In my high school world literature course, a short reading response for the novel, The God of Small Things, required us to analyze the book in the context of the following quote by its author, Arundhati Roy, an Indian activist and writer. Her novel was one of my finest literary experiences in life. Highly recommended. This quotation is from her speech, "Come September."
"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget."
The quotation from Come September has several applications to the novel The God of Small Things. Obvious examples are love, disparity of life, and violence, which are important themes in the novel.
The first line of the quotation begins with "To love. To be loved." Throughout the novel, Roy offers various perspectives on the interpretation of love. For example, Rahel told Sophie her list of people she loved, but revised it constantly out of love and duty (Roy 144). Rahel is clearly struggling with her society's definition of love because her list includes Velutha, an Untouchable. She also included Sophie on her list, a girl she did not know, simply because they are cousins, which probably means she only had people like Chacko and Mammachi on her list only because they are relatives. Thus, it is likely that Roy is implying that love surpasses family and caste.
In addition, the next line on one's insignificance may apply to the twins. As young children, Rahel and Estha were insignificant in the eyes of adults. Their humility and low status in society is rather reminiscent of Christ, who taught one should be like the children of the Earth. Therefore, one should never forget one's own insignificance refers to a sense of humility one should feel regardless of class, age, or religion.
Next, Roy said one cannot ever become comfortable with the violence and disparity of life in the world. Due to her political activism and feminist mother, Roy always had these views, which are omnipresent in the novel. The treatment accorded to women and Untouchables in Indian society is unjust. For example, the divorced Ammu became a pariah, and by extension, her children Rahel and Estha. Another obvious example is Velutha, who not only has the mind of an engineer but also the contempt of his co-workers at Chacko’s Pickle factory because of the caste system (264).
As for seeking joy and beauty, examples from the text include Velutha and Ammu’s relationship. Both knew their relationship had no future, yet they chose to pursue happiness to the lair of the love laws (320). Furthermore, the two only said tomorrow when they parted, because they knew things could change in a day (321). Clearly, their forbidden love indicates the pursuit of joy in the saddest place, a culture that refused to recognize the humanity of both.
Additionally, the evasion of complication and simplification may apply to the changes observed in Ayemenem and India as a whole. For example, tourism has shattered India by simplifying or reducing an ancient culture for Westerners, who frolicked the History House and others areas for enjoyment, with no sincere appreciation for India. Indeed, Roy emphasizes the sale of sacred Hindu objects in airports, probably because they demean Hinduism (132). Another example is the Kathakali man, a Hindu storyteller forced to become part of the regional flavor for the tourist industry by telling stories to foreigners (219). On the flip side, to avoid complicating the simple could refer to Ammu and Velutha, who refused to complicate their relationship with hopeless dreams of a future (321).
Besides complication and simplification, Roy also alluded to the admiration of strength, never power. She correctly noted the abuse of power by men such as Comrade Pillai and the Marxist Party of Kerala to illustrate this fact. However, Roy also presents characters with admirable strength, such as Velutha and Ammu. These two challenge society and themselves, demonstrating strength absent in most individuals. Velutha carried his head high and acted in a manner that affirmed his dignity, a daring challenge to the caste structure and his traditional father, who even offered to kill his son for Mammachi (243). Comparable to Velutha’s strength, is Ammu who corrected the police records falsely accusing Velutha of rape, thus shaming herself and the family (245). For a divorced woman to publicly shame her family, incredible fortitude is necessary.
The final section of Roy’s speech likely refers to the state of contemplation Rahel and Esta live in. Unable to forget their role in the past, they believe they are responsible for the death of Velutha. Although it is important to never forget the past, Rahel and Estha must understand, they are not responsible for societal evils but begin to see themselves as victims of which the vicissitudes of fate determined.
In summation, Roy’s speech Come September proffers her beliefs already presented in The God of Small Things. The same recurring themes suggest the speech and the novel derive from her personal worldview, especially related to her political activism.
No comments:
Post a Comment