Harkness Question

1. Why do you think the author made the decision to put the chapter about Hagar's death in the middle of Milkman's quest. It is such a change of pace from the novels and takes the readers off guard.

Thoughts on the Seven Days

The philosophy behind the Seven Days draws a stark contrast to the rest of the civil rights movements we have heard of in school. Even the Black Panthers, seen by some as a radical group, only policed the police in an attempt to stop the police brutality. The philosophy of the Seven Days shows that the members have no hope in humanity. Guitar believes that every white person when in the right circumstances would commit the heinous acts of murder such as the Till murder. What also really interested me about the group was the idea that they had to keep the races balanced. This seems almost counter to the civil rights movement and something a white supremist would say. It makes the races out to be an us vs. them thing. Instead of promoting racial harmony they have been so jaded by the evil acts of whites in the south that they see no solution in sight. The act of killing a white person who seems to similarly match the black victim seems to only further the problem. They are not killing a man who thinks black are inferior, but a child going to school and unfortunately matches the descriptions of an African American murdered earlier in the week.  The Seven Days represent those who have completely given up on society and see no hope in a solution.  

3 questions and a word

1. What is the importance of the biblical names? (Corinthians, Pilate)
2.  Why was Robert Smith wearing blue silk wings?
3. Why does the author bring up a racially motivated murder in the south from the perspective of northern African Americans?

Fingers

Why did Rahel and Estha Break the Love Laws?

The ending of The God of Small Things left me speechless. Estha and Rahel breaking the love laws came as a shock to me. While it was foreshadowed in an earlier chapter when Rahel views Estha changing and taking a shower. I thought that chapter was just another example of how close the twins were, but it was actually foreshadowing what was to come. I believe that the twins break the love laws together because they have been broken by the society around them. The twins have quite the traumatic childhood and only they can truly relate to each other. The one's closest to them hold them in content for what they did to Sophie Mol. They are no longer seen as equals to their own family because their mother acted on true love. The twins are so tired of the societal constructs of who can or can not be loved that they give in. The twins are the only ones who truly understand each other and they do not want to deal with Baby Kochama's or anyone else's judgment. In conclusion, the breaking of the love laws is Estha and Rahel giving up trying to conform to the society that has broken them up over their lives.

Three Questions and a Word

1.  Why does Comrade Pillai get so nervous at the fact Velutha is a card carrying Communist if Comrade Pillai appears to be a Communist as well?

2. Why does Baby Kochamma appear to be happy of the scandal between Ammu and Velutha?

3.  Is Estha and Rahel's connection at the history house ( when they could feel each other's presence  but not see each other) supernatural or is it just hyperbole for being very close?

Word
Caste

Thoughts on The God of Small Things

In the past two novels we have read, both which take place in India, a sexual assault has occurred.  I believe Estha's assault did not have as much to do with the caste system, but a child being taken advantage of.  The language during the assault seems so matter of fact and not villainous. Estha's assault become a major event as after the assault he is in constant fear of what is going to happen next. Estha is in such a state of terror that the Lemondrink man is coming for him that it shapes his actions for the rest of the novel. When waiting to greet Sophie Mol at the airport he thinks the Lemondrink man could come at any second, and this leads him to get in trouble with Ammu. I think that Estha is afraid to tell anyone what happened because the Lemondrink man was older. In the conversation after his assault Estha is punished for not being respectful to the Lemondrink man. This puts in Estha's head that he should not stand up to the Lemondrink man and let it slide. Estha is so scared of repercussions from the Lemondrink man that he does not tell Rahel who seemingly knows everything that happens to Estha. Estha's mentality reflects that of many Indians in the novels we have read because they do not want to stand up to the norms of their culture.

The God of Small Things- Word and Question

Question
What is Roy trying to achieve by treating time as fluid and not linear in the novel?

Word
Old