5. Pappachi’s Moth - Class 11 - Woven Word

BhashaLab
Jun 27
5 min read

Author: Arundhati Roy

Textbook: Woven Words

Genre: Fiction (Extract from The God of Small Things)

Summary

“Pappachi’s Moth” is an emotionally layered account that explores family dynamics, gender roles, and personal failure. The story is narrated from the perspective of a family that has witnessed the oppressive behavior of Pappachi, a retired Imperial Entomologist. After his retirement, Pappachi becomes bitter and jealous, especially when his wife Mammachi begins a successful pickle-making business. He is resentful and refuses to help her, believing the work is beneath his status. Despite being nearly blind, Mammachi perseveres, but Pappachi's violence escalates. He regularly beats her, until their son Chacko intervenes.

Pappachi’s bitterness also stems from a missed scientific recognition—he once discovered a moth that was later classified under someone else’s name. This becomes a symbol of his unfulfilled life and haunts him mentally. He expresses his frustration through emotional neglect and controlling behavior. Even after Chacko stops the beatings, Pappachi never speaks to Mammachi again. His pride, social image, and obsession with appearances dominate his character. The story ends with his death and Mammachi’s subdued grief, revealing the painful but habitual nature of her life. The chapter presents a stark depiction of patriarchal dominance and the emotional cost of unresolved ambitions.

Character Sketch

Pappachi (Shri Benaan John Ipe):

Pappachi is a proud, conservative, and emotionally repressive man who fails to adapt to his post-retirement life. Once an Imperial Entomologist, he is haunted by the loss of recognition for a moth he discovered. This fuels his resentment, especially toward his wife Mammachi’s entrepreneurial success. He is deeply patriarchal, refusing to help her with “lowly” tasks and becoming physically abusive. Even after being stopped by his son, he never reconciles with Mammachi. His rigid ideas about masculinity, prestige, and authority make him a tragic figure—both feared and pitied. His obsession with dignity masks a life of bitterness and unrealized dreams.

Themes

Theme	Description
Patriarchy and Gender Roles	Pappachi’s refusal to accept his wife’s independence reflects toxic masculinity.
Frustration and Failure	The moth incident becomes a lifelong burden, symbolizing missed recognition.
Domestic Violence	Mammachi suffers physical abuse in silence, showing how normalized it had become.
Appearance vs Reality	Pappachi maintains a polished image in public while being cruel at home.
Emotional Alienation	Pappachi isolates himself from his wife and family due to pride and ego.

✨ Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Symbolism	“Pappachi’s moth”	Symbolizes his lost legacy and the root of his bitterness.
Irony	Pappachi, a scientist, cannot control his own emotions logically.	Highlights contrast between intellect and emotional maturity.
Imagery	“He smashed the rocking chair… in the moonlight”	Evokes violence and symbolic destruction of comfort.
Personification	“Its pernicious ghost haunted every house he lived in”	Adds a haunting, almost supernatural presence to the moth.
Repetition	“Used to being beaten”	Reinforces the disturbing normalization of abuse.

Title Justification

The title Pappachi’s Moth is symbolically powerful. It refers to a moth discovered by Pappachi that was later classified under someone else’s name. This incident represents his greatest professional failure and becomes the root of his lifelong bitterness and emotional abuse toward his family. The moth is more than an insect—it is a metaphor for Pappachi’s unfulfilled potential, damaged ego, and toxic masculinity. Its symbolic “ghost” continues to haunt his household even after death, making the moth central to the story’s emotional and psychological impact.

One-Mark Questions

Why was Pappachi jealous of Mammachi?
Pappachi was jealous because Mammachi gained attention and success through her pickle-making business. He couldn’t accept that his wife was thriving while he was no longer respected after retirement.
What made Pappachi's moth so significant in his life?
Pappachi believed the moth he discovered would bring him fame, but it was wrongly classified under someone else’s name. This failure haunted him for the rest of his life.
How did Chacko respond to his father’s violence?
Chacko stopped Pappachi from beating Mammachi by physically restraining him. He warned him never to repeat it again.
Why did Pappachi destroy his rocking chair?
Pappachi destroyed the chair in anger after Chacko’s intervention. It was an expression of his bruised ego and loss of authority in the household.
How did Pappachi maintain a false public image?
He wore wool suits in the Ayemenem heat and stitched unnecessary buttons on his shirts. These actions created an illusion of being neglected by his wife and upheld his image of respectability.

Three-Mark Questions

Describe the impact of Pappachi’s missed recognition on his personality.
When the moth he discovered wasn’t named after him, Pappachi felt deeply humiliated. Though the mistake was later corrected, he never received the credit. This disappointment manifested as bitterness and anger, especially toward his wife. It turned him into a resentful and abusive man. The moth came to symbolize all that he had lost, becoming a metaphor for his emotional decline.
How did Mammachi’s success affect the family dynamics?
Mammachi’s commercial success with pickles changed the family dynamics. Pappachi, feeling insecure and emasculated, began to resent her. He refused to assist her despite her blindness and took out his frustrations through violence. The success gave Mammachi some independence but also increased her suffering. The imbalance in power and ego created a toxic home environment.
What does the chapter reveal about the silent endurance of women like Mammachi?
Mammachi silently endures physical abuse and emotional neglect throughout her marriage. Despite being nearly blind, she manages a successful business. She never raises her voice against Pappachi’s violence, accepting it as part of her life. Even after Pappachi stops beating her, he punishes her with silence. Her endurance reflects how women are conditioned to normalize abuse under patriarchy.

Value-Based Question

What moral lesson do we learn from Pappachi’s behavior and Mammachi’s suffering?

The story teaches that pride and ego can destroy relationships and lead to emotional isolation. It also reveals the damaging effects of patriarchy and how normalized domestic violence can become. While Mammachi’s resilience is admirable, her silent suffering highlights the need for women to speak up and seek justice. Ultimately, respect, equality, and emotional support are more important than social status or outdated gender roles.

End

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