What was Baby's real name?

Analyze the question: This is a literature-based question. It comes from The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, which has been a JAMB Literature-in-English recommended text. It asks for the real name of the character called "Baby."

Explain the concept: In the novel, many characters have nicknames or titles that differ from their real names. "Baby Kochamma" is the name by which the family knows Aleyamma's aunt, and "Baby" is her pet name.

Step-by-step solution:

1. Identify the character. "Baby" refers to Baby Kochamma, the grandaunt of the twins Estha and Rahel. She is Ammu's paternal aunt, and she is bitter, scheming, and secretly in love with Father Mulligan.

2. Recall her real name. Her real name is Navomi Ipe. "Baby" is only a nickname, and "Kochamma" is a Malayalam term meaning "little mother" or "aunt" that the children add as a title.

3. Eliminate the wrong options: • B. Estha is one of the twins (Esthappen), a male character. • C. Rachel is the English spelling of Rahel, the other twin, a girl. • D. Kochamma is only the title attached to "Baby." It is not her given name.

4. Conclusion: The real name that matches the character is Navomi Ipe.

Answer: A. Navomi Ipe

Tip: In literature questions, watch for nicknames and titles used in place of real names. "Kochamma" and "Baby" are labels, while the real name is the one that looks like a full personal name. Make a short list of each major character with their nickname and real name, since JAMB often tests these.