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

Thoughts on The God of Small Things

     The first two chapters of this novel were packed with information, but what interested me the most was the foreshadowing. It is known that Sophie Mol died, most likely to drowning, but not who did it. The foreshadowing in the book makes it clear that it was somehow the faults of Rahel and Estha. The strongest evidence of this occurs at the funeral. At the funeral they are not allowed to be near the family and have to stand apart. It appears as if them being allowed to  attend the funeral was in question.  Another thing that makes the death so interesting is that the portraits of their grandparents do not face the river. This seems to be done purposefully and hints at something terrible happening in the family. The death of Sophie hangs over the novel and is even compounded when the novel goes back in time. When the novel goes back in time it excites the reader to see how Sophie died and what role the twins had in her death.
     Another thing that interests me about the novel is the role of Christianity.  The story of Velutha's attempts to pull himself out of the caste system illustrates how Christianity appealed to some Indians. It allowed them to break the cycle of mistreatment from the upper castes. This also relates to the appeal of communism because this would be an opportunity for the untouchables to be seen as equals.

Harkness Question for Untouchable

1. What is the meaning of the argument between the lawyer and poet after Gandhi's speech?