Criticizing the Caste System in the God of Small Things

Discrimination is a global issue that will never truly be solved. Whether it is seen through the hatred of race, gender or social status, some kind of prejudice will always be in existence. In that light, many writers take it upon themselves to criticize one of these topics in their novels. Arundhati Roy objects to the caste system in her novel, The God of Small Things, and shows that something that may be the status quo isn't always right. In Roy's The God of Small Things, she criticizes the caste system in India by glorifying an Untouchable and degrading a Brahman. Velutha is a character who is considered an Untouchable, someone who is an outcast in society. Even though he can't do anything about the title he's given, when he gets a job at the pickle factory, nobody gets along because to the other Touchable factory workers, Paravans were not meant to be carpenters (74). He works with Ammu's family and because of his status he is paid less than the other workers and is resented by most people around him. His presence is unsettling to others, and even his own father sees this trait: "Perhaps it was just a lack of hesitation. An unwarranted assurance. In the way he walked. The way he held his head. The quiet way he offered suggestions without being asked. Or the quiet way in which he diesregarded suggestions without appearing to rebel" (73). The quiet confidence Velutha has is what makes him so different from a normal Untouchable, because he contains special characteristics and isn't afraid to stray from what's expected of him. He loves working and learning, and he isn't about to let the legal restrictions stop him from doing what he loves. In this light, Roy criticizes the typical mentality of the pro-caste society in how Velutha should remain an Untouchable instead of being transformed into a God. Moreover, Velutha doesn't only stand out in his area of work but Roy surprises the reader with an affair with Ammu. Not only is this shocking because of their