Hendrix Nash. L6K.
Chapter 1 Character information – Ammu.
-
-
-
-
-
Baba’s car broke down is Assam, while taking the pregnant Ammu to hospital
to give birth. They got the bus to the hospital instead. (Page 3)
Ammu gave birth at hospital, before divorcing Baba and moving back to
Kerala with Estha and Rahel. (Page 3)
Estha and Rahel held a faint resentment towards Ammu and Baba, as they
believed that if they had been born on the bus they’d get lifetime free bus
travel. (Page 3 and 4)
At the funeral of nine-year-old Sophie Mol, Ammu’s niece, Ammu, Estha and
Rahel were made to stand separately from the rest of the family, nobody
would even look at them. (Page 5)
Ammu is trembling at the funeral, with cold skin. (Page 5)
After the funeral, Ammu takes Estha and Rahel to the police station in
Kottayam, a place they are now used to, for unknown reasons other than
Ammu wants to give a statement. (Page 7)
Ammu is intimidated by the police men, who refuse to take a statement from
her. This passage shows the oppression of women, and the dominance of men.
Ammu leaves in tears after being belittled… “Her face was set like stone, but
the tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her rigid cheeks.” They then
travelled back to Ayemenam by bus. On the bus the conductor starts to get
angry at the state of Ammu and her inability to communicate with him, Estha
steps in and pays the bus fare. Ammu merely says “He’s dead. I’ve killed
him.” (Page 8)
Ammu, at the age of 31, dies in 1971. In chapter one, it is not told how Ammu
dies. (Page 13)