GOD OF SMALL THINGS

Roy has said that one of the things that brought her back to her childhood home of Ayemenem as the setting for her novel was the cultural diversity she remembers thriving amidst in her own life. When religions, cultures, and castes clash in Ayemenem, the results can range from minor disturbances to major acts of violence, as with Velutha's death. But there is also a certain beauty to such a kaleidoscopic range of people, which Roy suggests is worth the struggle for overall cultural cohesion. To a certain extent, all of the family members are anglophiles; Chacko, Baby Kochamma, and Rahel all get their educations in the Western tradition. Yet none of them renounces their own culture; they all return to Ayemenem. When Sophie Mol and Margaret Kochamma arrive in India, the family goes to lengths to anticipate what Western things might make them feel at home. The twins are encouraged to sing English songs, and a cake says "Welcome Home, Our Sophie Mol" in English. In the same way, Comrade Pillai tries to impress Chacko by having his children recite English poetry. Another cultural element in Ayemenem is Communist activity, which involves Comrade Pillai, Chacko, and Velutha. Even though they are politically affiliated, the caste system trumps any sense of brotherhood that Comrade Pillai would have with Velutha. He refuses to help him on the grounds that he is an Untouchable, although later he is happy to use Velutha's death as an excuse to agitate the workers of Paradise Pickles & Preserves. In her descriptions of the Cochin hotel and Kathakali dancers in the temple, Roy seems to mourn a certain cultural purity that is lost in Kerala's becoming a tourist location, "God's Own Country." Historical buildings are turned into lounges and dining halls, and the beautiful and drawn-out art of Kathakali is abridged to suit tourists' taste and patience. Luckily, cultural authenticity is one of the "Small Things" preserved in havens of Ayemenem such as the History House and the river.