While it is not the author's intent to offer solutions, I did not find her offering compelling explanations for what transpires in Annawadi. Behind a wall emblazoned with an ad for tiles that will be “beautiful forever”, about 3,000 people live in 335 huts out of site from users of the modern airport and its luxury hotels. Troublesome as it is for a detour to the supermarket for packaged milk, my domestic help decided to cal. Meanwhile, Meena and Manju discuss killing themselves as well but think that maybe poisoning themselves would be better than setting themselves on fire. The chapter then starts focusing on, ...stone floor flat to prepare for tiles. I started this book yesterday -- finished it this morning. Abdul is not a scavenger, but a step above. How is it that a book about the poorest, most exploited, ignored, trodden upon people didn't evoke more feeling or sustain more engagement? "(p.219) I have a feeling I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come. The story starts with a prologue, in the year 2008 in Mumbai, when a teenaged boy named Abdul runs from the police. I listened to the audiobook narrated perfectly by Sunil Malhorta. The milkman won’t be delivering the daily liter of milk; his house was razed by the local municipality.

The police arrive in Annawadi, striking fear into the hearts of all the residents. What disturbed Me most about this book is that it didn't disturb Me more. Faces that I’ll see as I go to bed this morning, for time just passed as I immersed myself in this book. Though the new image of India tries to pretend that cosmopolitan tolerance overcomes all, Abdul faces discrimination based on his religion (an old issue) and his money (a new issue after India’s turn to capitalism). -Graham S. Zehrunisa judges One Leg harshly for going against the traditional rules of behavior for proper women in India, though she herself has stepped out of the passive role usually reserved for wives by taking over the family business. I get it - life in a Mumbai sluim is brutish but the writing style tries too hard to shock and quickly left. Fatima. They are strangely polite to. A fight breaks out between Fatima and Zehrunisa and Abdul runs outside to break them up. In India, a land of few safe assumptions, chronic uncertainty was said to have helped produce a nation of quick-witted, creative problem-solvers. Abdul prioritizes practical action, seeing that the opportunities that others expect in the new India do not come without a cost. The characters in the novel all live below the poverty line in a poor slum in Mumbai. As the sun sets, Abdul puts the garbage he collected on a jalopy and makes his way to recycling facilities where he sells the garbage. I'd seen the slums from the air, as we d. It's too easy to criticize this book. Because of the extremely filthy and unsafe environment these thousands of people live in, health issues like Cholera are probably not rare. LitCharts Teacher Editions. The supposed wealth of opportunity leads the residents of Annawadi to dream big, a choice which Abdul sees as foolish and impractical. I had read that this book was well-written and would probably win some awards, which is why I picked it up.

Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Asha becomes a slumlord in September. Abdul is somewhat of an outsider in Annawadi, though he has lived there his whole life. She also tries to improve the house in which she lives with her family, thinking that in that way she will be able to keep her children healthier. Asha loses her influence as it becomes clear that the slum will be destroyed, but she still continues to try and make money out of the people’s suffering.

The first time allows you to listen to the details of the individuals and judge their validity. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Welcome to Annawadi; Meet Fatima; Health Issues and Human Rights In the Slums; Works Cited; Life in Annawadi Slums.

This book is quite an achievement.

The shrill women voices are really spot on! Sadly, the rich vs poor scenario has existed for thousands of years and can be found everywhere in th. Although Cholera was specifically not mentioned in Behind the Beautiful Forevers, the disease could defiantly be present within the slums because of their lack of … Fatima’s behavior becomes even more erratic after her two-year-old daughter drowns in a bucket. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. The main narrative of the work jumps back several months and documents the events leading up to that fateful night. Sunil befriends another scavenger named Sonu and together they go searching for trash at the airport near the slum. Well, here’s a nice irony, to be reading this in the week that the results of a UNICEF survey reveal that one in seven German children and young people are unhappy, dissatisfied with their life or situation. Can anyone compare it with The City of Joy? Her physical appearance trumps any other good qualities she might have in the eyes of her neighbors, leading Fatima to lash out against others in return. Meanwhile, Asha's daughter, Manju, tries her best to understand concepts from foreign literature assigned by her college professor but finds it hard to do so. In the slum, people die every day, and Sunil is struggling to make enough to have something to eat. by Random House, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity. In June, the monsoon season begins and so the inhabitants of the slum have to stay at home. In August, Abdul and his father are still in prison, and Zehrunisa tries to raise enough money to get her husband and son out of jail but is unable to do it. Health Issues and Human Rights In the Slums. Wow!

Struggling with distance learning? For them, finding enough food to feed them for a day is something they have to fight for. The author is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has covered social inequalities in the past. Karam’s health is failing because of the harsh conditions inside the prison, but Zehrunisa is happy when the police decide to judge Abdul as a child. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. What a wretched day it is!! When the family begins working on their house, they are forced to put their belongings in a cart and take them outside. If you liked Slumdog Millionaire you will probably like this book.

GradeSaver, "The Marriage Cure" - Other Social Justice Reporting by Katherine Boo, Read the Study Guide for Behind the Beautiful Forevers…, The Cost of Globalization: Two Accounts of India, The unfathomable depths of corruption in Annawadi. The climax of the book occurs when Fatima sets herself on fire in order to seek attention and so she can blame it on Abdul’s family. I first listened to an abridged version of this book and was intrigued. I struggled a lot with how to review this because it's hard to separate the quality of the book from how it made me feel. Fatima, as she is now called, has very little to herself – even her name is under the jurisdiction of her husband. The contrast between the economic “haves” and “have nots” is so blatant here. Fatima’s anger at the world comes to a head when she burns herself in response to insults from the Husain family, especially Zehrunisa and Kehkashan. For all those vicious thrashings and numerous marital abuses she stomached for a decade, she truly deserved the so-called posthumous alimony; although a pitiful sum. The family of six has to do with a makeshift shanty to prevent them from drowning in the dense showers of late night rains. The author herself narrates the afterword which explains the author's methodology. Abdul tries to warn Sunil to stay away from thieves, but one day, Sunil helps Abdul's friend Kalu steal some steel piping from a construction site. I read through practically in one gulp, hardly coming up for air. Here's four things I liked, and one thing I didn't like about the audiobook of. Abdul does not react at all, wary of another, A week before Navrati, Meena and Manju meet at the public toilet to discuss, ...amounts of money in the process. Stare straight. Not only do I have to check the availability of another maid, but go and pick my dry cleaning as the delivery boy was arrested for trying to sell vegetables on the street corner disregarding any philanthropic duties to the patrolling authorities. 2 stars for the abridged version. Am I the only victim of such suffering?

Our, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Society, Competition, and Social Division, July 17, 2008 – Mumbai. That’s the first thing I did after finishing reading it, and for quite a long time. Abdul decides to become even more virtuous than he was and vows not to buy stolen goods. The Question and Answer section for Behind the Beautiful Forevers is a great Fatima, as she is now called, has very little to herself – even her name is under the jurisdiction of her husband. I was excited about reading this book after reading the reviews; however, it did not live up to the kudos. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Abdul and his father are charged with setting their neighbor Fatima on fire; later, the charge changes to encouraging her to set fire to herself. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. All those poor little rich kids. The family also thinks about moving to Vasai, a Muslim community, but Zehrunisa knows that if she moves there, she will have to stay inside all day and not let other men see her.

Boo took home the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2012 for this novel about the injustice and cyclical nature of poverty in India, so I imagine it is rather well read by my fellow Goodreadians. It’s been a distressful morning. Every single person living in the slums work themselves to the bone every day, trying to make a living with what little resources they have. Abdul’s brother, Mirchi, is a good friend of Rahul's, a boy who works as a waiter in a luxurious restaurant and hotel. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. But I had to ask myself who had what to gain by it. Later that night, Fatima lights herself on fire. But I had to ask myself who had what to gain by it. When resources are scarce to non-existent, humans generally resort to whatever means necessary to ensure their survival. Refresh and try again. This is much scarier than any STEPHEN KING novel. I know it's a Pulitzer Prize winner, and I really tried. The severity of her burns was an unanticipated mistake.

Among the poor, there was no doubt that instability fostered ingenuity, but over time the lack of a link between effort and result could become debilitating. :), Very good question. The author is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has covered social inequalities in the past. Many people come to Asha as supplicants for advice, and she's willing to give it to them, for a price. I get it - life in a Mumbai sluim is brutish but the writing style tries too hard to shock and quickly left me jaded.