The God of Small Things: Chapters 13-15

Finally! I am beginning to understand what is going on! I am thrilled. Although I will admit the story is rather tragic. Poor Velutha! The caste system is ridiculous. He is being terribly punished just because of his social standing. It seems so ridiculous to me mostly because I am American and we don't have strict systems like that. I can't imagine that being normal. We have subtle, unspoken social systems similar to the caste system, but they are not nearly as exaggerated and intense. The caste system, still strongly influential on some, has destroyed what might have been happiness for two people. Things would have been wonderful if Velutha had not been an Untouchable. He got along fantastically with Estha and Rahel, and he and Ammu loved each other.

I couldn't believe that Velutha's father was waiting for him with an ax. How terrible! Regardless of unspoken social laws, I think that betraying your own blood is worse! I could never kill my child over something like that. I could never condemn anyone for loving someone else. It is so hard to understand the point of view for people like Mammachi and Velutha's father because they were raised in such a different enviornment than me. It was a different time, a different country, and different rules. There is such a ridiculous hooplah over Velutha loving Ammu. It rather reminds me of Helen of Troy. A war broke out over Helen, and now so many lives are going to ruins over Ammu and her lover. "Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?"

I enjoyed the bits about Chacko and Margaret Kochamma. I think that Chacko was probably a good looking man before he became extremely fat. I feel bad for Chacko. He got the short end of the stick. Then again, Margaret came to India in hopes of getting cheered up, and then she left without her daughter. I can't imagine what she felt like. I hope that none of the other chapters are on Sophie Mol's funeral. It will be massively depressing. Now that more things are coming to light, it is getting harder to read. I almost don't want to know what happens. I fear for their fates. Nobody in this novel gets off the hook.

Baby Kochamma! I want to punt her off a cliff! I'm not even kidding. I was unreasonably angry at a fictional character about twenty minutes ago. I was literally cursing her and muttering death threats. I'm sure my parents thought I was crazy. She is such a trouble maker! Baby Kochamma is a liar, too! She made Velutha sound terrible! I love Velutha. He is probably my favorite character. Baby Kochamma is such a jerk (for lack of a better word). She makes Velutha out to be an awful, Untouchable who rapes women and threatens them (and most likely kidnaps their children when they refuse his sexual advances). Velutha is not any of those things! He is a good man who was dealt a bad hand. Baby Kochamma has to go and make things a hundred times worse. Why the heck couldn't she have drowned instead of Sophie Mol?! I wouldn't have felt bad about that. Then again, I guess there wouldn't be much of a story because people wouldn't have cared half as much if it was her that was dead.