In God of Small Things,Arundhati Roy exposes the differences in gender standards in Indian society. She effectively brings to light these differences through perceptions of siblings: in particular, Ammu and Chacko. Throughout the novel, Ammu is described as a woman beaten down, depressed, and seemingly having burned out her chances at a “normal” life. After all, she divorced her alcoholic husband and father of her children, and is left alone to raise her twins Rahel and Esthappen. Additionally, she lacks the sense of hospitality and grace that is expected of her when Margaret and Sophie Mol visit India because, as the reader learns, she had an abusive father. Despite her troubled past, the characters in the novel treat her poorly and do not offer any sympathy to her. Roy suggests that Ammu and Veluthra have a forbidden sexual relationship, and this relationship leads to disgrace of her and family, for Chacko tells her to depart because she has “destroyed enough already” (151). When Ammu dies, Roy notes how no cemetery would bury her and so she was burned at the crematorium, where “nobody except beggars, derelicts, and the police-custody dead” and those “who died with nobody to lie at the back of them and talk to them” were cremated (155). Roy also notes how “no one else from the family was there” except Rahel and Chacko (155). In contrast, Chacko represents the privilege of being a man in Indian society. Even though he is divorced, his family places the blame on his ex-wife and views him as the victim. Additionally, Chacko never experienced abuse from his father in the way that Ammu suffered because he was sent away to boarding school, which was an investment deemed not necessary for a daughter. Furthermore, his mother is well aware of his frequent sexual relations with women from the factory, but simply dismisses them as him “satisfying his Needs” and even builds a separate entrance to the house for the women. The fact that Chacko and Ammu both come from a wealthy family but have very different lives highlights the different expectations and standards for men and women in their society.
Song of Solomon is peppered with many different allusions. Ranging from classical myths to traditional folk tales, these stories enhance the text and establish parallels between Morrison’s characters and well-known figures. One such allusion is the Brothers’ Grimm tale of “Hansel and Gretel.” At the start of Part II in the novel, Morrison describes the tale of “Hansel and Gretel” and compares the two children’s journey to Milkman searching for Circe’s home. In “Hansel and Gretel,” two children abandoned in the woods by their parents who cannot afford to care for them anymore come across a witch’s house from which they must escape after she attempts to eat them. The story reflects an era’s financial hardships, but also a loss of innocence for Hansel and Gretel. “Hansel and Gretel” functions in Song of Solomon in two different ways. First of all, Macon and Pilate are Hansel and Gretel. After all, their beloved father is killed by racists, and the...
Comments
Post a Comment