their proper caste names It highlights the dehumanizing language of the caste system Roy satirizes this discrimination by using sarcastic language to describe the caste system as in this quote No 'untouchable' was allowed to touch a Hindu The laws were there but people found ways around them Discrimination of Caste System In The God of Small Things Roy mentions the discrimination of the caste system or touchable and untouchable In the Novel three characters belong to the category of the downtrodden or the untouchables They are Vellya Paapen and his two sons Kuttapen and Velutha Traditionally they are toddy trappers belonging to an untouchable caste The author gives a perfect picture of the Dalits with the device of the trio Vellya Paapen Kuttapen and Velutha who represent three types of Indian Dalits the docile conformist the discontented paralytic and the rebel who moves for equality and risks his life The Absurdity of Caste Rules The novel shows how the strict rules of the caste system can be arbitrary and absurd such as the idea that the shape of one's nose can determine one's caste This exaggeration highlights the absurdity of caste hierarchy and its ability to limit and dehumanize individuals Caste-based Violence Velutha lives the life of a lover and Ammu the young divorcee makes him a lover His relationship with Ammu develops gradually But the other members of their family don t accept this love affair It was a time when the unthinkable became thinkable and the impossible really happened It intensifies after Ammu returns with her children to her parent's home When he was a kid Velutha used to make little wooden toys for Ammu though he was to place them in her outstretched hand he would not touch her Eventually she stops flattening her hand out By allowing him to touch her on the river bank on a moonlit night Ammu breaks down the social barriers that divide them Ammu dreams of Velutha If he held her he couldn't kiss her If he kissed her he couldn't see her If he saw her he couldn't feel her The Consequences of Breaking Caste Rules Roy also shows how breaking caste rules can have severe consequences such as when Ammu an upper-caste woman has a relationship with Velutha Her actions lead to her being ostracized by her community and eventually lead to her death This critique highlights the oppressive nature of the caste system and its ability to destroy lives The Role of Education The novel also satirizes the role of education in perpetuating the caste system Roy shows how even educated individuals such as Baby Kochamma can be deeply ingrained with caste prejudices and perpetuate the system through their actions and beliefs The God of Small Things uses satire to highlight the absurdity violence and oppressive nature of the caste system in India and Roy's critique underscores the need for radical social change