in order to maintain the support of Chacko's other
believe that it is justified that they are badly treated and workers who dislike working with a Paravan. Chacko himself
avoided by the community and hence bear their nearly appears to be an armchair Communist with no real
unbearable life. This aspect the author refers to in the person understanding of the politics that surround him. Roy's
of Velya Paapen, Velutha's father. He feels that it is not right representation of the Communist Party has met with much
for his son to work in the pickle factory, for this is not a criticism from the Party. The late E. M. S. Namboodiripad
position an Untouchable may hold. When Velya Paapen finds criticized The God of Small Things for promoting sexual
out about his son's relationship to Ammu he is so ashamed that anarchy and bourgeois values (Deccan Herald 6) while the
he offers to kill Velutha with his own hands. Marxist Chief Minister of Kerala, Mr. E. K. Nayanar, said that
In the Indian constitution of 1950 the Untouchability is legally Roy had painted a "factually incorrect" picture of the social
abolished. Today any discrimination due to the caste system is conditions in Kerala during the period 1950-70 and of the role
forbidden by law. Nevertheless the caste system has not played by Communists during that period (Deccan Herald 7).
disappeared from everyday life. Notably in villages the It is within this social, political and religious context that we
Untouchables are still excluded from the society and live in read the tragedy of the Koachammans. Shunned by the upper
separate colonies. However, contingents in the education class Hindus, they are over conscious of their family's prestige.
system and in public administration are granted to Roy deals with the classical material of tragedy in the modern
Untouchables in order to integrate them into the society and context. The members of this family are introverts. Baby
increase their standard of living. Kochamma, Ammu, Chako and Pappachi are unable to come
The theme of untouchability is portrayed at two levels in the to terms with their complexes. They struggle against the outer
novel. Firstly, we have socially untouchables, or Parvan, who world, and the defeat renders them confused and frustrated.
are on no account permitted basic human rights. Secondly, we The sense of failure expresses itself in dehumanizing others
have symbolic untouchables in high castes. Here bias around them.
communicates itself in marginalizing the women in their In The God of Small Things the conflict exists at individual
personal and public life. and societal levels. The novel graphically shows that how
In the novel religious differences appear in the disagreements people are helpless to resolve these levels of friction. Velutha,
between Father Mulligan (who belongs to the Roman Catholic the outcast, can never co exist peaceful with the "touchable"
Church) and Reverend Ipe (who belongs to the Mar Thoma communities for so long as the stigma of untouchability
Church) as well as in Baby Kochamma's conversion to attached to him and countless others like him. Velutha is
Catholicism and her consequent lack of suitors. The socio- "highly intelligent," an excellent carpenter with an engineer's
political changes brought about by colonial rule led to upper- mind, but he is also "The God of loss", "The God of Small
caste Hindus shunning the Syrian Christians. Between 1888 Things" --He left no footprints in sand, no ripples in water, no
and 1892 every one of the main Syrian Christian images in mirrors" (265)
denominations founded so-called Evangelical Societies that In contrast to Velutha , Chacko can get away with his
sought out low-caste converts and built schools and chapels debauchery -- or his "man's needs" as his mother terms it --
and publicized mass baptisms (Bayly 314-320). The God of because he is a "touchable". Roy has justly put the issue when
Small Things thus refers to the school for "Untouchables" she says, "Change is one thing. Acceptance is another" (279).
built by the great-grandfather of the twins, Estha and Rahel. The society presented in the novel is patriarchal. On the one
However, as Roy points out, even though a number of Paravas hand we have a group of characters, Mammachi, Baby
and members of other low castes converted to Christianity, Koachmma, and Kochu Maria the cook, who perpetuate the
they were made to have separate churches and thus continued division of caste, race, and gender. On the other hand, Ammu
to be treated as "Untouchables." After Independence, they and the twins, Rahel and Estha, consciously and
were denied government benefits created for "Untouchables" unconsciously resist these hierarchies. Ammu, the biggest
because officially, on paper, they were Christians and victim of the system, is an archetypal image of a daughter
therefore casteless (Roy 71). marginalized in a patriarchal society. "Perhaps Ammu, Estha
and Rahel were the worst transgressors. They all broke the

ISSN: 2456-7620
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International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 5(5)
Sep-Oct 2020 | Available online: https://ijels.com/

rules. They all crossed into forbidden territory. They all experiences and observations of her childhood left an indelible
tampered with laws that lay down who should be loved and impression on her sensitive mind and aroused her inborn
how. And how much" (31). Ammu, the central character of the sympathy for the exploited, and the froth and scum of society.
novel, has only a marginal existence in the family structure. A She leads a crusade against the dehumanising and barbaric
traditional patriarchal society places little importance on distinctions. The novel is spun on some institutionalised catch
women's education. Ammu's father Pappachi, does not like the words like equality, liberty and justice for all citizens of India.
idea of spending money on his daughter, and she is never The democratic India is still reigned over by four-caste and
encouraged to find her place in life. Marriage is the only man-made barriers that divide humanity. The novel breathes a
justification of her survival. strong protest against social injustice meted out to
Velutha offers what is denied to Ammu, Estha and Rahel in untouchable. In the earlier days, during the British rule the
society and family. In the daylight, he is the best companion paravans accepted Christianity to escape the scourge of
of the children, who feel suffocated in Aymenm because of untouchability and were allowed separate schools and
their divorced mother. The outer world is hostile, and only the churches. Roy protests the stems from her sense of indignation
few moments they spend with Velutha afford real happiness. at the slave-like position of women of untouchables and
Ammu meets him in darkness, along the river bank -- a symbol untouchables in liberated democratic India.
of division between the two classes. Baby Kochamma,
spending a frozen life in her past, appears as the guardian of REFERENCES
system. Velutha, "the Untouchable" is killed by the
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"Touchable Boots", of the state police. Ammu is banished and
India, 2002
dies alone, only thirty one "a very viable diable age" (161). [2] Bayly, Susan. Saints, Goddesses, and Kings. Cambridge
The system also has a fatal influence on the twins, who cannot University Press, 1989.
relate to anybody other than each other. Estha's marriage [3] Singh, K.S The Schedule Castes: The People of India.
proves a failure, and she feels satisfied only with the twin National Series Volume 2 of the Anthropological Survey of
India. Delhi: Oxford Up, 1993.
brother Rahel, as it were coming back to the prenatal world of
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pure innocence. Velutha offers a release from the deterministic
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release is illusory. India. Princeton, N. J.: Princeton UP, 1979.
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[7] Nishant, Shulin. "Arundhati Roy's The God of Small
death of Velutha, the last ray of hope disappears. He is accused
Things." The Postcolonial Web.
of kidnapping the twins, and Estha falsely confirms it. Estha
[8] Rao, Jaya Lakshmi. "Bapsi Sidhwa's Ice-Candy-Man and
becomes a silent creature whose incomprehensible "Yes" Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things: Some Interesting
served to prove an innocent man guilty. Roy expresses her Parallels." The Postcolonial Web.
disillusionment with the social conditions of the postcolonial
world in which the untouchables of the past still face a hostile
society that does not let them live as free and independent
individuals. Velutha, the God of small Things, the outcast can
never co-exist peaceful with the "touchable" communities for
as long as the stigma of untouchability is attached to him and
countless others like him. Ammu, another "untouchable"
within the "touchable" cannot pursue happiness because doing
so threatens the existing order, and the society takes every
possible step to stop change.
The writer has witnessed the harsh and sorrowing
demonstration of the bottom dogs crying under the burden of
dearth, hunger, mistreatment and discrimination. All

ISSN: 2456-7620
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