In the last part of the book, and really for all the time that Lakshmi is in the brothel, the main tone of the story is desperation. Lakshmi wants more than anything to be home with her family, and she is willing to do just about anything to go home. Some of the girls, like Monica, are in the brothel by their choice, and try to entice the customers to them, while most of the other girls, like Lakshmi hide whenever a man comes in. After a while, Lakshmi begins to add up the money she makes, counting off the days until she will have payed off her debt. "I will be with them all. Any man, every man. I will become Monica. I will do whatever it takes to get out of here." (p 227) Lakshmi has tried to keep herself sane, but it is very hard to do. She keeps calculations of all the money she makes and when she thinks that she only has another year to pay off her debt, she shows her calculations to the headmistress. Mumtaz corrects her, saying that she will have to work for at least another five years. Lakshmi decides that she will do anything to make the money faster and go home to her family. She has tried so hard to make the best of her terrible situation, but now she realizes that it has all been for nothing.
Most of this book was very depressing and heartbreaking, but the beginning was very beautiful. Lakshmi's life is very hard, yet she is happy. She loves her mother and little brother more than anything and she loves her life with them. One of my favorite parts in the book is when the rain comes after the long drought. They get some extra money, Lakshmi and her mother sit outside in the night and loose themselves in fantasies of what they can do with their extra money. Her mother enjoys one of her stepfathers cigarettes and Lakshmi enjoys a bowl of popcorn. This just shows that even the smallest moments can make the biggest impact.
I completely agree with you. I completely agree how the tone of the last part of the novel is desperation and despair. I really thought that the author did an amazing job at allowing us to feel the middy gritty pain and isolation each of the girls felt. It didn't matter how many girls were in the brothel because they were all alone in one way or another... They were all looking out for themselves while trying to survive which made it hard for anyone to become close to anyone else because they knew that anyone at any moment could be ripped from their lives only to be thrown onto the streets. Even though I didn't write about desperation being the main tone of the book, I can completely understand why you did. One of the biggest parts that stuck out for me on this topic was on page 255. "Five days have passed, and still there is no sign of the American. Only a fool would keep waiting for five days." In this writing, you can clearly see that she has given up all hope for any kind of salvation and that no matter what happens, no matter whom she believes in, she will be stuck in this brothel until she gets an STD or she's too old. Really good job, my dear :D
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