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Foreshadowing
Genre
Explanation and Analysis:
The God of Small Things falls into the literary fiction genre, using childlike wordplay and poignant literary devices to piece together the heartbreaking tragedy. The author uses flowing imagery and bold personification to situate the reader in the lush greenery of Ayemenem. Roy also uses made-up words, from "mossgreen" to "fishswimming" to "porketmunny." These plays on words bring an imaginative and erudite tone to the prose.
The book is also rife with family drama, as the Ayemenem characters wrestle with the caste system, their unstable pasts, and political differences. Vellya Paapen betrays his son, and Ammu screams at her children in frustration. Baba becomes an abusive alcoholic, and Pappachi beats his family.
The novel is presented through a disordered series of flashbacks and memories. The fluid timeline allows time for more rumination on the past and present. As a piece of contemporary Indian literature, The God of Small Things uses characters' individual struggles and reflections to challenge the traditions of India. This idea of pushing the boundaries of Indian culture and politics is a defining characteristic of the contemporary Indian literary period. One specific way in which Roy challenges cultural norms is through the explicitness of Ammu and Velutha's sexual encounter on the river bank. On these grounds, the novel was banned in India and some American states.
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