RULES FOR LOVE
Love is perhaps one of the most ubiquitous topics addressed in literature and is often depicted as the sole, perpetual feeling which once ignited knows no limits: it never fades, its nature never changes, and with every challenge that it faces it becomes more powerful and intense; the invincible power that defies time and rises above the waves of destruction, confronting all vicissitudes that may afflict the course of one's life.
Arundhati Roy's book "The God of Small Things" tackles two diametrically opposed ideas: the invincibility of love and its power to overcome any social or political boundaries and, ironically, the rules that need to be followed in order for it to flourish, namely the "Love Laws" that tell who, how and how much should be loved. The mere existence of these "laws" introduced by a divided, prejudiced society, the overwhelming temptations that some characters in the book succumbed to and their desire to experience romance are the very reasons that engendered the blatantly tragic fates of the characters, for even though some relationships in the book prove that love is indeed more powerful than the divides of class and hatred, the breakage of those laws comes with a price to pay.
This novel presents love in all its forms, but perhaps the purest, most profound form of love presented in the book is the one between Estha and Rahel, the pair of twins, who have such a complex and strong relationship that they often think of themselves as one. Love is presented in the light of their experiences as a perpetually altering conception which gradually changes as they age. Society's influence and their desire to comply with the standards that are considered the rules for love hamper them from understanding the true meaning of love. The author emphasizes this misconception several times throughout the book by either contrasting it to Sophie Mol's clear vision of true love who claims to love her dead step father more than her biological father or by vividly describing the twins' fear of being loved "a little less" by their mother because of their mistakes.
However, the end of the novel presents the conspicuous consequences of a thwarted love and of opposing the rules of tradition, class and society. Ammu and Velutha's ephemeral romance, a paragon of a love that crosses boundaries, a love that knows no impediments, is incredibly poignant as it is presented in contrast to the more violent and reprehensible forms that love takes on throughout the book. Society's bigotry, the breakage of the "Love Laws", and, ultimately, the controversy engendered by this illicit relationship lead to Velutha's death and Ammu's exile.
On the other hand, the author gives utmost importance to the love that defies time, the love between Estha and Rahel that does not diminish even after so much time spend apart. Their incestuous encounter after they are reunited is proof of the obliteration of their prior pure and innocent love, of their feelings driven by familial duty and society's beliefs and of the grief that they experienced (witnessing Velutha being beaten to death and having to lie about one of the people they love most in order to protect themselves and their mother).
To conclude with, I believe that even though this novel presents the consequences of breaking the "Love Laws", the mere social, political boundaries it ultimately proves that true love can be more powerful than any divides. And in spite of the tragedy that such love can lead to, it is the mere power of it and its ephemeral existence that is most valuable.