The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy Essay Example

their perspective. In addition, Roy employs short and simple sentences, reminiscent of the language used by children, to emphasize Estha's youth and highlight the challenges he faces as a young child. "Past the glue" is one such example.

Beyond the adhesive is the paintbrush. The quote demonstrates a technique of separating sentences with the same starting words rather than using connecting words to highlight Estha's simplicity but keen awareness. This foreshadows his later period of silence, during which he confronts previously unacknowledged truths. The source of his silence, however, stems from the numerous childhood tragedies that have left lasting scars on him.

In this paragraph, it can be observed that Roy utilizes alliterations and metaphors to emphasize Estha's emotions, as evidenced in her usage of "A sadly swirl." This technique successfully mirrors Estha's thoughts and feelings of hopelessness and misery. Additionally, Roy also incorporates references from Shakespeare's Macbeth to align with the current events in the novel, including Velutha's death.

The identity of the Witches of Macbeth in this novel is depicted by Roy through a combination of Estha's actions and a famous line from the play - "Fire burn, cauldron bubble". Macbeth is often introduced to children at a young age, and this sentence is commonly remembered when asked about the play.

Estha's use of a specific quote shows his distress and highlights his creative mind through intertextuality. He associates Baby Kochamma and the "Orange-drink Lemon-drink" man with the three witches in Macbeth, who manipulate and control his actions. These manipulations lead to devastating consequences in the play. Roy's use of Macbeth creates an intertextual reference that children can easily understand, as they turn to

stories and popular characters to express themselves. The author also employs short and simple sentences throughout the extract to portray different ideas. For example, Roy references Noah's Ark, where animals are paired in twos of the same species, using the phrase "GirlboyGirlboy.Twins were not allowed".

Roy takes a different approach to the story by placing the different human genders in pairs ("Girlboy"), which deviates from the norm of placing beings in the same species. She isolates the next line to emphasize and foreshadow the possibility of incest between Estha and Rahel. The inclusion of "Girlboy" in this extract, followed by the sudden prohibition of twins, raises questions about Roy's intention, which is later revealed.

The passage presents two lists, one outlining acceptable social behavior and the other listing Estha's thoughts as conveyed by Roy. Estha's three main points are introduced in this excerpt, with the last elaborated on later. Her points include: "(a) Anything can happen to Anyone...

Being prepared is the most advisable course of action, as noted by (b) in the text.

(c) The use of a boat in the novel prompts the audience to expect the unexpected and prepares them for something controversial to occur. This hint also raises questions about who might be involved in the boat-related scandal, whether it be Estha and Rahel or Ammu and Velutha. Author Arundhati Roy employs various literary devices, including metaphors and structural techniques, to convey themes of youth and innocence while also prefiguring the plot. For instance, the quote "Welcome Home, Our Sophie Mol" serves to demonstrate childhood innocence but also hints at the incestuous events that will unfold.

Roy's use of intertextual references was highly

effective, as both Macbeth and Noah's Ark are stories commonly known to children. Additionally, the context in which she used these references was especially impactful, as they related directly to the novel at hand.