Repitition

Roy's technique of repeating certain words and phrases throughout the entirety of the novel tie the many different stories in the novel together. The viewpoints of the different character's also become related. The repetition also helps the ultimate story unfold.

It is hard to forget the important moments that lead up to the tragedy of Sophie Mol's and Velutha's deaths because certain phrases are constantly repeated. Instances one would like to forget such as the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man are brought to attention again and again. Moments that shape the characters are brought back to remind us that everything is connected.

One of my favorite examples of this is in the phrase "Not old. Not young. But a viable die-able age." This is first introduced in describing Ammu's death. Later on it describes the twins," Now they were. Old enough. Old. A viable die-able age." This relates the mother to her children in a very important way. Throughout the novel the young and the old have died. So, this phrasing makes me wonder what makes "a viable die-able age." Maybe that is Roy's point. That at every age death is possible, but sometimes it is less tragic than others.

The constant repetition of this of this phrase as well as others ties the story together in a smooth, musical way. The story as a whole carries on, but parts come back to remind that it is all tied together. History is not one single event but many tied together. We see this through the memories of the many different characters that are repeated in small phrases.