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Child Abuse In Arundhati Roy's The God Of Small Things

3816 Words16 Pages

Child abuse is one of the most deplorable of social evils by adults. It manifests itself in all cultures and religions across the world. Although it is commonly associated with physical abuse, it is the emotional abuse that has severe negative consequence. Abused children tend to grow up with complex psychological and psychosocial problems. It is especially important to investigate the history behind ill-treated children since they have disoriented lives and are likely to repeat the cycle of abuse as adults. As seen in Arundhati Roy’s novel The God Of Small Things, where the cycle of abuse is repeated from generation to generation.

The God Of Small Things is an intricately woven narrative that takes the reader through the feudal Indian society of the 1960’s. A society that is strongly male dominated, conservative, with a deeply embedded caste system. Male dominance is seen in the realm of political, social and financial arenas. Rahel and Estha the two main characters are 7-year-old twins whose innocence is shattered by history and events that influence their lives. It is a spiritual awakening of the senses to the beauty and carefree spirit of childhood and its delight in the small joys of life. The awe with which the twins perceive “the dent that a spider makes when its eggs hatch on the water,” is enduring. Estha’s innocent request to sit in the cinema lobby all alone and sing to himself , “Ammu can I go and sing it outside I’ll come back after the song” , the song from

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