Ammu's Story

I really liked this passage of The God of Small Things. Roy has found a better pace than she set in the first few chapters. Initially, the timeline jumped too much, which confused me to a point that it took away from my appreciation for the rest of the book. However, in these more recent chapters, Roy is clearer in the timeline, a choice that allowed for me to delve into the story more closely.

I enjoyed learning more about Ammu’s background and eventual demise. Her life is very trapped by circumstances, but also by her own mind. She sees the rules and traditions before her, and while she appears to accept them, she begrudges them more so than any other character in the novel. Since her birth, she has been controlled by the men in her life, her gender, and her skin color. Her father was abusive and cruel, a man who purposefully went out of his way to make her life desolate. His indifference toward her and her wellbeing, more so than his physical treatment of her, scarred her for life. She resents the happiness in the world around her because she has never been able to find it. Even after she married, her husband turned into another abusive figure in her life. Her hatred toward both of the men in her life is exemplified by her indecision in choosing a last name for her children. By choosing one name, it means that she accepts his treatment of her, something that she feels she cannot do. Estha’s book has his last name listed as unknown, showing that even five years after their divorce, Ammu still cannot decide. This choice is very difficult for her because whichever name she chooses is what will represent her and her children going forward. Since neither man in her life is worthy to have this claim over her, she wishes to renounce both. However, the expectations of women during this time were to be a part of either her father’s or husband’s lineage, instead of having her own life and family. This traps Ammu even more and causes more resentment for the men in her life, even if they are no longer present to purposefully cause problems.

Ammu’s love for life has been beaten down by those around her, constantly, until all that remains is someone unsuccessful at grasping for even the small things in life. When she visits Rahel after moving out to find a job, her failings are blatantly apparent to Rahel. Ammu seems to be unable to move on from a certain point in her life and is ‘trapped’ by her familial pressure to make something of her life. She cannot accept her failures and thus chooses a time to remain in, instead of living in the present. This pain and denial cause her death because she physically and emotionally cannot live with her situation.