I finished reading God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy a couple of weeks ago. And ever since then, I cannot stop thinking about it. On first appearance, it is just a simple story of a twin who has to go through a huge traumatic turn of events.
However, the story is much more layered and nuanced. A layer beneath the brother-sister story, it is also a story of an oppressed female. In this world (and the real world), it is a crime for a woman to do things that a man (Chacko) can easily get away with. It is a story of caste-based discrimination still prevalent in India. But don't just take it as a story of India. It is a commentary on the human condition. Discrimination exists in one garb or another in all human societies. It is an integral part of human psychology.
What strikingly amazes me is the love laws in the story. The ones that dictate who must be loved and how much. Ammu commits a crime not one level. She breaks down all the walls and commits a crime as per society on all levels. Engaging in sexual intercourse outside marriage. Check. Engaging with an inferior caste. Check. Being a female. Check.
But Roy's brilliance is in the ending. One may think of oneself as a superior, empathising with Ammu and thinking of how society is at fault. Just when you are about to end the book with this hint of smugness, Roy leaves you with a lump in your throat. Can you, as a reader, accept the incest?
If the answer is no, your smugness lies flat on the floor, searching for its breath. Love laws triumph.
by The_Almighty_Bob