Boo up to page 175

            This section of the text made me consider how women are treated in Annawadi. There is no question that male and female roles have been distinct up to this point in the book; men and boys sort trash and work while women cook and look after their homes. Still, a cast of strong women has been shown in the book, from Asha, whose iron will and ambition may lead her to be a politician, to Zehruzina the fierce matriarch keeping her family alive. In this section, these women begin to break down. While life is hard for everyone in Annawadi, this section highlighted how it is particularly hard for women.

            In this section there were many examples of women being expected to be all things to all people, but not receiving the respect or rights that men enjoy. Zehruzina breaks down as her husband and children go to jail and she is overwhelmed with having to pay bribes. She has trouble managing money because her name is not on deeds (she is not viewed as an equal owner of her family’s property, though she does the most work on it). She also takes care of her young children, who treat her terribly (no respect for women or mothers). We also see a new side of Asha; she is forced into prostitution to achieve her ambitions. Male aspirants to political positions do not have to sell their bodies to achieve their desires, and they have an easier time being elected than females.

            Women are forced into a thousand roles. They must be mothers, teachers, workers, breadwinners and, most seemingly difficult of all to me, women must present a strong face to the world no matter what they experience. The female experience in Annawadi seems deeply unfair to me. They must work astoundingly hard, but are treated as second-class citizens. As a result of working so hard, they suffer, but must present strong fronts to the world for fear of embarrassing their families. There were subtle mentions of how hard it is for women in the book. Manju is being sold to a husband like an object. There is a very disturbing sentence at the end of Chapter 7 that hints at little girls being raped if they are left alone. Still, the women of Annawadi are relentlessly strong.

They have pride. This is what struck me most strongly about this chapter: the womens’ amazing, unbreakable pride. Asha will work all night for disgusting men to advance her political career, then not speak about it to anyone. Zehruzina will beg her family for money, go home and take abuse from the children she keeps alive, and still work on breaking her husband and son free from jail. There is no room for weakness in these Annawadi women. They have never known being vulnerable because they have always worked.