Boo 199

And so another one bites the dust. True frustration has set in as I near the end of Behind The Beautiful Forevers, and still characters die off like flies. Fatima’s death prompted women in Annawadi to consider suicide as a means to an end, as a way of rebelling against the system, giving no mind to the fact that Fatima regretted her actions, and ultimately had nothing but her own death to show for it. The downfall of the women in the slums parallels the downfall of the economy, as global economic crisis and terrorism threaten the waste business. Meena’s death, while depressing to the reader, seems to have no effect on the Annawadi community. Her own mother barely cares when her daughter has taken rat poison, and her older brother beats her for her suicidal actions. Manju mourns for the loss of her friend, and finds her name carved into the cement outside the toilet, more of a lasting presence than her own family is. The deaths, at this point, are almost nondescript, like Boo expects someone to die with each story, which is why the end of the section comes as a welcome surprise. Sunil, while contemplating all of the tragedy surrounding him, makes the observation that he has a life-and that it matters to him. Coming from his background and what we have read in the sections before, this is a breakthrough in thinking for someone from these slums, and I was so moved reading this last page. Boo leaves us with a tiny spark of hope, and of growth-not just inwardly, but also outwardly, as Sunil has come to find that he has finally, finally grown taller. While I am hesitant to read the last section, I truly hope that this growth will continue on through the final pages.