Introduction
There are critics, interviewers and reviewers, who have generally spoken of several themes expounded in the novel The God of Small Things. In this respect Roy has clarified, “I don't think I offer you one thing. If there is tragedy there is also comedy going on somewhere on the side. If there is sadness there is also happiness, there is also joy.” From what Roy herself has said, it has been possible to single out certain topics. In one sense, the novel evokes the child's world through the twins’ experiences. Another concern of the novel appears to be separation of people from one another and from society. Class - division and casteist oppression is .also subject - matter along with feminist rebellion against patriarchy as also political dissatisfaction against Marxism. Even decaying of Syrian Christianity in Kerala may be termed as the Chief concern of the novel. But if we proceed on the lines of multiple themes, then our approach will ultimately run against the idea of a single thought and unifying theme. The proper assumption is that the novel has a single theme giving voice to sub - ordinate themes to the central vision.
 |
| Theme and Title of the Novel The God of Small Things |
The Title of the Novel; As Symbolically Expressive of the Theme:
There is sufficient ground to believe that the theme of the novel is symbolically expressed in the title itself. In this connection we may quote her own clarification of the title as under:
“To me the God of small things is the inversion of God. God is a big thing and God's in control. The God of small things.... Whether it's the way the children see things or whether it's the insect life in the book, or the fish or the stars - there is not accepting of what we think of adult boundaries.... All sorts of boundaries are transgressed upon. At the end of the first chapter I say little events and ordinary things are just smashed and re constituted, imbued with new meaning to become the bleached bones of the story..... A pattern.... of how in these small events and in these small lives the world intrudes. And ...... because of people living unprotected, the world and the social machine intrudes into the smallest deepest core of their being and changes their life. "
Life of the Weak and the Helpless Portrayed in the Novel:
For Roy The God of Small Things stands for the portrayal of life of weak and helpless , poor and destitutes , whether they are small creatures like frogs and ants or human beings such as the victim of Hollick's lust or the women supplying chacko's man's needs or children like Estha and Rahel . In contrast with 'The God of Big Things ', 'The God of Small Things' accounts for life and sufferings , even tragic hopes and triumphs of the downtrodden like Vellya Paapen and his sons or Ammu.' The God of Small Things represents all those people who are victimized by dead traditions and conventions, fake pride and honour, the tyranny of the state and the politics of opportunism.
Portrayal of the Ordinary, Simple and Natural Life of Children and Innocent Creatures:
The God of Small Things is also the portrayal of the ordinary, simple and natural life of children and innocent creatures. One reason for this assumption is to be found in Roy's treatment of symbolism. It shows that the novel is mainly concerned with those creatures whose lives and works are treated as insignificant but they also have the natural but unsophisticated urges of life.
The Big God of Big Things and ‘The Small God of Small Things’:
The first clear allusion to the theme occurs in the first chapter of the novel. But it is checked as the wisdom is taken out from the sufferings of life, since it is a comment on the strange look that Rahel's eyes wore when McCaslin made love to her. The whole experience of rejection and loss of relations lies behind that look.
The Small God rules the destiny of those who are doomed to assume the role of offenders, because they are guided by nature and not by conventions. Ammu, Estha and Rahel tampered with the laws which settle as " who should be loved and how, and how much.” Those governed in this way are like the banana jam illegally produced by “Paradise Pickles and Preserves. It is wrong to say that trouble began with the coming of Sophie Mol to Ayemenem. The truth is “it really began in the days when the Love Laws were made. The laws that lay down, who should be loved ... and how much”. But this theory in reality means that all forms of social restrictions and discipline are injurious to the freedom of the human spirit and love. It is possible to proclaim the theme of the novel in these terms, but if it is done, then any restriction on sexual relations including incest is regarded by the author as injurious and an act of “The God of Big Things.”
The Problem of Classifiability:
The problem of classifiably is met with in Pappachi's moth with its sudden bursts of violence in inter - personal behaviour. On the one hand it accounts for Pappachi's cruelty against Mammachi and Ammu, on the other; it is held responsible for outbursts of temper in Ammu, constituting a rebellion against patriarchal oppression and social tyranny.
Depiction of History as an Awful Burden:
Roy conceives history as an awful burden. History has its own cruel ways of dealing with those who do not conduct themselves according to its ruthless requirements. It is a tragic fate of the twins’ life that at a tender age they “learned how history negotiates its terms and collects dues from those who break its laws.”
Depiction of Love in the Novel:
It does not appear to be a sudden decision of the author that right in the middle of the novel, we have a short chapter entitled The God of Small Things. The chapter is highly symbolic. It deals with Ammu's dream, which can only be interpreted as her version of The God of Small Things, who is an embodiment of strong irrepressible urge for love and sex. Since this God of Small Things does not recognize and accept the social conventions and restrictions, he is bound to come in conflict with history and traditions and that too without any chance of success. This kind of love as personified in the novel , is like a person with serious handicaps : "If he touched her, he couldn't talk to her , if he loved her , he couldn’t leave ...... if he fought he couldn't won." This description is followed by the omniscient narrator's questions: “Who was he, the one armed man? The God of Loss? The God of Small Things.... like.... The smell of the bus conductor's hands from holding them?”
The answer is to be found in chapter 15, “The Crossing’. Here 'The God of Small Things' uses Velutha as a Vehicle and crosses over to the place of destruction. From now on, the lovers are completely under the spell of the God of Small Things. The social oppression fear of caste disparity, religious stigma - in short, the God of Big Things is recklessly forgotten.
Division of the Life in the Novel into Two Sets of Forces:
The life and the theme of the novel are divided into two sets of forces, fighting for existence. The upper class consists of the burden of history, dead and decayed traditions false family honour and pride, patriarchy and political opportunism - the God of Big Things. The other lower world comprises children, insecure women, untouchables, the working people with their struggle for identity, existence and independence, and natural urges and desires - the God of Small Things.
Manifestation of the Struggle on the Levels of Society, State, Family and Personal Relations:
(a) Ammu:
While exploring the manifestation of the struggle on the levels of society, state, family and personal relations; we should start with Ammu because the maltreatment she suffers has a disastrous effect upon her life as a child. As a girl she had witnessed the vagaries of patriarchal power. Her father used to beat her mother and once had turned them out of the house. She was deprived of higher education because her father thought that college education was an unnecessary expense for a girl. At Ayemenem, she remained totally uncared for and to minimise her sense of insecurity she drifted into a loveless marriage. But soon she discovered that she had jumped out of the frying pan into fire. Her husband an alcoholic went to the extent of asking her to satisfy the lust of his boss, to ensure his job. Ammu and her children were constantly reminded that socially and financially they had no locus standing in the Ayemenem House.
Things come to a head when her night meetings with the untouchable Velutha are discovered. At police station she is subjected to extreme humiliation being called as 'Vaishya' and her children as illegitimate. The state power, the family establishment and the society - all are seen to be in collusion against Ammu and her children. The remaining period of her life makes up story of misery, desperate search for livelihood and despondency tinged with fruitless day - dreaming. Her death in ignominy, and disgraceful cremation bring the story of her life to an end - more sinned against than sinning; the God of Small Things.
(b) The Wounds of the Twins, Rahel and Estha:
The same force of tradition and reaction are operative against Estha and Rahel, the condemned twins, being product of an inter-caste marriage - hated by the family as outsiders. The first shock that comes to the tender mind of Estha is his child abuse, which sinks deep into the psyche of the seven years old child and haunts him throughout his life. The second shocking wound for the twins, especially Estha, is the emotional blackmail to betray the person, they loved dearly which totally disintegrates the boy; thus associated symbolically with the God of Small Things.
As far Rahel, the circumstances make her become to the diseased condition of her dying mother and after Ammu's death she drifts aimlessly. Her recklessness and awakening sexuality comes in direct collision with the traditional Christian attitude; the God of Big Things. Her neglect at home and in school gives rise to a defiant mood in her mind - the God of Small Things.
(c) Velutha an Embodiment of Extreme Social Discrimination, Poverty and Humiliation:
Velutha the sufferer is symbolically associated with the God of Small Things, perhaps for the reason of extreme social discrimination, humiliation and poverty. He becomes a transgressor, when he indulges in illicit love affair with Ammu. This is not tolerated by anyone even by the communist, “The God of Big Things”. The police is also irked by the said illicit relation. So, the forces of history politics and state make combined efforts to ruin Velutha. Thus pitted against the ' God of Big Things, this small man in his small acts gets no chance of survival or escape.
Epistemic Orientation of the Subject Matter:
Thus the forces opposed to the private desires, interests and pursuits of small people are ruthless and deterministic. The small people are sought out and destroyed. They have no choice and no chance of succeeding against the formidable forces operating on them - the God of Small Things pitted against the God of Big Things.
Conclusion:
Thus Roy has cleverly placed the chapter The God of Small Things in the middle of the novel. It is only her artistry which has made it symbolic. It is in fact unique. Thus the theme of the novel has been divided into two parts; first one is the upper class carrying the burden of the history, dead and decayed traditions, false family honour, pride and reputation, patriarchy and political opportunism - the God of Big Things. Whereas the 'God of Small Things', consists of children , insecured women, untouchables, working people struggling for existence, natural urges and desires. Thus it is clear that the basic theme of “The God of Small Things” is in socio - political cultural historical text of the novel. Thus, in spite of the symbolical nature of the novel, there is also a desire to present the social reality and the method of social realism is certainly employed in parts of the novel.