Boo 175

As Behind the Beautiful Forevers continues, the desire for closure on my part, and I'd imagine on the part of most readers, grows stronger. Of course this is non-fiction. I keep reminding myself that but as cynical as I can sometimes be, I think it's just human nature; we as an audience want there to be progress made in the lives of Annawadi. Unfortunately, the feel-good quota of progress continues to go unmet, and from a literary standpoint these loose-ends have not only remained loose, but it's all a big frayed unravelling mess. However, let's not forget that these are real people, not simply characters. They've all got relatable personalities with believable character flaws. These flaws provide fodder for Boo's story, but I wonder how this book could possibly end, and I don't see any prospects for closure. There's the situation of the Husain family, with the inevitable trial threatening the future of the family altogether, let alone the lives of Abdul, Kehkashan, and Karam. Then there's the deaths of multiple trash pickers, the first of whom was left on the side of the road for many to see. Kalu's death, on the other hand, affects people in Annawadi, resulting in Sanjay's eventual suicide. Also, there's the story of Asha's goal, and we learn the background of her rise to power, much to Manju's dismay. The plurality of these story lines do well to invest the audience into the story.