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Essay / The laws of love in "The God of Small Things"
Roy's "God of Small Things" is a work of literary genius that comments on the difficulties and divisions created by colonialism and, more broadly, the impact of Western influence on the whole of Eastern culture. In the story, the idea of the "laws of love" that govern how the act of loving should be practiced is discussed and illustrated through personal events throughout the story. The stories of characters like Ammu, Velutha, Estha, and Rahel often struggle to follow the "laws of love" because they seem unnatural. The characters are depicted in a way that supports civil disobedience in moderation with the goal of challenging the arbitrary rules set by humans in power that silence the powerless. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Roy establishes the laws of love at the end of the novel's first chapter, explaining that these rules determine "who is to be loved, and how." And how much. (Roy 17) These laws control the privacy of social behavior, controlling who one should talk to, who should be allowed into one's home, who should be touched and more. The sentence quoted above is repeated essentially verbatim three times in the book. Each time, repetition is used to further convey the extent to which these regulations are imposed on Indian society – every day, again and again, again and again. These laws are deeply embedded in Indian society, appearing in gender, family and caste rules. As these laws prohibit and create taboos on many types of human relationships, an intense curiosity and desire to see what is happening outside the forbidden boundaries can be created, especially in those who have witnessed emotional trauma . The narrative following the destructive path of the laws of love sets Ammu and Velutha to try to break social oppression. Their relationship is perhaps the most blatant disobedience to the “laws of love” in all of history. Ammu and Velutha discover the immense struggle that comes with forbidden lust and desire. This struggle is highlighted through Ammu's dream of the Velutha and the God of Small Things represented by the penguin being. "If he touched her he couldn't talk to her, if he loved her he couldn't leave, if he talked he wouldn't be able to listen to her, if he fought he couldn't earn." (Roy 104). The use of contradictory expressions highlights how confusing and frustrating it can be to travel beyond the boundaries set by society. Velutha's sense of confusion is reinforced by a feeling of abandonment. The Communist Party spends a lot of time promoting civil disobedience and attempts to particularly appeal to the lower classes of which Velutha is a part. However, the party fails to implement this message because "Marxists have worked from community divisions, without ever questioning them, without ever giving the impression of not doing so." (Roy 32). Once Velutha actually committed this act of rebellion, he no longer had the support of Marxists because he no longer fit into the “community divisions” in which the party felt comfortable. While desire and curiosity often fuel the intention of social disobedience, the lack of support from an individual or community in society makes this act difficult to carry out. Yet sometimes the fear of social shame is not enough to stop even the most shameful acts. against the laws of love. Estha and Rahel's disturbing attempt to love each other after years of separation and emotional trauma.