The God of Small Things

Lesson 27
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ELA

Unit 3

12th Grade

Lesson 27 of 37

Objective


Analyze the author’s development of the relationship between Estha and Rahel in chapter 12.

Describe Chacko and Margaret Kochamma’s relationship as revealed in chapter 13.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy  pp. 217 – 238

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Target Task


Multiple Choice

The main purpose of the following sentences from p. 224, “Trapped in the bog of a story that was and wasn’t theirs,” is to

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Which of the following best describes Margaret Kochamma’s motivation for leaving Chacko?

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Which quotation below best supports the answer to number 2?

 

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Key Questions


  • Note the setting of the chapter.
  • Who is Kochu Thomban?
  • What are kathakali dancers and, according to the narrator, why are they asking for forgiveness at the temple? What does this reveal about how times have changed?
  • What does the narrator say about great stories? How might this relate to the author’s structuring of her novel? 
  • How has the Kathakali dancer’s life changed over time? What does it reveal about how life in Ayemenem has changed? About the theme of history?
  • When the narrator says “Heart of Darkness” on pp. 218 and 220, to what is she literally referring? What is the significance of calling it this?
  • Rahel is watching the Kathakali dancer whose dance helps to develop the theme of familial love. Why does the narrator say that she “invoked the Love Laws” on p. 222? How does this help to develop the reader’s understanding of what “Love Laws” are?
  • How does Rahel react when Estha enters on p. 222? What does this reveal about their relationship? How does the author continue to develop their relationship? their distance? their closeness? the way tragedy has shaped their lives?—from pp. 222–225?
  • Why might the author include the detail that the dancers “took off their makeup and went home to beat their wives.” What might this jarring juxtaposition be meant to reveal about their dancer lives?
  • Track the setting change on p. 226. As you read, track details that might reveal who is the Pessimist and who is the Optimist.
  • The narration is still third person omniscient and in this case begins revealing more of Sophie Mol’s thoughts. What do we learn about her on pp. 227–228? About her family?
  • What do we learn about Margaret Kochamma and Chacko through the flashback on pp. 228–236?
  • How does the author use the metaphor of a frog to explain their love? Where else have we seen a frog metaphor for love?
  • What new information do we gain about Sophie Mol’s death on pp. 237–238?

Notes


  • Chapter 12 pp. 217–225 can be read for homework prior to today’s lesson if necessary.
  • Alternatively, the teacher could choose to have students skim the details of the Kathakali stories told on pp. 220–221 and pp. 222–224 to make the reading of chapter 13 go more quickly.
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Lesson 26

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Lesson 28

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