The theme of domination of women in The God of Small Things is common to all the generations of Arundhati’s novel. Roy discusses the social problems that plague Indian society. She wrote The God of Small Things after India had abolished the caste system. However, it shows how India’s caste system survived. Roy was aware of the flaws within Indian society as a child and therefore wrote a novel to address them. Roy’s main theme of gender identification conveys the message of equality for all people. A society that is not based on fairness and opportunity should not be created by any caste system.

The characters in The God of Small Things are forced to conform to society’s gender performance theory by Judith Butler. This idea of gender as a performance is based on society’s illusion that one must conform to society’s ideal image to survive in this world. It also illustrates the problems associated with favoring one binary opposition over another. Helene Cixous, Catherine Clement and others discuss how society sees binary oppositions. Their ordering is a part of everyday life. Binary oppositions favor the male and subvert the female. However, Roy’s novel shows how society views the importance of binary oppositions. Roy’s female characters show the gender inequalities of Indian women. Roy shows clearly the problems within Indian society, writing about a love story between two untouchables who die due to breaking Indian ‘Love Laws. Roy believes that it is wrong to suppress the less fortunate and inequalities throughout a country. Roy says that these issues must be raised in the spotlight for progress to occur. The God for Small Things challenges patriarchy leading towards changes in the traditional conceptions of gender, sexuality and patriarchy.

Roy was raised in Syria by a Christian family. Her grandfather founded a school of untouchables and Roy’s mother left Kerala to marry an Indian Hindu. (Friendman 118). Roy grew-up in a Syrian Christian family. Her mother divorced her father to marry a Bengali Hindu. After that, she returned home to Kerala with her kids. Friedman writes that differences can divide nations and are often deep-rooted and intertwined.

Borders of caste/class, gender, sexuality, & age run through the house. Roy refers especially to the Love Laws’ left in Indian cultures. These are formed independently from and interconnected with waves religious and colonial interaction. (Friedman 118). The heritage of a nation and family is deeply woven with the performances that are required to maintain functioning society members. The God of Small Things demonstrates how strong society’s borders are and how hard it is to break from one that requires everyone to conform.

Gender is a defined social construct that is forced upon the characters of The God of Small Things. The characters’ true genders are fabricated because they could be expelled from Indian society for acting in a different way. The novel forces the women to adhere to Indian femininity or they will be punished. Judith Butler said that gender is a performance. Roy shows gender perfectly through her female characters.

The God of Small Things’ oldest generation focuses on Pappachi and Mammachi. Mammachi, a talented violinist, married Pappachi. Pappachi told Mammachi to stop taking violin lessons when Mammachi’s violin teacher said that Mammachi was very talented and could become a well-known violinist. Pappachi was worried that Mammachi might make more of Pappachi than she would, and this led to Mammachi marrying Pappachi for the first time. Mammachi was subject to years of physical abuse by Pappalchi. Chacko was their son and this is when the abuse finally stopped. Chacko became Mammachi’s central figure and Mammachi fell in love with him. Chacko was allowed to bring women from other classes in through the door she had made for Chacko. The double standard continued in Indian Society and in the home Ipe, where Ammu, Mammachi’s daughter, was treated unfairly in comparison to Chacko, whom Mammachi revered.

Mammachi was influenced by the abuse she suffered from her husband. Ammu stated to the twins “Mammachi was clinging more because she was used” to him than she loved her husband. (Roy 50) It is obvious that Mammachi hated any change in her life, even if that meant losing her abusive husband. Mammachi shows the grief of Mammachi’s husband. She had become accustomed to the role she played as a submissive female who was willing to take her husbands demeaning actions for their entire marriage. Mammachi was finally allowed to start her own life, free from the control of her husband. She would never be able withstand the physical and mental abuse she suffered under Pappachi’s control. Mammachi’s grief at Pappachi’s death was a result of feeling that she was bound to him because of the love she had for her husband. Ammu was the one who saw Mammachi in all her reality. She was second to her mother, which allowed her to see her entire personality. Mammachi was born through Pappachi and it was impossible for her to feel more than a submissive wife to her power-hungry husband.

Chacko was the reason Ammu survived her husband’s abuse for so many years. Mammachi now feels free from Pappachi’s control, so she subconsciously allows herself to become controlled by Chacko. Mammachi is the most submissive female character in the novel. She believes she must worship a male figure in life. Ammu eventually married a drunk to have twins, but left him after he became abusive. Roy’s mother may have inspired Ammu. Ammu’s portrayal seems similar to Roy’s mom, who married her “in a match of love” and moved back home to Kerala. (Freidman 128) Ammu did not learn to accept abuse from her husband. But she continued to suffer the oppression Indian society places on women. Ammu spent her early years playing the part of the Indian woman she was raised to be. However, when she realized her abuser’s dominance she started to rebel against patriarchy’s norms for women. Ammu started to notice a shift in her performance which allowed Ammu to leave Indian society.

Ammu lived her entire life at the Pickle Preserve family, where she spent time with those who worked for the family. Velutha was a man who grew up in the pickle preserve family. He treated Ammu more like a person of her own family than as someone from another social caste. This was unheard-of and not well received. Velutha, who belonged to an untouchable social caste, and Ammu, who belonged to a touchable social caste, were both unmarried. Estha and Rahel betrayed Velutha and beat him nearly to death by police officers. He died shortly thereafter. Velutha belonged to an Indian Caste and was therefore more oppressed than Ammu. Ammu’s rebellion against patriarchy causes Velutha to be sent away, having slept with Velutha. Velutha’s actions also lead to the death of her family. But, this is an important aspect of the novel’s depiction of the evolution and binary oppositions.

Mammachi is subject to years of abuse from Pappachi. Ammu, her abusive drunken husband, leaves Mammachi and she raises the twins by herself. She then rebels against patriarchy. Rahel, the female Twin, takes Mammachi’s place when she can, but it’s too late for her to lead a simple life. She lost her innocence and was destroyed.

Rahel grew up in a home that was only her brother’s. Estha and Rahel were very close as children and their bond grew over time. Rahel was raised differently from the other generations and is now a free woman. Rahel, who grew up with her brother of the higher class, was free to do whatever she wanted. She was raised solely by her mother. Ammu provided all the necessities for the twins and her distinct attitude towards Mammachi was evident in their raising.

Ammu was also raised in a home that had a double standard. Chacko could bring in women from different castes because Mammachi wanted Chacko pleased because he saved her form Pappachi. Chacko is punished severely for Ammu sleeping with Velutha.

Rahel’s life changes when her mother dies and her mother is beat to death. She moved away to start her own life. Rahel is most free. Ammu did not die for her freedom. Rahel became the person Rahel became. Rahel does not escape her oppression entirely, as shown by her breaking Estha’s love law.

Roy’s final scene includes Estha (with Rahel) and portrays them having sex. The scene is as poetic as incest. Estha lost her innocence when she was a child. Rahel, Rahel, and Estha had already learned the dangers of the world, and were familiar with the sicksweet smell. It was like old roses in the breeze,” and they only had each other to comfort them. (Roy 15,) In the first chapter, Roy mentions that they knew the other ways to break men and he is referring to Velutha’s love for Ammu. The twins realized that man could be destroyed by the people closest to them. Estha, on the day Rahel and Velutha learned about the fate of Ammu’s and Velutha’s fate, had to confront one of the harsh realities in the world.

Estha lost all innocence when the orange juice lemon drink man molest him. Rahel, too, lost her innocence the day that she learned that her brother had been victim to something terrible. As if molestation wasn’t enough, Sophie Mol was also killed by her twins.

As the audience watches Estha and Rahel incestuously, it’s not seen as something negative. It is clear that this is the one true moment in their lives in which they feel complete. Although they found fulfillment in each other, it was impossible to do without violating the love laws. The novel’s most notable performance is the one between Rahel (queer) and Estha (queer). The novel makes the twins characters into the characters they play in Indian society. It is more skewed than any other characters. Roy presents them in a positive light, making it easy for readers to identify with them. Roy conveys the empathy Roy has for Estha & Rahel, making it easy for the reader to identify the flaws and to hope that there will be a change.

Ammu could not overcome oppression. Her life was over after she was satisfied with her one true love. However, her actions helped her children get one step closer towards eliminating society’s binary oppositions. The reader will not be able to see what Rahel or Estha do after their last moments. However, it is clear that they have to break all the important social laws in order to overcome any hardships. Although they may be happy for themselves, it is not always a good thing. Roy’s novel is about breaking down social taboos. But it also illustrates how important it is to have strong relationships with people who accept friendships but don’t allow for relationships to develop.

Roy refers to the “Love Laws” breaking in his novel as Estha is attacked by the orange-lime drinker man. The attack results in “separating” the two-egg Twins into different gendered Destinies. (Freidman 120). Another instance where the Love Laws’ are broken in the novel is with both twins. Incestuous relations with twins result in them breaking the ‘Love Laws. They had suffered through their whole lives and were no longer able to find fulfillment by engaging in a sexual act that was against all social norms. Friedman is the author

He is still alive and able to suffer the consequences of his sins. It wasn’t long before he saw the woman he loved stand beside him. She was condemned to slow death and exile. (Friedman 120) Velutha’s and Ammu’s relationship ended in a tragic way. They couldn’t resist their love for each other and it symbolically ended Estha and Rahel’s lives.

The deaths of Velutha, Ammu and Estha left the twins without any comfort. Estha looked up at Ammu as she watched Rahel, Ammu and Estha share a moment after Veluthra’s death. Rahel was small and covered in station dirt. All three of their bonds were formed by the fact that they had both loved men to death. Velutha was an idol to the twins. His role as their father and mentored them to become the people they were. They would carry his love and support throughout their lives, so it was difficult to lose that special man who loved them unconditionally. The twins were exposed to the unforgiving ways the world is cruel and how they can lose their loved ones. The cruel world that eventually controls the patriarchy had a significant impact on the identities of the twins. Velutha’s untimely death was not something anyone could have foreseen. But the reader had to see the world of cruelty that shaped and determined the future of Ammu, Rahel, and Estha.

Rahel left Estha and Estha lost their innocence and stopped speaking. After these terrible events, the only thing that gave them comfort was their ability to have sex together. They finally found comfort in a world that had only brought them heartbreak and exposed the true nature of love and human nature. Estha was crushed when Ammu died, as Velutha and Velutha were their only love.

Judith Butler strongly supports the recognition of gender differences as arbitrary, and for all people to be treated equally. “If the inner truth is false and if the true gender is a fiction, then it would seem that the genders are created by society. The society is too fond of inflicting a particular gender on the sex it is associated with.” (Butler 583) For example, masculinity is a characteristic that can be identified as male, even though some women possess masculine traits. Women are automatically associated in some way with feminine characteristics. Those who sex outside of the norms set by society are also regarded as heterosexuals. Butler writes a similar article.

“Acts of desire, gestures, or gestures produce the effect a core or substance. However, this is produced on the surface by the play of signifying absents that suggest, but never disclose, the organized principle identity as a cause. These acts, gestures, and enactments are generally understood to be performative in that they are constructed and sustained by corporeal signs or other discursive means.

Gender identity is not determined by what sex a person was born with, but the acts and gestures they choose to do. Roy’s book The God of Small Things shows that there is no identity for Estha nor Rahel. Roy wrote “In those early and amorphous days when memory had just begun and when everything was endless and there were no endings, Esthappen’s and Rahel’s views of themselves was that they saw themselves as me, separately, individually, and us or them.” As though they were Siamese Siamese doubles. But they had joint identities. Roy 29. Roy emphasizes the significance of Estha and Rahel being dizygotic twins. However, the two seem to be Siamese, or attached at the hip. Before Estha’s murder, Rahel was almost identical to Estha. Separate identities emerged when innocence was lost.

Margaret Homan in her essay “Women of Colour” often refers to Butler, and on many occasions she agrees with Butler’s statements regarding gender identity/feminism. Homan agrees to Butler’s view that no one should be forced to identify themselves. However, an arbitrary definition of identity is better. Homans also points out that Butler also believes that “Identity” is an imposition of false coercive unity. Just white middleclass western feminism has been accused of placing one interpretive friend upon the multitude of female lives. This was done by prioritizing the “woman” category over others of race, ethnicity and class as well as age. Because it excludes, identity is like certain forms of white Feminism. (Homans 679) There should not be an identity that is based on unity. It is important to identify on an individual basis.

The God of Small Things’ only characters who didn’t experience gender labeling were Estha and Rahel. They were one and the same. It didn’t matter whether one of the twins was male or female; there was no gendered boundary between them. Ammu didn’t make them feel obliged to act in certain ways because their biological gender is assigned to them. In Luce Irigaray’s essay, “The Blind Spot of an Old Dream”, she asks the fundamental question: Why does Ammu assign a particular gender to a certain sex? Irigaray focuses on Frued’s theory about women not enjoying power. He believed that they were doing this to preserve the environment. Frued is attacked by Irirgaray who claims that breastfeeders cannot enjoy the pleasure of feeding another person. (Irigaray 647) The woman is the vessel for creating new life and nurturing it until it is ready for the world. The woman who gives birth to the next patriarchy is an active participant in creating new life. It is not something a woman can do but enjoys. Freud argues: “The point being that man is the procreator, that sexual production-reproduction is referable to his “Activity” alone, to his “project” alone.

Irigaray 647). Woman is the passive recipient of the product. Irigaray disagrees with this view of the world. Irigaray then argues that gender can’t be determined by an individual’s activity or inactivity. A strong person is necessary to create a human being. The woman who conceives the child for nine months must be strong. Freud thinks this is a passive role. However, the woman must continue her duties during the nine months that a parasite has taken over her body. The person is the best judge of how active or passive they are. While a man may be active and possess many masculine characteristics, a woman can be equally active and possess feminine qualities. These feminine qualities are not a reason for a woman to be less active just because she is associated in femininity.

Ammu, The God of Small Things’ mother, enjoys the role even though they can be a challenge to her nerves. Ammu is proud of her role as mother. She saves her children’s father from abuse and gives them a better future. Ammu has a very active role in the lives her children. Freud portrayed Ammu as a woman who didn’t exist. Ammu played a significant role in the lives of her children. However, this did not diminish her femininity. Mammachi has a love for her role as mother. Chacko is her mother. Mammachi was not a woman-active character. Instead, she fit the gender stereotype of women well. Her husband could do with her what he wanted.

Helene Cixous & Catherine Clement believe gender is something that should be completely rejected. Two hierarchical oppositions are the way these two women express their disapproval. The binary oppositions that they have given are examples of how the masculine comes first and the female second in each pair. Clement 654, Cixious and Clement 654) These pairs show that masculinity is always first. However, society’s rejection of the idea of masculinity as a pair shows that masculinity and femininity shouldn’t be separated. Roy values the queer character in the novel and appreciates their differences. Roy does not consider Straight to be privileged, as she is showing the unfairness of the world’s differences. Clement is not a fan of binary oppositions. There are many qualities, and there will always be an opposing term to each one. However, neither should be preferred over the other. Roy favors Estha’s incestuous relationship with Rahel. She depicts Ammu as Velutha, and believes that the untouchable can be combined with the touchable. The novel’s binary oppositions are explained by Mammachi’s conforming nature.

Irony is a powerful theme in the novel about gender differences. Chacko was unfairly treated by Ammu, who was raised in an unfair home. Ammu raised Rahel as well as Estha equally, without favoritism, unlike her mother who did the same with Chacko. Chacko represents the Ipe patriarchy. Ammu however, was unaware of her power. Only her and her children could see it. Chacko, on the other hand, had never been able to do this with her. Chacko was the ruler at the Ipe family, and thus he represented the patriarchy. Chacko was the ruler of the Ipe house and symbolized the patriarchy. However the patriarchy is allowed to do whatever they want, but people who violate the patriarchy’s rules are harshly punished. The double standard in Indian society was also present. Ammu was subject to her home rule and her government control because she was a female. Ammu slept only with one caste man and was exiled, which led to her death. Chacko was able to have many female partners of different castes. Chacko was only rewarded by having more women to fulfill his sexual desires. Ammu loved Velutha but it was irrelevant because Velutha had realtions with another man. Chacko slept with many women of different castes and was sent into exile. Chacko sexual desires were presented in the Ipe house as more of an obligation than Ammu and Velutha’s shared love.

Roy covered a wide range of social taboos and selected Ammu to represent her strong female character. Ammu faces many challenges and her strong character makes the novel almost obscene. Ammu is among the first women to feel independent and not conform to male demands in the novel. Ammu, who follows her heart, eventually dies. Ammu’s status as the dominant woman figure doesn’t bode well for her character. Rahel, however, is a direct result of Ammu’s influence. Rahel made the decision to leave India to make her own life after her mother’s passing. Estha, on the other hand, stayed in India but chose to remain passive and not accept a role that would be beneficial to him.

The novel shows that the roles of their society-assigned genders have been reversed by the twins. Rahel, by far, is the protagonist of the novel. Estha seems more passive and allows life to pass him by. They share an intimate touch that allows them to connect and feel each others’ strengths and weaknesses. While the twins seemed to be one, they returned to their overwhelming reality. Roy highlights the significance in switching genders. Estha does not seem less manly because he has more to do, while Rahel seems less womanly because she is more active. This is actually a reminder of how unimportant gender is.

Each generation puts them through their paces and changes the way they are viewed. Roy believes in valuing the second binary option and exposing the flaws of the binary oppositions. As the novel progresses, Roy shows the gradual acceptance of people who don’t fit society’s definitions of masculine and feminine. Mammachi, the passive female character in the novel, is the first to show the way and will be the model for future generations. Ammu learns from Mammachi that she should not get involved with a man who wants to treat her as her mother. Roy’s greatest development in his generation is made through Estha, Rahel and others. Their relationship shows that we should not depend on social construct and binary oppositions. It is important to deconstruct the norm in order for society to be identified individually. Although the God of Small Things offers hope that the social construct and binary oppositions will one day be less restrictive, the process of deconstructing the norm in order to define society individually will take many decades. It will also not be easy. Roy’s sympathetic writing about Ammu/Velutha’s love, as well as the love Rahel/Estha share, makes it seem like a forbidden or even bad love. It shows that a forbidden relationship is one that must be accepted before being rejected.