Synopsis of the god of Small things, The story sets in the town of Kerala name Ayemenem & the story revolves around rich Christian family. The novel jumps between 1969 and 1993. The story starts when the family used to live together in 1969.
The God of Small Things By Arundati Roy
Buy on Amazon Download on Amazon Audible
The God of Small Things By Arundhati Roy Summary
The God of small things is a novel which was published in 1996 by Arundhati Roy. The story sets in a small village in southern part of India in a town in Kerala name Ayemenem. The story starts when the family used to live together in 1969. In 1969 something horrible happened, a women called Ammu from a upper caste family had a secret affair with a man from lower caste family name called Vilita. It was a secret, they used to meet secretly. They thought nobody knew it but their love affair was discovered, vilita was beaten to death & Ammu was thrown out from her family. The twins of Ammu a boy and girl has suffered, they lost their mom, they lost their household & they lost everything.
Twenty three years later they are again getting reunited, Estha has come from Calcutta to this village known Ayemenem & Rahel is coming to meet Estha they both are frustrated, they have lost everything because of caste discrimination. When Estha & Rahel meet, they secretly sleep together they are twins of the same mother but still they don’t care about the world or anything. This is the short summary of The god of small things by Arundhati Roy.
The Summary of God of Small Things By Arundhati Roy
The Story begins when the 31 year old Ammu a young mother she left her husband in Assam whose name is Baba. Ammu returned home to Ayemenem with her twins Estha & Rahel. She married baba with great hope her own father was abusive he used to beat her mother Mamaji who is blind. Ammu married Baba with great hope thinking that he will save her from her abusive life but Baba turned out to be a drunker who used to beat Ammu & he even tried to sell her to his boss. Ammu was a strong women she escaped from Baba came back to Ayemenem with her twins Estha & Rahel. The villain of the story is Baby Kochama who is a sister of Ammu’s father. Baby kochama is a very pampered girl who don’t care about Ammu & her twins. She is very selfish. The twins were separated after Ammu’s and Vilita’s death. Estha and Rahel were separated for 23 years. Ammu and her twins return from Baba in the year 1969. The novel jumps between 1969 and 1993, some of the story of 1969 and some of the story of 1993. The god of small things is written from a perspective of a Rahel.
When Ammu and her twins return home she is a lonely woman but still gorgeous and young still seeking for attention & love, seeking for a man. She falls in love with lower caste man known Velutha. She met Velutha in his brother pickle’s company. That is the time when Ammu gets interested in Velutha. Velutha is very strong man & talented as well. She is physically aroused, realized that she has desire & she needs a man. They make love secretly beside the Meenachal river. Meenachal river is the silent witness to their love affair.
When their love affair was discovered, father of Ammu is furious with Velutha & even his own father is ready to kill him. Because they crossed a caste boundaries its like a sin for Ammu’s father. Ammu is put under house she is very angry & she shouts at her twins and the greatest fear Rahel & Estha has will we lose our mother’s love. Twins are so much attached to Ammu, they can’t afford to lose Ammu & that is exactly what happens to them they lose their mother. When Ammu started shouting at her twins, they decided to run away from home. Twins already have a little boat which is horrible children should not go in a river. Sophie mole who is the daughter of Ammu’s brother decides to go with them because it can be dangerous to let children go alone in a boat. The boat capsizes Rahel and Estha escape the boat by swimming ashore but Sophie mole drowned in water.
Velutha had helped them with the boat & he had also warm them not to take the boat but they did it anyway. After crossing the river twins don’t know what to do they go to a house which is called History house. The house used to belong to a white man long time ago. It is a belief of locals that the ghost of white man is still live in house. The children go in History house and hide there they don’t know what to do they are so horrified. Velutha was also hiding in house because their love affair has been discovered. At this time the family of Ammu goes to the Police station because they want Velutha to be capture and punished for daring to have an affair with upper caste woman.
Ammu’s father file a false complaint against her lover that Ammu has been raped by Veluta. They also say that children are missing and velutha has kidnapped the children. In few days Velutha is captured by the police officers & taken to the police station at the same time it is discovered that Sophie mole has drowned. Ammu and her children are like culprit in their house now for the death of Sophie and a love affair. Rahel didn’t understand the situation she thinks that Sophie mole is alive. After the funeral of Sophie mole the children are taken to the police station where Velutha is captured.
Ammu is furious because police officer are treating her like a slut. He stares at her breast taps her breast like mango. She feel so insulted. After this twins are manipulate by Baby Kochama. She told them to lie about Velutha and tell the police that velutha has kidnapped them. Baby kochama told them if you don’t say this your mother will be arrested by police. You will lose your mother. In order to save their mother they tell lies to police. After the statement of children, velutha is brutally beaten to death by Police officers. velutha was beaten to death for no crime for no sin. Ammu is thrown out of the house by his brother Chacko. She lives like a poor women she suffered from disease & after some time she dies.
Estha is taken away to live with Baba in Calcutta. Twins are separated by their grandfather. Rahel is put in school where no one understands her & she is thrown out from school for bad behavior. She enjoy architectural college in Delhi. After her graduation she married an American couldn’t be happy with him & they divorced. Somehow she manage to live her own now she is 31 year old in the year 1993 and she has come to meet Estha.
Recommended Reading