Eidia.Roy.4/4

Rivers

In both V.S Naipaul's A Bend in the River, and Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, there is a strong underlying presence of nature; specifically, rivers. Both novels have a similar attitude regarding this natural element. There is a sense of mystery attached to it, as well as differing viewpoints towards humans, those incapable of as well as capable of interacting with the capricious characteristics of both rivers. In Naipaul's A Bend in the River, while Saleem, the protagonist, is mystified as well as intimidated by the river by his village, Zabeth, a merchant woman, is depicted as a character capable of defying the impossible and confronting the currents of its forces. With her interaction with the river, the danger of its currents as well as its varied channels, Zabeth manages to survive via her courageous demeanor. At the same time, with a sense of admiration, but a much stronger sense of fear, Saleem describes his viewpoints regarding the river as:

"In the darkness of the darkness of river and forest you could be sure only of what you could see--- and even on a moonlight you couldn't see much. When you made a noise---dipped a paddle in the water---you heard yourself as though you were another person. The river and the forest were like presences, and much more powerful than you. You felt unprotected, an intruder."

As Saleem felt like an intruder, most of Roy's characters were intrigued by the river Meenachal. While Naipaul only occasionally mentions the river in his novel, Roy references the element several times in her work. She also establishes a certain of characters with this natural force, such as Estha, Rahel, Velutha, and Ammu. These four characters have been greatly impacted by the Meenachal. Along with their constant interaction with this natural force, a foreigner, Sophie Mol, interacts with the river once--resulting in her death. Essentially, Roy's Meenachal is a ruthless river, she does not pardon a single being, even the natives are foreigners to her. She serves as a bridge who allows, easily for the Touchable platoon of officers to cross her, reaching the History House, ultimately bringing an end to living and death---both at once.
Both Naipaul and Roy established a common sense of Indian culture and mysticism via nature. They have allotted the rivers human qualities, transforming them into characters. While Naipaul's work lacks further insight upon the river, only sparsely mentioned, almost always admired for its mystery, Roy presents a contrasting situation in which her characters are so enthralled by the Meenachal, that they interact with it, study it, and immerse themselves in it.