God of Small Things
In the novel The God of Small things, by Arundhati Roy, the theme of memory intertwines itself through the pages; creating scenes and situations that gives the reader the capability to really focus on the story that she is telling. There are many different ways that memory is being used in this novel. Roy grew up in Ayemenem, her own memories are being revealed to be able to set a scene in a familiar place. This allows her to be able write the story with ease. To depict and explain the perfect plot for the readers. The twins in the novel, Estha and Rahel, grow up in the area that Roy perfectly laid out for them. As they grow up, they have realized that they are different from many other twins; they are able to remember and understand each others memories and thoughts. The way that Roy writes about these specific memories is different than many authors, she combined words in order to make the situations stand out more than others. This novel is semi-autobiographical, Roy incorporates her and her families memories and history into the book. Roy states, “The secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably. They don’t deceive you with thrills and trick endings. They don’t surprise you with the unforeseen. They are as familiar as the house you live in. Or the smell of your lover’s skin.” This quote explains the reasoning for Roy incorporating her own history into the book. She says that in order to have a great story, a story that someone will enjoy and want to keep reading, it has to be familiar. While she writes this story, the events and places she talks about it makes it possible for her to create such a vivid and realistic scene for the readers. Another quote, "Little events, ordinary things, smashed and reconstituted. Imbued with new meaning. Suddenly they become the bleached bones of a story” (pg 32). This shows what Roy