First Post: Paloma Prudhomme

In the first third of the book (until p. 87) we learn about Lakshmi and her family. Lakshmi is a hard working 12 year old girl. All she wants is for her family to have a tin roof. Once Lakshmi starts her journey to the so called city she starts to wonder whats really going on. Strange things are happening, but for her family and the tin roof, she goes along with it.
In the beginning we learn how much a man means in their culture. "Ama says we are lucky to have a man at all. She says I am to honor and praise him, respect and thank him for taking us in after my father died"(p.8). After reading this, and learning how they kneel down to him and rub his feet, a part of me was angry. Angry at them for not seeing that they could do better without him, and angry at how men are looked up to so much more than women in their culture. I found it interesting how Ama said that he took them in when this whole time he isn't doing a single thing, they are the ones doing everything around the house. The women do everything, they go to get the water, they clean, they make the food, they rub his feet, they bow down to him, they don't say a word when he leaved for 3 months and comes back, or when he spends all their money on a motorcycle and then looses it again. It made me realize how extremely lucky I am to live in a place like this that accepts women and gives them the same opportunities as men.
According to The NY Times the man to woman ratio in India is way off. There are many many more men than women. This is part of the reason why the woman do everything for them. If you have landed yourself a man who will stay with you than you are in good luck and you must do everything right to keep him happy.
By this point in the book it is quite obvious that the "Uncle Husband" is not taking Lakshmi to work as a maid, but to be a sex slave instead. I wonder if when she gets there she will be able to find some way to get out and how long she will be there for.