Quotes
1. “When you hurt people, they begin to love you less. That's what careless words do. They make people love you a little less.” (107)
2. “This was the trouble with families. Like invidious doctors, they knew just where it hurt.” (68)
3. “Rahel had come to see her brother, Estha. They were two-egg twins. “Dizygotic” doctors called them. Born from separate but simultaneously fertilized eggs. Estha—Esthappen—was older by eighteen minutes.” (4)
4. "At Pappachi's funeral, Mammachi cried and her contact lenses slid around in her eyes. Ammu told the twins that Mammachi was crying more because she was used to him than because she loved him. " (49)
5. "The crematorium "In-charge" had gone down the road for a cup of tea and didn't come back for twenty minutes. That's how long Chacko and Rahel had to wait for the pink receipt that would entitle them to collect Ammu's remains. Her ashes. The grit from her bones. The teeth from her smile. The whole of her crammed into a little clay pot. Receipt No. Q 498673.” (155)
6. “It was the first time they’d seen their mother cry...It made the twins sick with fear. Ammu’s tears made everything that had so far seemed unreal, real.” (10)
7. “The harbinger of harsh reality: You’re both whole wogs and I’m a half one.” (17)
8. “It isn’t him,” Rahel whispered to Estha. “I can tell. It’s his twin brother. Urumban. From Kochi.” Unwilling to seek refuge in fiction, Estha said nothing.” (295)
9. “Only that once again they broke the Love Laws. That lay down who should be loved. And how. And how much.” (311)
10. “They knew that things could change in a day. They were right about that”. (321)
11. They were wrong about Chappu Thamburan, though. He outlived Velutha. He fathered future generations. He died of natural causes.” (321)
12. “Even later, on the thirteen nights that followed this one, instinctively they stuck to the Small Things. The Big Things ever lurked inside. They knew that there was nowhere for them to go. They had nothing. No future. So they stuck to the small things.”(320)
13. “Baron von Trapp had some questions of his own.
(a) Are they clean white children?
No. (But Sophie Mol is.)
(b) Do they blow spit bubbles?
Yes. (But Sophie Mol doesn't.)
(c) Do they shiver their legs? Like clerks?
(d) Yes. (But Sophie Mol doesn't.)
(e) Have they, either or both, ever held strangers' soo-soos?
N...Nyes. (But Sophie Mol hasn't.)
‘Then I'm sorry,’ Baron von Clapp-Trapp said. ‘It's out of the question. I cannot love them. I cannot be their Baba. Oh no.’
Baron von Clapp-Trapp couldn't.” (103)
14. “Some things come with their own punishment." (109)
15. "Maybe a boy does need a Baba." (31).
- When Rahel careless blurts out harsh words towards her mother, Ammu, her mother immediately retaliates by scaring Rahel a little by getting rid of the guarantee that a mother’s love is unconditional.
2. “This was the trouble with families. Like invidious doctors, they knew just where it hurt.” (68)
- Chacko makes a cutting remark about Ammu being “washed up”. After he says this, this line explains how much this well-targeted comment hurts. This quote was chosen because it is exactly true—those who know you best know where it hits the hardest. Also, our family members are not reserved towards saying their true feelings towards us because with family, everything is very informal we aren’t held back by social etiquette with our family as much as with our friends or other members of society.
3. “Rahel had come to see her brother, Estha. They were two-egg twins. “Dizygotic” doctors called them. Born from separate but simultaneously fertilized eggs. Estha—Esthappen—was older by eighteen minutes.” (4)
- In the introduction of the book, we know Estha and Rahel are twins. The fact that they are twins is important to the plot of the novel and the other characters. Additionally, it influences how we perceive them from the beginning of the novel.
4. "At Pappachi's funeral, Mammachi cried and her contact lenses slid around in her eyes. Ammu told the twins that Mammachi was crying more because she was used to him than because she loved him. " (49)
- This demonstrates that humans are creatures of habit and it's surprising how much they can get used to—for example, Mammachi was used to be being beaten every night by Pappachi with a vase and now that he is gone, the tension and resentment that he emanated is less of a burden to her.
5. "The crematorium "In-charge" had gone down the road for a cup of tea and didn't come back for twenty minutes. That's how long Chacko and Rahel had to wait for the pink receipt that would entitle them to collect Ammu's remains. Her ashes. The grit from her bones. The teeth from her smile. The whole of her crammed into a little clay pot. Receipt No. Q 498673.” (155)
- This passage demonstrates how Ammu's entire existence becomes so insignificant. The memories of her have become less “sacred” and her body has been cast away and "crammed" into a pot as if she was never a living, breathing person.
6. “It was the first time they’d seen their mother cry...It made the twins sick with fear. Ammu’s tears made everything that had so far seemed unreal, real.” (10)
- This quote depicts the influence that Ammu has on the twins’ lives. This quote is very relatable because like the twins, when we were young, we saw our parents as unfallible, perfect figures who knew how to deal with every problem—when we see them cry or break down, it reminds us that in reality, things are not as simple as that.
7. “The harbinger of harsh reality: You’re both whole wogs and I’m a half one.” (17)
- "Wog" is a derogatory British slang term for a non-white person. Here Sophie Mol matter-of-factly boxes Rahel and Estha's identities into the neat category of "not white" and her own into "half-white." This is just one of the ways Sophie Mol's presence causes Rahel to feel inferior.
8. “It isn’t him,” Rahel whispered to Estha. “I can tell. It’s his twin brother. Urumban. From Kochi.” Unwilling to seek refuge in fiction, Estha said nothing.” (295)
- This statement demonstrates that the young twins, who are about the age of 8 years old, aren’t yet mature enough to handle the situation maturely—they feel the need to compensate for the fact that they couldn’t stop the brutal beating and death of Velutha with imaginative stories. The next day, during the police questioning, Estha succumbs to using the fictional excuse of Velutha’s evil twin brother to ease his mind and conscience.
9. “Only that once again they broke the Love Laws. That lay down who should be loved. And how. And how much.” (311)
- The Love Laws are the basis of the Indian caste system. This makes reference to Ammu and Velutha and how they violated the culturally expected relationships and how, years later, Estha and Rahel also break them in an incestuous act—an action that is a result of their mutual grief rather than lust.
10. “They knew that things could change in a day. They were right about that”. (321)
- This shows how the small things have all eventually built up to the big change that happens so quickly and without warning. This quote is making reference to the deaths of Sophie Mol and Velutha. It teaches us that things can always change abruptly no matter when or how or where.
11. They were wrong about Chappu Thamburan, though. He outlived Velutha. He fathered future generations. He died of natural causes.” (321)
- Chappu Thamburan in English, translates to “Lord Rubbish”. When Velutha and Ammu secretly meet, they notice a spider and give it a name. An insignificant spider actually outlives Velutha—a man. This represents the nonsense of society and how it destroys things that are good. It demonstrates the brevity of Velutha’s existence—he was killed too soon and unjustly.
12. “Even later, on the thirteen nights that followed this one, instinctively they stuck to the Small Things. The Big Things ever lurked inside. They knew that there was nowhere for them to go. They had nothing. No future. So they stuck to the small things.”(320)
- This passage helps justify the title “God of Small Things”. It really gives the readers insight into how much politics and the prejudiced caste system influences two character’s lives. Although they truly love each other, they cannot deeper their relationship with speaking about “Big Things” because it is too risky and will only have unfortunate results.
13. “Baron von Trapp had some questions of his own.
(a) Are they clean white children?
No. (But Sophie Mol is.)
(b) Do they blow spit bubbles?
Yes. (But Sophie Mol doesn't.)
(c) Do they shiver their legs? Like clerks?
(d) Yes. (But Sophie Mol doesn't.)
(e) Have they, either or both, ever held strangers' soo-soos?
N...Nyes. (But Sophie Mol hasn't.)
‘Then I'm sorry,’ Baron von Clapp-Trapp said. ‘It's out of the question. I cannot love them. I cannot be their Baba. Oh no.’
Baron von Clapp-Trapp couldn't.” (103)
- This scene can only be described as heartbreaking. Readers can see that Estha wishes he had a father. We can also see that Estha does not think he is worthy of being loved by a father.
14. “Some things come with their own punishment." (109)
- This quote is spoken by Baby Kochama after Rahel begs Ammu to give her a punishment because earlier Rahel insulted her mother. However, Ammu does not oblige and instead lets Rahel suffer through her guilt. Punishments sometimes rid people of guilt because they feel as if they have performed a penance that relieves them of what they have done--punishments are a way of righting a wrong or fighting injustice. Punishments help people own up to what they did. However, Rahel will have an extended feeling of guilt because she cannot properly make up for what she did--which is just as Ammu intends for her to do. Ammu is teaching Rahel the hard way.
15. "Maybe a boy does need a Baba." (31).
- This quote refers Estha. It is spoken by Ammu. This quote represents the fact that early childhood experiences shape who you are as an individual in the future. It also alludes to the fact that Estha will always long for a fatherly figure in his life.