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The God of Small Things Study Guide

by Arundati Roy

The God of Small Things study guide contains a biography of Arundati Roy, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

The God of Small Things tells the story of one family in the town of Ayemenem in Kerala, India. Its epigraph is a quotation from contemporary writer John Berger: "Never again will a single story be told as though it's the only one." She uses this idea to establish her nonlinear, multi-perspective way of storytelling, which gives value to points of view as "Big" as a human being's and as "Small" as a cabbage-green butterfly's. In Roy's world, there is no definitive story, only many different stories that fuse to form a kaleidoscopic impression of events.

The novel opens with Rahel's return to Ayemenem after hearing that her twin brother, Estha, has come home. We switch to the funeral of Sophie Mol, when the twins are seven years old. Rahel…

Read the full The God of Small Things Summary

• The God of Small Things Summary
• About The God of Small Things
• Character List
• Glossary of Terms
• Major Themes
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 1-3
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 4-6
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 7-9
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 10-12
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 13-15
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 16-18
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 19-21
• Kerala, India
• Related Links on The God of Small Things
• Suggested Essay Questions
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 3
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 4
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 5
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

• The God of Small Things: Major Themes
• The God of Small Things: Essays
• The God of Small Things: Questions
• The God of Small Things: Purchase the Novel and Related Material
• Arundati Roy: Biography