In what sense is Velutha the representative of the ‘untouchable’ community?
The God of Small Things is a notable literary work by Arundhati Roy. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of The God of Small Things.
Answer
Question: In what sense is Velutha the representative of the ‘untouchable’ community?
Velutha is the younger son of Vellya Paapen. He represents the untouchables in “The God of Small Things” (1997) by Arundhati Roy (1961-Present). He is a carpenter by profession and an active worker of the Communist Party. Velutha is the young rebel in the novel. Still, he breaks the rigid conventional and religious rules by responding to Ammu’s sexual advances, forgetting the fact she is a “forbidden fruit” for an untouchable like him.
Social Status: Velutha is an “untouchable” or Dalit, belonging to the lowest caste in the Indian caste system. His social status is predetermined by birth, and he faces discrimination and oppression due to this status.
Economic Exploitation: Velutha’s economic status is reflective of the systemic exploitation faced by the Dalit community. Despite being skilled and hardworking, he is relegated to low-paying and menial jobs, such as working as a carpenter for the upper-caste family in the novel.
Marginalization and Discrimination: Throughout the novel, Velutha faces discrimination and marginalization from the upper-caste society. He is treated as inferior and is subjected to various forms of humiliation solely because of his caste identity.
Legal and Social Injustice: Velutha’s fate in the novel highlights the systemic injustice faced by the Dalit community. He is falsely involved, though everyone knows that Sophie Mol’s death was an accident. It is Baby Kochamma who makes Estha give evidence before the police that Velutha has a hand in kidnapping them. This ultimately leads to the death of Sophie Mol. She also tells the police that he has threatened them at their house. Though Velutha is almost innocent in the affair that he had with Ammu, everybody of the touchable states that he is a true villain who should be stoned to death.
Where they really lived. Where the Love Laws lay down who should be loved. And how. And how much.
The members of the Ayemenem family, Comrade Pillai, and the police play their heinous roles to finish off Velutha, the untouchable. The way he is tortured to death by police would perhaps be one of the most breathtaking descriptions in any fiction.
In termination, Velutha represents the broader struggles and experiences of India’s “untouchable” community. It encompasses social, economic, and legal injustice, as depicted in “The God of Small Things.”