The God of Small Things

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• Note the setting.

• What does the second sentence imply about the events to come in this chapter? Juxtapose the description of the setting with the mood of the second paragraph.

• Where are they headed in the car? Why?

• Track mentions of things that show us that India was colonized by the British and influenced by the West. Make note of all of them. (The emphasis on speaking English, the Plymouth, Chacko’s love of English Literature, Elvis, etc.)

• On p. 37, what is unusual about Rahel’s watch. Why might this be significant?

• What does “the terror” most likely refer to on p. 38?

• What does it mean that Ammu’s “life had been lived” at age 27?

• What do we learn about Ammu from the flashback on pp. 38–44? Track her characterization.

• What do we learn about her husband?

• How does the author describe the conditions surrounding the birth of the twins?

• Who is Mr. Hollick? What is his proposal? Describe the difference between Ammu and her husband’s reactions to the proposal.

• Why does Ammu return to Ayemenem? Why is she unwelcome? Why doesn’t Pappachi believe her?

• According to p. 42, what frustrated Ammu about the twins? Why does she compare them to frogs?

• What does Ammu’s treatment by the people of Ayemenem, especially old female relatives, reveal about her? About the society in which she lives?

• Describe Ammu’s internal conflict based on the narrator’s descriptions of her on most days vs. the days she listened to songs she loved.