The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy Essay Example for Free

The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy Essay In chapter seven of The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy uses Rahels encounter of the Wisdom Exercise Notebooks to underlie many recurring themes throughout the novel. Through setting, imagery, and symbolism, Roy is able to further establish the impact of neglect and abandonment on the Ipe family relationships, and on Indias traditional society as a whole. The passage is set in Pappachis study, which is created as a metaphor for Indian society at the time. India, experiencing all the post-colonial social influences of the West, is amidst a social and political revolution heavily defined by the central caste system. Pappachi, a stereotypical capitalist devotee, followed a career in entomology-classifying his mounted butterflies and moths in the same way he categorizes humans by status. His study used to be his hub of career achievements and a sanctuary for Western knowledge; essentially it was his attestation of superiority. Over time the records of his progress, further represented by his leather-bound set of The Insect Wealth of India, rot as burrowing Silverfish reduce the books from organized information into yellow lace. His attributes are insignificant now. Roys elaborated image of the abandoned setting as rank with fungus and disuse parallels the corruption and failure of India in its current social state. The diction in the word rank, however, suggests a double entendre with the more direct denotation of the word referring to status and class. It is as if Roy is blaming the state of the study on the social injustice of society. The once beautiful, delicate butterflies and moths are a perfect example of the small things in society that are often disregarded, or merely used to the advantage of the more powerful big things. Captured and confined, the insects have eventually disintegrated into small heaps of iridescent dust that powdered the bottom of their glass display cases. The luminous quality associated with the diction in the word iridescent and the passive tone in the word powdered remind the reader of their past splendor. Having undermined and forgotten the insects for too long, the pins that had impaled them are left naked. The laws that once kept Indias social order are now merely empty restrictions, subjected to a population rid of its beauty and innocence. The artificial connotation of neon-green hula hoop is compared to a saints discarded halo-the oppressed saint of the people. This theme of Indias social structure is continued through the imagery of the column of shining black ants. When describing the ants, Roys allusion to the line of mincing chorus girls in a Busby Berkeley musical hints at Berkeleys renowned parade of faces technique in which he individualized each chorus girl with the tribute of an esteemed close-up. The buffed and beautiful procession is given similar qualities to the butterflies and moths, but this time the ants are recognized individually and equally-representing the powerful upcoming communist parade of Indias lower class. The way in which Rahel interacts with the study describes her role in her family, and in society. Rahels clear footprints against the dust of the floor contrast her vivid presence with her grandfathers forgotten past. Her highlighted path leading from the door to the table (dragged to the bookshelf) to the stool (dragged to the table and lifted on to it) marks her organized determination in recovering her own past. Her initial lack of size and shape in her life shows how her lack of participation in Indias social battle allows her to maintain her a clean, carefree outlook on life. However, when it becomes clear that she is searching for something, the half-moons under her eyes are noticed and the team of trolls is waiting on her horizon. The half-moons suggest her weariness in searching for purpose in her life. The negative connotation of trolls foreshadows the adverse future consequences of the size and shape that her life does eventually acquire. The current uncertainty of that size and shape is shown through her arbitrary collection of items (a smooth seashell, a spiky one, a plastic case for contact lenses, an orange pipette, a silver crucifix). The lack of focus in her life is partly related to her separation from Estha. On his return, Rahel once again reveals the hidden things from the past that she tried to forget. The main object, Baby Kochammas rosary, is a symbol for Baby Kochammas dead dream of winning love. As each greedy bead grabbed its share of sun it casts a contrasting dark shadow, much in the same way Rahel views Baby Kochamas selfish lifestyle as having drained the rest of the family of their happiness and well being. By stealing it, she was punishing Baby Kochamma. While revisiting the past, Rahel also encounters something else. The Wisdom Exercise Notebooks her mother, Ammu, had given them were tattered but still intact. Ammu, like Rahel, had had the idea of hiding the past, and denying its influence on the future. Estha, although remaining speechless, has a significant impact on further establishing the themes of rejection and negligence. Consumed by the thoughts of trains, a metaphor for abandonment, Estha makes an Estha-shaped Hole in the Universe. Estha is merely a walking shadow of life. Much like the rosary, he blocked the light; he is present in the world only by his contrast to life itself. Estha is the embodiment of the idea of death of dreams. Since his childhood, his visions have been lucid but he has lacked control over his life in the same way his handwriting showed signs of struggle for control over the errant, self-willed pencil. Life has objectified him and his once inimitable relationship with Rahel, treating the twins as library books-stories to simply be borrowed and returned. He is angry at life for abandoning him, for straying from its expected course, and most of all for not letting him go-for keeping him pinned down like the empty spaces of the once beautiful butterflies and moths. The passage explores many of the prominent themes evaluating Indias social society throughout The God of Small Things. On a more internal note, it further establishes the complex relationship of Estha and Rahel as they uncover the past and face its inevitable impact on the future. Although stolen and hidden for many years, the past, as Rahel realizes, is still here. It always will be, reminding them of the love and life they had, of the mistakes and dreams they lost, and of the challenges they still face.

Faith in Faulkners Light In August Essay -- Faulkner Light August Rel

Faith in Faulkner's Light In August Religion is a big part of the southern world that Faulkner creates in Light In August. It is also a major theme of the novel. Most characters seem to use â€Å"Lord† and â€Å"God† very often in their dialogue, which shows that religion is never forgotten by the members of this society. Light in August portrays a type of religious fundamentalism. In this fundamentalism, among the people of the south, there is only one proper way of following and implementing religion in one’s life. Characters are constantly trying to justify killing, hatred, and racism through their faith. The creation of hatred and racism is the result of each character’s belief that theirs are the only genuine beliefs and therefore, it is their responsibility to carry out the work of God in their own personal way and through their own reasoning. Two characters that are blinded by their own version of living a religious life are Mr. Hines and Mr. McEachern. I will argue that the obsession with their religion and their belief of how it should be followed is an ideology that fails each of these characters in their purpose. Consequently, the more these characters are faced by failure the more they try to embody God and take actions as if they are the Almighty Himself. Ironically, while using religion as a shield these characters fail to see their own sins. These characters see their sins instead, as the most essential and virtuous deeds and the work of God. From the moment Mr. McEachern picks up Joe Christmas from the foster home he stresses the importance of religion to Joe. While introducing himself, Mr. McEachern explains to Joe, â€Å"†¦I will have you learn soon that the two abominations are sloth and idle thinking, the... ...forced upon them. There are other types of religious extremists, like Doc Hines, who see those who do not share their faith as enemies and believe that they are a curse of God and therefore, should be eliminated through killing. These ideologies, even though seen in our world today, cannot be the definitions of faith and religion. In fact, the violence created through them defies the very basic beliefs associated with most world religions. Mr. McEachern and Doc Hines are blinded by their faith and their approach to implement religion in their lives and the lives of others is a forceful and violent one. In the end, both characters fail to spread their faith and instead their forceful teachings and extremist beliefs perpetuate more evil than good in the name of God. Works Cited Faulkner, William. Light in August. New York: Vintage International, 1990.

Safety on Public Transportation

One of the major features of any developed society is mass mobility. In order for man to fulfill his obligation put food on his table, man has to move around. Thus mobility is an essential aspect of human life. Man has to move from one destination to another. Elementary Science has described this as a natural feature of human beings. Over the years, the growth of technology as made for variables when it comes to human transportation. One of such means of transportation is public transportation. Although transportation is a necessity to most people in America, it will be alarming to note that Americans spend more trying to meet up with their daily needs. Compared to other countries in the world, an average American spends more to move around. As part of the government’s efforts to ensure a better standard of living for the citizen, the public transport system is an initiative of the government tailored towards reduction of the price incurred on transportation by Americans. Therefore, Americans now have a choice which provides a greater freedom. However, as commendable as this initiative is, Public Transportation has its good and bad sides. There are some dangers that one is open to when one takes a public transport. To begin with, the security and privacy one enjoys when one is moving around in one’s private car is better than when we are moving around in public transport. Statistics have shown that people moving around in public transportation are susceptible to insecurity than those transporting privately. On the issue of crime in public transportation, the police department and other organizations have given tips on how to avoid crime in public transportation. For all I care, the next person to you might be a serial killer or the lousy old woman might actually be planning to steal your wallet. At this point, one will be unfair not to admit that public transportation has had a lot of positive impact on the pockets of Americans. With the insistent rise in the prices of gasoline in America, public transportation has being a good alternative for the people of America. At least it has helped save more money that should have been used in the purchase of gasoline. It is also effective and reliable. The next time you are about to meet an appointment and you want to go by public transportation, make sure you have it at the back of your mind that although some dollars will be saved, there is the risk of falling a victim. Therefore, be vigilant and alert!

How Power Can Be Corrupted Through Hubris And Invokes The...

Sophocles shows how power can be corrupted through hubris and invokes the limits of power of a ruler. Also, Sophocles exposes how the presence of dominance can Antigone continues to argue with Creon over the justification of her harsh sentence. Within the heated debate, Antigone says to Creon that â€Å"Not a man here would say the opposite, were his tongue not locked in fear. Unfortunately, tyranny (blessed in so much else besides) can lay down the law down any way it wants† (Sophocles 212). Within the argument, Antigone is saying to Creon that he should let her go because if the people were to speak liberally, they would agree with her on letting her go since she was doing what she needed to do as family. Sophocles uses this didactic quote in order to teach us how a one-man state or autocratic ruler tends to become corrupt by showing how Creon s pride made him unaware from the opinions of his people. Through his blindness, he was able to expand his power because any sort of restraint from the Thebans would have been seen as treason from his own perspective. Sophocles shows through this experience that absolute power—perpetuated by a person’s hubris—can only lead to a corrupt state where no one is able to put a restraint on power. It could be expanded that Sophocles is advocating for democracy because he lived in Athens at a time when democracy was at its infancy. All that Sophocles is invoking to the reader is that if the power of the king was to be limitedShow MoreRelatedPower, Hubris, And Hamartia Sophocles Antigone1627 Words   |  7 PagesHonors October 31, 2015 Power, Hubris, and Hamartia in Sophocles s Antigone Lord Acton, a well-known British historian, writer, and politician, resonated the repercussions of power and dominance by stating that All power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely† (Moreell, Power Corrupts). This is just one of the themes covered in Sophocles s Antigone. Within this dramatic play, Sophocles questions the conventions of hubris, hamartia, and power. They all play a roleRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 PagesMcAuley, Duberley and Johnson’s Organizational Theory takes you on a joyful ride through the developments of one of the great enigmas of our time – How should we understand the organization? Jan Ole Similà ¤, Assistant Professor, Nord-Trà ¸ndelag University College, Norway I really enjoyed this new text and I am sure my students will enjoy it, too. It combines rigorous theoretical argument with application and consideration of how managment practice is formed and shaped by ideas and concepts. The authors have