The God Of

Small Things
A Book By Arundhati Roy
Characters
1. Rahel- one of the main narrators in the
story; Estha’s fraternal twin, a
representation of childhood mischief
and curiosity and unawareness.
2. Estha- One of the main narrators of
the story; Rahel’s fraternal twin; a
representation of an adult in a child
with wisdom and unflinching wisdom
and wonder.
3. Ammu- mother of Estha and Rahel; a
divorcee from an abusive marriage
4. Mammachi- Ammu’s and Chacko’s
mother and Rahel and Estha’s
maternal grandmother.
5. Baby Kochamma- Pappachi’s sister
and Rahel and Estha’s baby grandaunt
1. Chacko- Ammu’s older brother,
Mammachi’s son and Rahel and Estha’s
uncle
2. Margaret Kochamma- Chacko’s ex-wife
3. Sophie mol- Chacko’s and Margaret’s
daughter
4. Kochu Maria- the maid
5. Velutha- the factory worker
Summary
The God of Small Things is book written about the Ipe family and how the ‘Love Laws’ , which dictates
who should be loved and how and how much. It is the beautiful portrayal of a story stemmed in sorrow,
narrated with humor, sarcasm and historical relevancy. The start of the supposed Terror begins with
Chacko’s daughter’s visit, along with his ex-wife, who had been invited to the Aymenem House as
Margaret Kochamma’s second husband Joe passed away in a car accident. But there are certain events that
precede this important event that sets up the stage for the chaos that is to ensue. Ammu’s divorce from a
man she married with her consent, The Twins’ (Estha and Rahel) intercommunal state, Chacko’s possessive
affection over his ex-wife, Mammachi’s abusive issues of the past and her obsession over the care of her
son’s ( her hatred for Margaret Kochamma not forgotten) and the most beastly of all, Baby Kochamma’s
prudish code for unconventional values and her spite for Ammu and her kids and comically, Margaret
Kochamma’s blissful unawareness of the entire situation. It’s the events that precede and succeed the Terror
that changes the lives of everyone, particularly the twins, as they are left wary with hideous grief, silenced
and empty over the course of 24 years, after which they see each other since the age of seven.
Some important events (in chronological order)
1. Baby Kochamma’s unrequited love to Father Mulligan
2. Baby Kochamma becoming a Roman Catholic Nun
3. Her escape from the nunnery, her education in the US and her returning to India
4. Ammu running away to Calcutta and marrying a Hindu man
5. Chacko coming back
6. Chacko meeting Margaret and later on marrying her
7. Chacko and Maragret getting divorced
8. The birth of the twins- Estha and Rahel
9. Ammu leaving their Baba due to divorce
10. Pappachi’s death
11. The twins, Ammu, Chacko, Baby Kochamma and Mammachi living together as a familial unit
12. Joe’s death and Margaret Kochamma and Sophie mol coming to Ayemenem
13. The beginning of the Terror
14. The End of the Terror
15. Estha returned
16. Rahel and Estha meeting each other after 24 years since they were 7
A Personal Opinion
● The Issue of Casteism and its portrayal in
History
● The Unconventional Social Norms and our
steadfast hold on them
● The judgemental attitude as a result of such
statutes
● The Core of the story- the Love Laws and
how they are altered
● The shaming of history via cheap marketing
● The impact of events on the lives of children
● The portrayal of Keralite Culture