Ammu

Ammu is a character in the novel, The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy. She is the mother of Esta and Rahel, who she had with her ex-husband Baba. Baba abused her and the children, so she divorced him when the children were young. After the divorce, she moved in with her mother and brother, Chacko. Ammu's beauty and vivacious personality attracted Velthula, her mother's worker. The two have a secret affair, which prompts the breaking apart of the already damaged family. Velthula is a Untouchable, or one of the lower class whom those of the higher classes, like Ammu, should not associate with. This discovery and the death of Sophie Mol, Ammu's beloved niece begin the troubles in the family.
Ammu and her Children
Ammu and Baba are the parents of the twins, Esta and Rahel. Esta and Rahel have a deep connection in which they communicate with each other without talking. They both know what the other is thinking or feeling at any given time. Both Esta and Rahel fight for their mother's love throughout the novel. Ammu does love them both very much, but only at times when it is convenient for her. At one point, Rahel misbehaves and Ammu basically states that, now, she loves Rahel less. This is a blow to Rahel, who only wants her mother's love. This statement by Ammu continues to haunt her through the rest of the novel.
Ammu and Chacko
When both Chacko and Ammu get divorced, they both move back in to their mother's home. It appears as that Chacko is by far their mother's favorite. Every once and a while, she does kind little things for her son, which make Ammu quite unhappy. This sends her off in a rage, oftentimes affecting her children. For this reason, Ammu is slightly jealous of Chacko and their relationship is slightly unstable.
Ammu and Velthula
Because of Ammu's troubled family situation, she turns to someone else to listen to her problems and love her. This person is Velthula. Although their love cannot be proclaimed due to the large disparity between their social classes, they continue to expand their relationship to new heights. However, when he is blamed for the death of Sophie Mol, Ammu has to come out about her affair. In an effort to save him from being executed, Ammu admits about their affair to the police chief. However, this does not save him. He is still brutally beaten, and is likely not to survive. By admitting her affair, Ammu brings shame to her family and her friends. Thus, her and the twins are exiled from the family from then on.

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