To what extent are race, social class and religion important?

I would say that Roy places a great deal of weight on how
the social stratification of a nation can impact its people.  The divisions caused by
race, class, and religion are ones that occupy important roles in the novel because they
help to isolate individuals from fully understanding one another.  The notion of
individuals being "trapped," precluding them from fully embracing the condition of
another is something that is brought out in the novel.  This is brought on by the social
stratification that lock individuals into roles that define their identity.  When the
upholding of the caste system prompts a father to kill his son, or when social
transgressions reveal the harshest of punishments, the structures that demand such
adherence are critical to individual identity.  It is to this extent that Roy depicts
race, class, caste, and religion as vitally important elements that define individuals
and in doing so, raises the point that perhaps this structure needs to
change.