Welcome to Your Guide to Arundhati Roy’s "The God of Small Things"
Hello! If you are studying The God of Small Things for your OCR A Level, you are about to dive into one of the most beautifully written and complex novels in modern literature. This guide is specifically designed for the "Reading as a Writer" section of your course. This means we aren't just looking at what happens in the story; we are looking at how Arundhati Roy built the story.
Think of yourself as a detective or an architect. We are going to take the book apart to see how the language, structure, and context work together to create a masterpiece. Don’t worry if the book feels a bit "messy" or confusing at first—Roy designed it that way! We’ll help you make sense of it all.
1. Narrative Structure: The Broken Mirror
One of the first things you’ll notice is that the story doesn't move in a straight line from beginning to end. Instead, it jumps back and forth between 1969 (when the twins are seven) and 1993 (when they are adults).
Non-Linear Timeline
Roy uses a non-linear narrative. Instead of a "once upon a time" approach, she gives us the ending (Sophie Mol’s funeral) right at the start.
Analogy: It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. Roy gives you the picture on the box (the tragedy) first, and then spends the rest of the novel showing you how each individual piece fits together to create that final scene.
Why did Roy choose this?
By starting with the funeral, Roy creates a sense of inevitability or fate. As a reader, you know things will go wrong, so you pay closer attention to the "small things" that lead up to the disaster. As a writer, Roy is using foreshadowing to build tension even when the characters are just having a normal day.
Quick Review: Narrative Structure
• Dual Timelines: 1969 and 1993.
• Circular Narrative: The story ends where it began, or circles back to key moments.
• Key Effect: Creates a feeling that the characters cannot escape their destiny.
2. Language and Style: Breaking the Rules
Roy is famous for her unique "voice." She often ignores the standard rules of English grammar to show us the world through the eyes of children.
Capitalization for Emphasis
You’ll notice Roy Capitalizes Words that aren't normally capitalized (e.g., "The Love Laws," "The Big Things," "Small Things").
Writer's Trick: This is called foregrounding. By capitalizing these words, Roy makes them feel like powerful, living forces or characters in themselves. It shows how much weight these concepts have in the society of Ayemenem.
Compound Words and Re-lexicalization
Roy often joins words together (e.g., "thimble-drinker," "long-ago") or creates new ways of describing things. This reflects the idiolect (the personal way of speaking) of the twins, Estha and Rahel. It makes the world feel fresh, strange, and highly sensory.
Repetition
Roy uses motifs—recurring images or phrases—throughout the book. Phrases like "Anything can happen to anyone" or the "smell of old roses" appear again and again.
Did you know? Repetition in literature acts like a chorus in a song. It helps the reader remember important themes and creates a specific mood (often a haunting or sad one in this book).
Key Takeaway:
Roy uses language to show, not just tell. She treats the English language like clay, molding it into new shapes to reflect the emotional state of her characters.
3. The "Small Things" vs. The "Big Things"
This is the central concept of the book. Roy explores the tension between what is small and personal versus what is big and social.
The "Big Things"
These are the macro factors: history, politics, the Caste System, and the "Love Laws" (which dictate who should be loved, and how, and how much). These are the forces that eventually crush the characters.
The "Small Things"
These are the micro details: a blue butterfly, the way a person smells, a shared joke, or a secret look. Roy argues that these small moments are where real life and humanity actually happen.
Analogy: Imagine a giant steamroller (the Big Things) moving toward a tiny flower (the Small Things). The book is about the beauty of the flower even as the steamroller approaches.
4. Context: Kerala, History, and Caste
To write about this book effectively, you need to understand the contextual factors that Roy is responding to. She isn't writing in a vacuum; she is writing about a very specific place and time.
The Caste System and "The Love Laws"
The novel is set in Kerala, India. Even though the characters are Christian, the ancient Caste System (a social hierarchy) still influences everything. The relationship between Ammu (an "un-touchable" in spirit because she is a divorcee) and Velutha (a "Paravan" or "Untouchable" by birth) breaks these social rules.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't just say they aren't allowed to be together because it's a "sad romance." It's a political act. Their love is a rebellion against centuries of history.
Post-Colonialism
The characters are living in a post-colonial India. This means they are caught between their Indian heritage and the lingering influence of British culture (like Chacko’s obsession with Oxford or the family’s love for the film The Sound of Music). Roy uses this to show how the characters feel like "aliens" in their own land.
Key Takeaway Summary:
Context isn't just "background info." In this book, context is the antagonist. The "Love Laws" are the villain of the story just as much as any specific person.
5. Reading as a Writer: Analyzing the Techniques
In your exam, you need to use linguistic and literary terminology. Here is a simple "cheat sheet" of terms you can use when discussing Roy’s writing:
• Anthropomorphism: Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g., describing the house or the river as if they have feelings).
• Sensory Imagery: Roy focuses heavily on smells, textures, and sounds to make Ayemenem feel real.
• Fragmented Syntax: Using short, broken sentences to show a character's confusion or trauma.
• Polysyndeton: Using many conjunctions (like "and... and... and") to create a sense of being overwhelmed, often used when describing the twins' experiences.
Memory Aid: The "Three C's"
When analyzing a passage, look for:
1. Capitalization (What is she making "Big"?)
2. Child's perspective (How would a 7-year-old see this?)
3. Connection (How does this "Small Thing" connect to the "Big" tragedy?)
Final Encouragement
Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! Arundhati Roy wrote this book to be a "thick" reading experience. You aren't supposed to get everything on page one. Just remember: focus on her choices. Why did she choose that specific word? Why did she put that scene there? If you keep asking "Why?", you are already thinking like a writer.
Quick Review Box:
• Goal: Understand how Roy constructs the narrative.
• Key Technique: Non-linear structure (jumping between 1969 and 1993).
• Key Theme: The struggle of "Small Things" against "Big Things" (History/Caste).
• Style: Rule-breaking grammar, repetition, and sensory imagery.