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  • Essay / Portrayal of daily slum life in Behind The Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

    In “Behind the Beautiful Forevers,” Katherine Boo reminds first-world readers how good we are, especially compared to those of Mumbai sub-city. . The most obvious takeaway is the poverty that cannot be ignored in the Annawadi slum and the underlying role that economics plays in bullying the most disadvantaged residents. Boo's depiction of everyday life is so real it hurts. Not only its tone, but also the message of desperate citizens, constantly in morbid situations, makes for depressing reading. The evocation of this emotion in the reader is juxtaposed with descriptions of people who make unwavering and unceasing efforts to continue working to make the best out of the worst situations. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay It is difficult to consider this text an optimistic book about humanity. Abdul could be considered one of many children in the slum who must grow up quickly. “For his family, what mattered was Abdul's physical ability. He was a workaholic, his moral judgments were irrelevant.” Not only do these children work at a seemingly constant pace, but in some cases they are the most important workers in their families. Children who seek successful education are rare, which promotes poverty which prevents young people from finding stable employment once they become older. With this poverty, jealousy arises when others find themselves in a position to improve their life situation. . No one seems happy when someone else works successfully to improve their home, and in some cases others act hostile. Zehrunisa emphasizes Annawadi's unjust lifestyle as a painful reminder. “Then let them be jealous. Why shouldn't we live in a better room now that we're a little better? ". When Sunil comes across a scavenger who has been hit by a car and cannot move, he ignores him and the others for several hours. This ruthless decision seems more likely to be made in a war zone or wild forest. Several other people pass the dying scavenger without doing anything to help him or even communicate. No one does anything until finally someone calls the police to report that a dead body is scaring the children. The irony was that the police had asked the scavengers to help them eliminate their once-living comrade. “The officers called on other scavengers to load the body into the police van, to prevent them from catching the diseases that trash pickers are known to carry.” The role of poverty turns into a theme that most slum dwellers are unwilling to show compassion to anyone other than themselves or their immediate family. The slum is a cruel society that shows no remorse. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Even the most sheltered family members are affected by poverty in the slum. Two-year-old Lallu is constantly bitten by rats and his elder brother Abdul can't do anything about it. “He could cry just looking at Lallu, who was as fearless as Abdul was quivering. All those swollen rat bites on his cheeks, on the back of his head.” Boo points out that no one is safe, even when older children,.