The God of Small Things Chapter 1

The God of Small Things

Chapter 1

Arundhati Roy’s writing is very vivid and evocative. It uses lots of description in order to achieve an almost poetic feel.

Listed below are similes taken from the first chapter; see if you can match the simile to what is being described:

1. ploughing it (the earth) up like gunfire / a. a sick sweet smell
2. swelled like a throat with voices / b. mother’s face
3. pulled over its ears like a long hat / c. eyes
4. glittering like glass / d. eyes of a dying dog
5. like a team of trolls on their separate horizons / e. insects
6. dropping like a star out of the sky he had made / f. an old man’s skin
7. appeared like ideas in the evenings / g. rain
8. like old roses on a breeze / h. the church
9. trembled along her jaw like raindrops / i.the man who painted the ceiling in the church
10.like scummy pools / j. a politician
11.walked through the world like a chameleon / k. a high scratchy voice
12. sounded like a faraway man shouting / l. tears
13. set like stone / m. the sound of someone breathing nosily
14.like sugarcane striped of its bark / n. the roof over the house
15. stretched willingly off his bones like chewing gum / o. boundaries

Teacher’s answer sheet

Chapter 1

Arundahti’s writing is very vivid and evocative. It uses lots of description in order to achieve an almost poetic feel.

Listed below are similes taken from the first chapter; see if you can match the simile to what is being described:

1. ploughing it (the earth) up like gunfire / g. rain
2. swelled like a throat with voices / h. the church
3. pulled over its ears like a long hat / n. the roof over the house
4. glittering like glass / c. eyes
5. like a team of trolls on their separate horizons / o. boundaries
6. dropping like a star out of the sky he had made / i.the man who painted ceiling in the church
7. appeared like ideas in the evenings / e. insects
8. like old roses on a breeze / a. a sick sweet smell
9. trembled along her jaw like raindrops / l. tears
10.like scummy pools / d. eyes of a dying dog
11.walked through the world like a chameleon / j. a politician
12. sounded like a faraway man shouting / m. the sound of someone breathing nosily
13. set like stone / b. mother’s face
14.like sugarcane striped of its bark / k. a high scratchy voice
15. stretched willingly off his bones like chewing gum / f. an old man’s skin