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Emotion in The God of Small Things

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One feels several emotions throughout the course of the day. Some emotions impact one's life more than others. In The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy uses extended metaphors, allegory, and oxymoronic diction to emphasize emotions in the book. Extended metaphors are used to show Rahel's emotions throughout the book. Pappachi's moth represents/shows us Rahel's emotions. Pappachi discovered a new insect, a new moth species. He however, was told that it is a pre-existing species, and was a not a new discovery. Later on, it was discovered that it was indeed a new species. Pappachi was given no credit for this, and the moth was named after somebody else. This left Pappachi to be cranky for the remainder of his life. For the reader however, this moth is seen as a representation of Rahel's emotions. The first time we meet the moth is when Rahel says something insulting to Ammu. It is said that a mother's love is un-dying and unconditional, but Ammu snatches that guarantee away from Rahel. In response to Rahel's insulting words, Ammu tells her " [d]'you know what happen when you hurt people?...they begin to love you less. That's what careless words do. The make people love you a little less" ( Roy. 107). Coming from her mother, this hurts Rahel and leaves her insecure. It makes her doubt if people will ever truly love her. Her fear is portrayed by the moth when it lands on her, " A cold moth with unusually dense dorsal tufts landed lightly on Rahel's heart. Where its icy legs touched her, she got goose bumps. Six goose bumps on her careless heart. A little less her Ammu loves her" (107). By using the words "careless heart" the author shows how Rahel feels about herself. This is mimicked by the moth, because it lands on her with its "icy legs". We know that this is the moth that Pappachi discovered from a previously given description. The reader knows that the moth is " gray and furry... with unusually dense dorsal tufts" (48). Similarly, the

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