The Bridge Home

Rukku is Viji’s sister. She is one year older than Viji and has an intellectual disability. As the story progresses and Rukku changes, the reader realizes that she was stooped, insular, perpetually frightened, passive-aggressive, and somewhat hostile. Rukku’s personality changes as does her posture during their journey. She develops the ability to laugh easily and express affection for the boys who become her brothers. Muthu, the youngest of the main characters, is always able to make Rukku laugh. Rukku has the gift as well of being present in the moment and sharing that gift with those around her.

Rukku’s abilities are underestimated, particularly by Viji. Although inarticulate, she quickly learns how to perform manual tasks such as tying beads into necklaces, rolling dough, and separating trash into sellable piles. It may also be noted that Rukku indirectly secures the group a home—the dog must be sold to pay for medicine, the children must flee to Celina Aunty’s for help—and, having done so, departs from the story.

It becomes apparent that Rukku is loving and lovable. She bonds instantly with Kutti who seems to know from the beginning that he is her dog. As the boys develop close bonds with Rukku, Viji becomes jealous because she must now share Rukku’s affection with others. Rukku sets the tone of accepting love and honesty throughout the novel. She does not hesitate to confront her sister when Viji tries to tell a lie. Rukku embodies the moral compass of her chosen family, as well as demonstrating how to experience and relish the joy of any given moment and event. For Venkatraman, Rukku serves as an icon of innocence and purity throughout the story, thus making the foreshadowing of her death more poignant.

Approximately Viji’s age, Arul is the older of the two ragpickers who become family with the sisters. He is physically and morally strong, gracious, articulate, and generous. He is a natural leader with good insights and ideas, which is why Muthu calls him “boss.” When dealing with other ragpickers or adults, Arul stands his ground to obtain what he wants. His desire throughout the narrative is to provide for the other three children in the chosen family, and he will make the sacrifices necessary to accomplish his goal.

Arul is a Christian who regularly repeats Catholic prayers and tries to convert the other children to his faith. Eventually, readers discover that Arul came from a village on the seashore where he lived a happy life with his family. He regularly attended the church there and loved to hear his priest tell biblical stories. His entire family died in a tsunami that filled Arul with guilt and forced him to move to the city.

Arul’s guiding principle is to live just for the day because it is painful for him to imagine continuing his ragpicker’s life perpetually. His one forward facing hope is that, since he is a Christian, he will go to heaven when he dies, where he believes, he will be reunited with his family. He and Viji return to these important topics regularly.

Muthu is the youngest of the children. Based upon his own past experiences, living for a time in a sweatshop and then an unsuitable orphanage, he does not trust adults or the institutions they provide. Like Arul, Muthu believes in living for the day, which means one needs to spend any money one has acquired immediately since tomorrow is not guaranteed for any person.

Muthu is good-hearted and loveable. Venkatraman uses him as a source of comic relief in several sections of the book. He is also quick with a comeback, as when the children hideout in a cemetery from kidnappers and Arul warns him not to risk encountering adults, saying he might end up in a graveyard, to which Muthu replies, “I did end up in a graveyard” (93).

Muthu is also given some of the most insightful, challenging statements in the book. For instance, he offers the idea that human beings may be to God as worms are to human beings. Thus, it is not that God does not recognize people and their needs but rather that, ultimately, people are just not that significant to God.