One of the most important themes in The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy is the “laws of love” and the consequences that result from the violation of laws. In the novel, Roy uses the "laws of love" to set boundaries, or social norms, to determine "who should be loved and how much" (33). In turn, Roy challenges this idea of ​​social norms by encouraging the characters to choose "true" love and follow their hearts. But as we can see in the novel, choosing “true” love doesn’t always result in a fairy tale ending; but, instead, harsher consequences for crossing the borders in the first place (i.e. Velutha's death). The relationship between Ammu and Velutha reveals the constant struggle to transgress the boundaries that prevent the characters from living their lives as they wish. Additionally, Roy reinforces these limitations by creating characters like Baby Kochamma and the police. Although both belong to two completely different castes of society, the relationship between Ammu and Velutha is the only relationship in the novel where both characters share a mutual love and connection. one for the other; unlike Ammu's previous relationship with her husband, which ended in countless arguments and fights. In fact, one could even argue that the relationship between Ammu and her former husband only benefited Ammu, as she dreamed of leaving Ayemenem's controlling society. Throughout the novel, Roy reveals a pattern of relationships where only one character seems to have "love" for the other, or simply: the love is not reciprocated. For example, Baby Kochamma “defies her father's wishes and becomes a Catholic” (25) in hopes of attracting the attention of a priest she knows she can never be with. This is the most absurd... middle of paper ...... o overcoming the castes of society in order to live their lives the way they want. In their relationship, Ammu and Velutha ignore the “laws of love” to be together. And although the two rarely see each other and come from completely different lifestyles, their love for each other is the strongest of all the relationships throughout the novel. With this absurdity, Roy challenges the idea of ​​social boundaries by encouraging characters to follow their hearts and pursue true love, even if their search leads to harsh consequences. Meanwhile, Roy enforces the boundaries of society by creating characters like Baby Kochamma, who represents social norms, and the police, who represent the enforcers of social norms. While the novel ends with the idea that "tomorrow is a new day", this is not the case for Ammu and Velutha, who are victims of society's ways of controlling..