The Small God and Foreshadowing

The Small God, the book's namesake, it introduced as the God who rules personal despair. The Big God controls all of society and the movement of the earth as a whole where as the Small God causes events that affect a human being, rather than the human race. The book begins with Rahel and Estha's life being ruled by the Small God. It is stated that "personal despair could never be desperate enough" (20), acknowledging that the tragedies individually experienced by the characters can never sum up to the tragedy caused by the Big God to the world. One such tragedy appears to be approaching as references to "The Terror" began to pile up up on the pages. Quotes like " The memory of a swollen face and a smashed, upside down smile" (32) and "lying on the broken church floor, dark blood spilling from his skull like a secret" (8) hint that both Rahel and Estha possess dark thoughts in the corner of their collective brain, perhaps stemming from memories of an event created not for them by the Small God, but for their people by the Big God.

The Connection Between Estha and Rahel

     It is established early on in the novel, that Estha and Rahel do not have a normal brother-sister bond. Rather, the two are linked, seemingly sharing a brain, which their individual memories becoming shared ones. In describing how Baby Kochamma categorizes the twins, the narrator says, "Anyway she thinks of Estha and Rahel as Them, because, separately the two of them are no longer what They were or ever thought They'd be" (5), making it clear that the two act as a unit. The Estha and Rahel the community knew as children were only those identities because of their overall shared identity, which was created from the thoughts flowing through the shared minds of the twins. However, the twins are separated, forcing each child to learn to function alone. As the two are pulled apart by miles of distance, the connection dissipates, leaving each twin with his or her own thoughts. For Estha, who has grown mute, being alone with his thoughts almost brings him a sort of peace as he is in control of his own mind. Rahel grows independent, but is still fiercely attached to Estha, which is revealed when her sole reasoning to return home, after not refusing to return for family funerals, is finding out Estha has been Returned. I initially predicted Rahel's return would be positive for Estha, but it almost seems the opposite. "It had been quiet in Estha's head until Rahel came. But with her she had brought the sound of passing trains, the light and shade and light and shade that falls on you if you have a window seat. The world, locked out for years, suddenly flooded in, and now Estha couldn't hear himself through the noise" (16). Estha had been content with the silence in his head, not having to think to translate his feelings to words, however Rahel's return once again merges their minds, forcing Estha to be confronted with Rahel's experiences as he feels that he is on the train in her place. Estha's inner voice was clearly very weak from the start, explaining why it never had the power to be vocally translated, and with Rahel's more dominant voice and inner analysis of every experience pouring in, Estha's quiet thoughts are drowned out.

The Irony of the Treatment of the Untouchables

Hinduism utilises of system of karma. It is commonly belived that one's actions in the present lifetime will affect his or her future life when he or she is reincarnated. This makes the cruel treatment of Bakha and the untouchables difficult to understand. Calling Bakha phrases like "dirty dog," "careless, irresponsible swine," and "son of a dog," hardly seem like words coming from people concerned about upholding a high moral standard. What is ironic is these cruel actions could make these upper caste people untouchables themselves in their next lifetime. Meanwhile, Bakha is apologetic and docile, being polite even when enduring the malice verbal abuses. Perhaps as an untouchable, Bakha is more concerned with his behavior as to be reincarnated out of his outcaste state and into a life where he will not have to spend his days cleaning refuse in the hot sun.  Meanwhile, the upper castes who are unconcerned about changing their status do not think as much of how their actions will affect their future lives.