Important Passages from The God of Small Things
Directions: Identify an important passage in your assigned chapter that is rich in terms of its
important ideas as well as its use of language and stylistic devices. Then in the following chapter
groups, choose the best overall passage and highlight it.
Chapter 1:
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“But worst of all, he carried inside him the memory of a young man…And how much.” (Ch 1;
pp. 32-33)
Chapters 2-5:
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"On the way back from the airport…." to "…with tail fins." (Ch 2; pp. 45-46)
"Estha put on the tap and water drummed into a plastic bucket." to "Estha put his wet clothes in
a bucket and began to wash them with crumbling bright blue soap.” (Ch 3; pp. 88-89)
"But Rahel had already started towards him…" to "six goosebumps on her careless
hearts” (Ch 4; pp. 106-107)
"Only Sophie Mol, with First World panache…." to the end of the chapter (Ch 5; pp. 128-129)
Chapters 6-9:
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“In her stiff laced dress… airport floor.” (Ch 6; p. 133)
“She was swollen cortisone… with shadows.” (Ch 7; p. 153)
“Littleangels were beach-colored… she was just that sort of animal.” (Ch 8; pp. 170-171)
“ The last strap of light slipped from the cherub’s shoulder… place with no foundation.”
(Ch 9; pp. 181-182)
Chapters 10-13:
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“Where are you going?...Because anything can happen to anyone, “Estha said, “it’s best to
be prepared.” You couldn’t argue with that.” (Ch 10; p. 189)
“That afternoon… the enormity of his own terrible grief.” (Ch 11; pp. 214-215)
“It didn’t matter that the story had begun…and yet you want to know again.” (Ch 12; p. 218)
“Perhaps this was…remember what she didn’t know had happened.” (Ch 13; pp. 250-251)
Chapters 14-17:
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“But see, comrade… …him you send him off.” (Ch 14; p. 264)
"A weak, watery moon filtered through… Naked bur for his nail varnish." (Ch 15; p. 273)
"Sophie Mol… in its little fist” (Ch 16; p. 277)
“She hadn’t. Rahel was lying… …The Chochin Harbor Terminus.” (Ch 17; p. 283)
Chapters 18-20:
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“Screams died in them and floated belly up, … History in live performance.” (Ch 18; p.
292)
“The lock-up was pitch-dark … Not Death. Just the end of living.” (Ch 19; p. 303)
“Ammu kissed her again…She returned to the dinner table.” (Ch 20; p. 312)