Arundhati Roy’s novel, The God of Small Things, explores the theme of love in relation to a single family in Ayemenem, India. Love is expressed through the cruel love laws that affect society’s views on relationships and the family. Rahel, the protagonist of the novel, is inadvertently affected by society’s expectations and her desire to find love. Upon further examination it becomes evident that Rahel’s actions revolve around her quest for love and the expectations of a society bent on controlling love.
The first example of Rahel’s quest for love is Pappachi’s Moth. Pappachi, Rahel’s grandfather, loses the ability to love after discovering the moth. To Rahel, this moth represents her fear of being loved less. When Rahel criticizes her mother for not being a married woman, which is society’s expectation of a mother with children, the author evokes the image of a moth, saying, “A cold moth…landed lightly on Rahel’s heart. Where its icy legs touched her, she got goosebumps. Six goosebumps on her careless heart. A little less Ammu loved her” (Roy 107). The “moth,” the symbol of being loved less, appears throughout the novel. For example, when Sophie Mol drowns the moth appears on Rahel’s heart again and snaps its wings in and out (Roy 277). This demonstrates Rahel’s desire for love and her fear losing love because she knows that her part in Sophie Mol’s death will make the adults resent her and love her less. However, Rahel’s desire for love is not only expressed through the moth.
Rahel’s desire for love is conveyed through her jealously of Sophie Mol. When Sophie Mol arrives from India, Rahel becomes jealous of the attention Sophie receives. Through Rahel’s eyes, the adults interactions with Sophie are a Play, a Play that Rahel has no role. “Littleangels were beach-colored and wore bell-bottoms. Littledemons were mudbrown in Airport-Fairy frocks with forehead bumps that might turn into horns.” (Roy 170). Sophie Mol, who is of a higher class and is half Indian, represents the “littleangel” who captures the adults’ hearts while Rahel is the “littledemon.” Through Rahel’s jealousy over the love people show to Sophie Mol, it is evident that Rahel desires love and worries people will love her less because they are busy loving Sophie Mol instead.
Rahel’s relationship with her twin brother, Estahappen, is the best indicator of her desire for love. Upon Rahel’s return to India years later, she and her twin brother Estha have intercourse. This act, a violation of the love laws established in society, is strictly driven by Rahel’s desire to be love and to be loved. “There is very little that anyone could say to clarify what happened next… …Only that once again they broke the Love Laws. That lay down who should be loved. And how. And how much” (Roy 311). This shows that Rahel’s actions were driven by love because even though it was against the Love Laws for them to love one another or have a physical relationship, Rahel’s desire for love enabled her to break the rules that society held in order to secure a sense of belonging and love.
Rahel’s actions throughout the novel The God of Small Things are revolved around her quest for love and the expectations of a society bent on controlling love. Although she expresses it in many different ways, Rahel reveals to the reader what all of humanity craves more than anything: love.
The first example of Rahel’s quest for love is Pappachi’s Moth. Pappachi, Rahel’s grandfather, loses the ability to love after discovering the moth. To Rahel, this moth represents her fear of being loved less. When Rahel criticizes her mother for not being a married woman, which is society’s expectation of a mother with children, the author evokes the image of a moth, saying, “A cold moth…landed lightly on Rahel’s heart. Where its icy legs touched her, she got goosebumps. Six goosebumps on her careless heart. A little less Ammu loved her” (Roy 107). The “moth,” the symbol of being loved less, appears throughout the novel. For example, when Sophie Mol drowns the moth appears on Rahel’s heart again and snaps its wings in and out (Roy 277). This demonstrates Rahel’s desire for love and her fear losing love because she knows that her part in Sophie Mol’s death will make the adults resent her and love her less. However, Rahel’s desire for love is not only expressed through the moth.
Rahel’s desire for love is conveyed through her jealously of Sophie Mol. When Sophie Mol arrives from India, Rahel becomes jealous of the attention Sophie receives. Through Rahel’s eyes, the adults interactions with Sophie are a Play, a Play that Rahel has no role. “Littleangels were beach-colored and wore bell-bottoms. Littledemons were mudbrown in Airport-Fairy frocks with forehead bumps that might turn into horns.” (Roy 170). Sophie Mol, who is of a higher class and is half Indian, represents the “littleangel” who captures the adults’ hearts while Rahel is the “littledemon.” Through Rahel’s jealousy over the love people show to Sophie Mol, it is evident that Rahel desires love and worries people will love her less because they are busy loving Sophie Mol instead.
Rahel’s relationship with her twin brother, Estahappen, is the best indicator of her desire for love. Upon Rahel’s return to India years later, she and her twin brother Estha have intercourse. This act, a violation of the love laws established in society, is strictly driven by Rahel’s desire to be love and to be loved. “There is very little that anyone could say to clarify what happened next… …Only that once again they broke the Love Laws. That lay down who should be loved. And how. And how much” (Roy 311). This shows that Rahel’s actions were driven by love because even though it was against the Love Laws for them to love one another or have a physical relationship, Rahel’s desire for love enabled her to break the rules that society held in order to secure a sense of belonging and love.
Rahel’s actions throughout the novel The God of Small Things are revolved around her quest for love and the expectations of a society bent on controlling love. Although she expresses it in many different ways, Rahel reveals to the reader what all of humanity craves more than anything: love.