“If you’re happy in your dream, does that count?”
Author: Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy is a renowned Indian writer born in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. Her novels
mainly focus on themes like social justice and economic inequality. She won the Booker
prize for her novel The God of small things in 1997. Being an activist and having worked for
varied causes, she also received the Cultural freedom prize by the Lannan foundation in 2002.
About the novel:
The God of Small Things surrounds a tale of a family in Ayemenem, Kerala. The authoress Arundhati Roy writes the narrative through multiple perspectives to form a combined story. The novel depicts the vision of a famous contemporary writer John Berger. He believes, “Never again will a single story be told as though it’s the only one.” The story of the novel revolves around the childhood memories of two fraternal twins. It explains the reason why small things inflict people and their behavior. The story if evident as to how the measure of love causes differences between the twins.
Genre: Domestic fiction
Tone: Song-like, sympathetic
Type: Novel
Year of publication: 1997
Significant themes
The value of small things over ‘big things’.
Homecoming after revolving around the world.
Scandal intensifying the character’s life events.
The phenomenon of change: ‘things can change in a day.’
The preservation of things despite constant change.
The aftermath of religious, cultural, and caste clashes.
Memorable quotes
That’s what careless words do. They make people love you a little less.
This was the trouble with families. Like invidious doctors, they knew just where it
hurts.
Change is one thing. Acceptance is another.
There is a war that makes us adore our consequences and despise ourselves.
Some things come with their own punishment.
