The God of Small Things

---
title: Rahel & Estha's Family
---

flowchart TD
	Rahel["Rahel"]:::female
	Estha["(Estha)\nEsthappen"]:::male
	Baby["Baby Kochamma\n(Navomi Ipe)"]:::female
	Baba["Baba\n(Father)"]:::male
	Ammu["Ammu\n(Mother)"]:::female
	Chacko["Chacko\n(Uncle)"]:::male
	Sophie["Sophie Mol\n(Cousin)"]:::female
	Margaret["Margaret Kochamma\n(Aunty)"]:::female
	Joe["Joe\n(Uncle)"]:::male
	Mammachi["Mammachi\n(Shoshamma Ipe)"]:::female
	Pappachi["Pappachi\n(Shri John Ipe)"]:::male

	N1(Children):::neutral --> Baby & Pappachi
	
	Joe --- Margaret
	Margaret & Chacko --- N2(Child):::neutral --> Sophie
	
	Mammachi & Pappachi --- N3(Children):::neutral --> Chacko & Ammu
	
	Baba & Ammu --- N4(Children):::neutral --> Rahel & Estha
	
    classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px
    classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px
    classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px
    classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF

Chapter 1

We are introduced to the town of Ayemenem (Kerala, India)
1993 Rahel (age 31) returns to her family home were her grant aunt lives
Rahel had come to meet her twin brother. Not seen each other in 23 years
As children they taught of themselves as same person in different bodies
We are told about the twins birth which almost occurred on a bus
1969 (twins were 7 years old) they are at Sophie Mol’s (cousin) funeral
Ammu, Estha and Rahel are made to stand separate from the family at funeral
Rahel imagines Sophie is still alive and she shows Rahel things in the church
Rahel things of a man falling from a high ledge in the church and dying
After church Ammu and twins go to police station to meet Velutha
The police calls Ammu a prostitute and tells her to go home quietly
After 2 weeks Estha is sent to Calcutta. Estha become quieter and quieter
The quietness helps him erase the words describing his painful memories
23 years later Estha was re-returned to Ayemenem
The story follows Rahel’s life. Lived with Chacko and Mammachi
Rahel drifts from school to school getting expelled for different reasons
Rahel goes to a architecture school in Delhi, stays 8 years without graduating
Meets Larry marries and moves to Boston. Larry eventually grows tired of Rahel
They divorce. Rahel comes back to Kerala hearing about Estha’s return
Grandaunt does not like the twins and wishes that they would leave soon
She is 83 and wears Mammachi’s jewelry and uses lot of makeup
She fell in love with a Irish monk at the age of 18
She performs charitable actions to impress the monk. Nothing comes of it
Monk leaves Kerala, Baby follows him to Madras. She becomes Roman Catholic
She joins convent but soon realizes cannot meet the monk
Baby’s father knows she will not get a husband anymore and sends her to study
50 years later Baby discovers TV and spends all her time watching TV with maid
She had now become paranoid of everything and does not own windows, doors
We are told of the pickle factory that is across the river from their house
1969 after Sophie’s death Ammu consults twin expert to separate her children
Sends Estha to Calcutta. Estha still haunted with painful memories from past

---
title: Velutha's Family
---

flowchart TD
	Chella["Chella"]:::female
	Vellya["Vellya Paapen"]:::male
	Velutha["Velutha"]:::male
	Kuttappen["Kuttappen"]:::male

	Vellya & Chella --- N1(Children):::neutral --> Velutha & Kuttappen
	
    classDef male stroke:#0000FF,stroke-width:3px
    classDef female stroke:#DE3163,stroke-width:3px
    classDef neutral stroke:#999999,stroke-width:3px
    classDef merge fill:#FFFFFF

Chapter 2

In 1969, the twins, mother, uncle and grant aunt are going to watch a movie
Sophie and Margaret (Englishwomen) come to visit their family in Kerala
Ammu does not have a surname (husband less)
Ammu is 27, remembers her past. Lived with her father
With to Calcutta for a wedding meets a man gets married and moved to Assam
Realizes that the man is an alcoholic and a compulsive liar
Ammu’s husband tries to prostitute her to his boss to keep his job
Ammu refuses starts beating her. Violence eventually spreads to the twins
Ammu takes the twins and returns back to fathers house
Describes Ammu’s behavior (wild & unsafe sometimes, caring & kind the others)
Back in the car we understand that grandaunt does not like the twins
They are half-Hindu and the children of an divorce
Rahel thinks about the ad for their pickle business on the cars roof
The business is run by their grandmother
Starting becoming popular when grandfather was about to retire
Pappachi beats Mammachi as he is bitter and jealous
One day adult Chacko notices this and scolds Pappachi
Pappachi does not speak with Mammachi again. Destroys a chair out of anger
Pappachi worked as a Entomologist. He discovers a new species of month
At the time no one considered it a new species
Only classified as new after him retiring so was not named after him
Pappachi considered this the greatest failure in his life
Chacko tells them that they are all anglophile’s
Chacko laminates over the state of the Indian people
Cacho moved to Ayemenem after dead of Pappachi to become pickle baron
Takes over the business for Mammachi, hires new workers and equipment
Even with the influx of cash the business slowly starts to decline
Back in car the twins are worried they will miss the start of their movie
They stop at a train crossing. Twins read the signs and warning backwards
A friend of grant aunt got them a kids book which felt was too childish
They read the book backwards. Friend says she sees Satan in their eyes
All the cards turn off their engine. Beggars and vendors appear
They disappear when a huge march of Marxist sweep through carrying flags
Chacko is an Marxist but is rich landlord so is quite and scared
Grant aunt is scared of them and tries to avoid eye contact
We are told about the rise of the Communist movement in Kerala
Cacho became a beleiever in Marxist in college had fights with Pappachi
Communist party elected in Kerala. Government grew more and more violent
Eventually power was returned to Congress. Political turmoil for 10 years
Communist party reelected. Famine starts in India. Party puts revolution on hold
CCP not happy with this. They fund a offshoots of the party called Naxalites
Naxalites starts arming villages and kill people in the name of revolution
Marches are protesting for a pay increase and abolishment of the caste system
Rachel sees Velutha open windows to call him. He vanishes into the crowd
Velutha is an untouchable that works at the pickle factory
Velutha was very skilled with his hand and learnt carpentry from a German
He build furniture of the Ipe’s and even assembled machines in the factory
His father was worried as Velutha did not show shame of an untouchable
Velutha disappears for 4 years. On return is rehired at the pickle factory
We are informed of some incident that occurs. Veutha’s father offers to kill him
At the same time Velutha and the twins have come close
Back in the car one of the marchers open the door and mocks Baby
They make her wave their flag. The marchers clear out. Baby is humilated
Chacko asks Rahel if she really saw Velutha as it would cause trouble at factory
Baby treats Velutha with anger in the following days
Sees him as the marcher that humilated her
Twins think about the story of Julius Caesar and of how he was backstabbed
Ammu tells this to tell them how no one could be trusted
The twins blow bubbles with spit which makes Ammu angry.
Remids her of Baba. Chacko defends them.
Ammu tells him to stop acting as he does not really care about them
Chacko agrees and says they are milestones around his neck
The train passes and they drive away

Chapter 3

1993 the Ayemenem house has become decrepit and filthy
Baby always watches TV
Estha comes home quitely and Baby predicts what he is going to do
Rahel follows him to his room (Ammu’s old room)
Watches Estha undress. Rahel touches Esthas ear, he does not respond
Processeds to washing his cloths

Chapter 4

1969 they reach the theater. They go to the men’s and girls washrooms
Chacko is at the hotel booking their rooms for the night
They enter the theater. Move has already started. They find their seats
A song starts playing Estha cannot control himself from singing
Everyone in theater gets angry. Ammu sends Estha out to the lobby
Estha sings in the lobby. Wakes up the Lemondrink Man
Angry and first but convinces Estha to come behind the counter for drink
Man makes Estha hold his penis while he drinks lemon juice
Man asks Estha were he is from and about his family
Man ejaculates into Estha’s hand, wipes it off and sends him off
Estha is traumatized and compares the clean white children from the movie
Feels they are deserving of more love than him as he is unclean
Compares Sophie to white children. Estha feels nauseated
Ammu takes him to the wash room. He cleans his face and hands continuously
Lemondrink man is friendly to Ammu but also says he knows where they live
Estha understands that this is a indirect threat and says nothing to Ammu
Ammu makes everyone leave the theater. Worried Estha has caught cold
The Lemondrink man offers Rahel candy but she is repulsed by his yellow teeth
When they walk out Ammu compliments the mans politeness
Rahel without tells Ammu to marry him in that case. Everyone freezes
Ammu tells Rahel when you hurt someone they love you less
Rahel feels a moth land on her heart and that she is less loved by Ammu
When the reach the hotel they finds that Chacko is feasting
Rahel asks Ammu to punish her as she does not want to be loved less
Rahel sleeps in Chacko’s room. Estha with Ammu and Baby
In the night Chacko thinks about Sophie who he has not seen in a long time
Rahel asks if possible for parents to love children less. Says anything is possible
Estha wakes up and vomits. He goes and stands outside Rahel’s room
Rahel opens the door and lets Estha in. Chacko ignores them
Thinks if Velutha was really present in the march
Pillai has been trying to get the factory workers to rebel against Chacko
Velutha is the only card carrying Communist but Pillai does not want him
The factory workers ask for a raise but Mammachi denies them the raise
Chacko thinks about starting a Union of his own
The twins sleep while embracing each other

Chapter 5

The story continues in 1993 were the river across the house had dried up
The history house has been turned into a 5-star hotel
Narrator mentions that small things still linger there (Rahels watch buried in dirt)
Rahel walks around their house and runs into Comrade Pillai
Rahel tells him she is divorced. Pillai shows her pictures of his son (Lenin)
Rahel remembers Lenin from her childhood
Both had object lodged up their nose and had to go to the doctor
Pillai shows a Rahel a photo that has the twins, Lenin and Sophie
It was taken few days before her death

Chapter 6

1969 waiting at Airport for Margaret and Sophie
Made to wear nice cloths and told to be at their best behavior
Rahel digs threw trash. Estha lost in taughts about the Lemondrink man
They guests arrive. Everyone greats each other and only says small things
Estha is distracted by a famous comedian who drops his things
Baby tries to impress Sophie by quoting Shakespeare
Estha does not greet Margaret back and Ammu gets angry at him
Rahel disappears into a curtain and refuses to come out
Ammu scolds the twins for not listening to her in public
Chacko goes with Sophie and Margaret to collect their luggage
Ammu tells them to go and talk with Sophie properly
Sophie says that she loves Joe the most and does not consider Chacko her dad
They drive back him. They see a dead Elephant on the way back
Baby makes them sing a song to showoff their English pronunciation

Chapter 7

In 1993 Rahel goes threw Pappachi’s study
In her old hiding place she finds the rosary she stole from Baby
Estha appears in the doorway but does not say anything
Rahel finds that Ammu has hidden “Wisdom Exercise Books” in same place
It was used by the twins to practice writing when they were 6
Rahel reads threw the story laughts at them. Corrections by Ammu below them
The story shifts to a earlier time when Ammu came to Ayemenem for last time
She was kicked out by Chacko. Ammu was fired from a job for being too sick
Rahel had just been expelled from school. Ammu bought her children’s gifts
Ammu wants to freeze time to the period when the twins were kids
At lunch Mammachi suggested to Ammu not to vist anymore
Ammu leaves in silence and never returns
Ammu died alone in a lodge at the age of 31
She dreamed of police comming to cut her hair to mark her as a prostitute
Chruch would not burry her. So the body was taken to crematorium

Chapter 8

Mammachi is waiting at home for Sophie Mol to return. She is almost blind
Thinks about her first batch of pickles and the leaking bottles
Mammachi thinks about Margaret who she does not like
Thinks about Chacho and his affairs with women from the factory (His Needs)
She pays the women money so in her mind she can justify them as prostitutes
In kitchen Kochu Maria is making a cake for Sophie Mol
When the car arrived everyone stops there work and gathers around the car
Rahel sees Velutha and goes to play with him as she is no longer required
Rahels feels like everyone is in a play to impress Sophie Mol
Rahel tells Velutha she saw him in the march he denies it
Kochu Maria sniffs Sophie Mol’s hand and Margaret makes an insensitive joke
Ammu gives a scarsactic reply. Chacko gets angry and asks for apology
Ammu storm off. Everyone wonders where Ammu got her rebellious behavior
She learnt it from her father who was nice to others but bad to his family
Kochu Maria cuts the cake and Mammachi instructs to give everyone a piece
Kochu Maria boosts to Rahel that Sophie will be the next Kochamma
Rahel gets angry and storms away to kill some ants
Sophie comes over and tells her to leave one ant lonely. She ignore her and kills it
The entire crowd follows Sophie. Rahel runs away

Chapter 9

in 1993, Rahel explored the abondoned ornamental garden
Remembers Sophie tells she likes Joe more than Chacko
And she feels lonely when the twins leave her behind
The twins take Sophie to meet Velutha. All dressed as ladies
Rahel thinks of how sweet Velutha was playing along with their fantasies
Rahel sees Estha in his room and things thinks of their troubled past
She wishes Estha could think of them as victims not perpetrators
She understands that the only true victim was Velutha
She hears the kathakali from a History House and goes towards it
Sees the remains of Paradise Pickles

Chapter 10

in 1969, when cake is being served Estha goes to the Pickle Factory to think
Walks among the products and stirrers a cauldron of banana jam
Thinks about the Lemondrink man and what he could do
Estha has 2 taught - anything can happen at anytime and its best to be prepared
He wishes of a boat he could use to escape the Lemondrink man
Rahel comes to the factory and Estha reluctantly tells her the plan
Estha wants to go to the History House across the river
The house is supposed to have the ghost of Kari Saipu who is pinned to a tree
They decide to become Communists so they don’t have to believe in ghosts
They decide to go to the History House while Ammu is napping
Rahel goes for her Nap and lies awake till Ammu is asleep
Rahel thinks of the communish flag and Estha sitting on boat
Rahel runs and goes to Estha and finds him really sitting on a overturned boat
They put the boat in the river but it sinks so they decide to take it to Velutha
At the house only Kuttappen (Velutha’s paralized brother) is present
They talk about Sophie Mol and the boat
Velutha comes home and sees the kids and helps them fix the boat
Velutha talks with Kuttappen and confirms that he was at the communish march
He knows that he should be afraid that the Ipes saw him

Chapter 11

Ammu is still napping and dreams of a one-armed man
Whenever she touches him she feels goosebumps
She thinks of this man as the God of small things
The twins hover over her and try to wake her up
Looking at Ammu’s face they feel feel like she is having a nightmare
Ammu wakes up as says she was happy in the dream
Estha asks if being happy in dreams count as being happy
Ammu turns on the radio and listens to a song about star-crossed lovers
Ammu notices the twins are covered in saw-dust and warns them about going to Velutha’s house without saying his name
Ammu knows that the God of Small Things in her dream was Velutha
Estha and Rachel climb over their mothers body and try to kiss her
Ammu gets up and goes to the bathroom and takes a look at herself
She thinks about what the future has in store for a disgraced man-less women
The narrator elaborators on the room and events that will take place in future
Chacko will kick down the door and throw Ammu out of the house
Estha’s luggage so he can be returned would be packed in the same place

Chapter 12

In 1993 Rahel approaches the temple where the kathakali performers are asking forgiveness from their god for their tourist-friendly hotel
The temple elephant is asleep. The performance as already started
The stories of the Gods are explained and how kathakali is no move a viable source of income
Rachel watch the story and how the actor playing the part is drunk
Rahel then notices that Estha has also entered the temple
They stay all night and watch the entire performance
At dawn Pillai greets the twins as they leave the temple

Chapter 13

In 1969, Sophie wakes up and thinks about Joe
She sees all of Chacko’s stuff (staying in his room)
Narrator talks about Margaret and Chacko’s relation
How they meet at a cafe (Margaret waitress at cafe)
Margaret confused Chacko’s acceptance of her as love
Chacko liked Margaret’s English self-sufficiency
Got married without consent from Margaret’s family
They soon has financial troubles. Margaret meet Joe
When Sophie was born Margaret asked for divorce
Heartbroken Chacko moved back to India and took up a teaching job
When Pappachi died he moved home to take up the pickle business
Margaret would still write to him about Sophie and Joe
Margaret was teaching at a school when she got the news that Joe died
When she got invitation for Chacko for vacation they came to Ayemenem
Margaret never forgave herself for the visit to India
When she got back from booking her return ticket. She sees Sophie’s dead body
All three kids where missing the day the events took place
Ammu was locked up in her room
In her anger she till the twins they are millstones around her neck
The previous night Vellya Pappen came to their house drunk and sad
He tells Mammachi who he had seem that Velutha and Ammu where lovers
Baby Kochamma sees it has righteous punishement for Ammu and the twins
They trick Ammu and lock her in her room and plan to send Velutha away
Baby goes to the police and says that Velutha tried to rape Ammu
And that dead of Sophie and the disappearance of the kids might be his fault
Margaret starts to hate the twins for surviving and blames Estha for the death

Chapter 14

2 weeks before Sophie’s death. Chacko goes to meet Pillai
Pillai arrives at home after sometime and asks his niece to call some people so that they can see that Chacko is at his house
They make small talk, Chacko orders new labels for the pickle business
He asks about the march and if Velutha had gone to the march
Pillai asks Chacko to send Velutha away as the workers are not happy because of his caste
After Sophie’s dead Chacko abandons the pickle business
On the night of Sophie’s dead Velutha is coming back after fixing a machine
He is informed that he is need at Ayemenum and goes to meet Mammachi
Mammachi screams at him and spits in his face
Velutha goes to Pillai to ask for help but is hold the party won’t help him

Chapter 15

Velutha in a trance swims towards the History House
He still thinks that things will eventually get better

Chapter 16

The twins go to the History house since even Ammu does not want them
Estha has already equipped the house with things to escape the Lemonade man
Sophie convinces them to take her along with them
All 3 of them get in the boat, the river is faster and stronger than expected
The boat hits a log and tips over, the twins manage to make it to the shore
Realized Sophie is missing. Soon realize the she has most likely drowned
Traumatized they enter the History house and do not see Velutha

Chapter 17

In 1993 Estha sits alone on his bead, the house has fallen into disarray
Baby writes “I Love You” in her journal everyday
Father Mulligan has died 4 years ago after converting to Hinduism
Rahel is lying on Estha’s bed and examining her bosy which is like Ammu’s
Estha remembers leaving Ammu 23 years ago at the Cochin Terminus
Remembers the events of the Terror that occurred in newspaper articles

Chapter 18

In 1969, 6 policemen cross the river to look for Velutha
The twins and Velutha are asleep when the police find them
The policemen brutally beat Velutha
The kids release that Velutha was also present with them
The narrator describes Velutha’s broken body
Rahel tells Estha that this is not Velutha but his twin brother
The police find the kids and are friendly with them
They see the supplies and are worried Velutha did not kidnap them
So they take all of the toys for themselves and drag Velutha with them

Chapter 19

The twins are at the police station with the Inspector
After seeing all the toys, the Inspector realizes something is wrong
He calls for Baby. He is not friendly to Baby this time
He tells that Velutha will die soon and if Velutha did not kidnap the kids then it means that they killed an innocent man
He tells that unless Ammu files a rape report of the kids identify Velutha as their kidnapper they would have to charge Baby for false report
Baby is terrified and tries to convince the kids to change their story
The Insepctor leaves the kids alone with Baby, she acquires them of killing Sophie and says that there is no forgiveness for their crime
She tells them of the horrors of prison and tells to answer “yes” to the polices question so that they could save their mother
The Inspector takes Estha to see Velutha’s broken body
Inspectors asks Estha and the question and he answers “yes”
On ride home Estha tells Rahel she was right and that wasn’t Velutha
When Ammu goes to the police station after funeral Baby is scared that her plan would fail. Baby plans of a way to have Ammu returned
She plans in Chacko’s mind the idea that Ammu and the twins caused the death
Chacko breaks down the door to Ammu’s room and kicks her out of the house

Chapter 20

Story continues to the day when Estha is sent to Madras
Ammu promises Estha and she would get him as soon as she has a job
They soon start describing their dream house
The train starts to move and the twins scream as they are separated
23 years later they are lying in Estha’s bed and have sex
The story move to 1969, the day Sophie came to the house
Ammu puts them to sleep early and they can see that Ammu is not angry
Ammu is reluctant to go and join Sophie and Margaret
She dreams and longs for the “God of Small Things”

Chapter 21

Later the same night Ammu goes to the porch to listen to rado
Ammu suddenly gets up and walks towards the river sobbing
At the same time Velutha is floating in the river thinking about Ammu
He sees her and swims towards her. Ammu finally sees Velutha
She goes and kisses him. Velutha knows he will loose everything if this becomes known to other but still caries on
They have sex by the river at the location where Velutha has found the boat
Ammu both laughs and cries as she feels safe in Velutha’s hands
For 13 nights Ammu and Velutha kept meeting in the same place
At the end of every night they promise each other “tomorrow” as they know they cannot promise any longer as things could change any moment.

TrackItAll

Explorer

The God of Small Things

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Backlinks

Table of Contents

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