25 Discussion Questions for The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (With Analysis) | Chapterly Blog
Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things is a novel written in prose so lush it feels closer to poetry, about a family in Kerala, India, torn apart by the rigid social laws that dictate who can be loved and how. The God of Small Things discussion questions challenge readers to examine how caste, colonialism, and patriarchy conspire to punish those who dare to love across forbidden lines, and how the small things — gestures, glances, secret moments — can carry more weight than the big things the world notices. Whether your book club is new to Indian literature or returning to this Booker Prize winner for a rereading, these questions are designed to generate rich and layered conversation. Set in the town of Ayemenem in Kerala, the novel follows the twins Rahel and Estha, whose lives are shattered by a series of events in 1969 that no one in the family can discuss. At the center is the forbidden love between their mother Ammu, a divorced woman, and Velutha, an Untouchable — a relationship that the "Love Laws" of caste and respectability punish with devastating finality. These 25 questions are organized by theme. The God of Small Things Discussion...