The God of Small Things

Novel | Arundhati Roy
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What do you know about the “God of Small Things?

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What do you know about the “God of Small Things?” [2020]  ✪✪✪

Or, What does Arundhurti Roy mean by 'small things? [2017]

Arundhati Roy (1961-Present), in her famous novel “The God of Small Things” (1997), uses the idea of “small things” to show hidden feelings and silent sufferings. It means small acts of love, pain, and rebellion that ordinary people experience but society ignores.

Symbol of Forbidden Love: The “God of Small Things” stands for Velutha, the untouchable carpenter. He dares to love Ammu, an upper-caste woman. Their love is pure but forbidden. The narrator says, 

“Where the Love Laws lay down who should be loved. And how. And how much.” 

Velutha becomes the god of those who love silently and suffer greatly.

Voice of the Helpless and Innocent: The small things also mean the ignored people like Estha, Rahel, and Ammu. They feel pain that no one sees. Their simpl

e dreams, like going to the river or watching a movie, are destroyed by cruel rules. The narrator says, 

“Things can change in a day.” 

Their little joys and sorrows create the true beauty and tragedy of life.

Contrast with the “Big Things”: The “big things” are caste, politics, and power that control society. But Roy shows that life’s meaning comes from small emotions—love, care, and memory. The “small things” reveal humanity in a world ruled by fear and injustice.

In short, “The God of Small Things” means the power of little emotions that survive against cruelty. Through Velutha and the twins, Roy honors the beauty of simple love and the silent strength of the human heart.

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Arundhati Roy
Literary Writer
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from The God of Small Things