The quote compares the presence of insanity to an eager waiter, suggesting that it is always nearby, ready to serve or intervene at any moment. This imagery creates a vivid picture of how close and accessible madness can feel, particularly in a society laden with complexities and tensions. It implies that insanity may become a part of life, waiting for the right circumstances to emerge.

In Arundhati Roy's "The God of Small Things," this metaphor highlights the thin line between sanity and madness in the characters' lives. The quote reflects the societal pressures and emotional struggles they face, indicating that insanity is an ever-present possibility due to the intense experiences they endure. Roy's narrative reveals how such forces shape their reality, making the ordinary feel unstable and fraught with the potential for irrationality.