Selvam is ’s fifth son. Like his older brothers, Selvam elects not to join on the farm; instead, he becomes ’s apprentice and trains to work in the large that Kenny is building. While his older siblings contribute to the family’s disintegration, Selvam actually helps preserve it; he cares for and , and by the end of the novel he provides for Rukmani as well. Selvam’s example shows how ordinary peasants can move away from traditional poverty without becoming displaced or sacrificing precious family networks.