Summary Of Behind The Beautiful Forevers
Sitting in a university classroom, coming from a fairly privileged socioeconomic background it is difficult to image the experiences of inhabitants living in Indian slums. Katherine Boo’s novel, ‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers’, coupled with course material helps begin to depict a story of poverty that many North Americans have been sheltered from. Therefore, in this paper chapter’s one and two from Boo’s novel will be analysed based on theoretical content presented in the first half of the ‘Development and the City’ course. Discussing such topics as socio-economic relations, gender differences and aspirations of those living within slums, this paper will attempt to highlight some of the constraints these individuals encounter. In addition,
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As this novel so beautifully describes the constraints of migrants residing in the urban slums of Mumbai, development does not benefit everyone. In ‘Development and the City’ it is well iterated that India holds two-thirds of the world poor with a continually increasing population that is expected to surpass that of China in the next decade. Unfortunately this means that the current problems are only going to become even more exaggerated as development is unable to keep up with urbanization. Although there has been progress “in which many of India’s old problems- poverty, disease, illiteracy, child labour- were being aggressively addressed” many others have not, including “corruption and exploitation of the weak by the less weak” (28). Therefore, it would appear that the longer India avoids investing in their poorer urban population through development in infrastructure, heath care and education, the worse the situation will become. In the novel this question is asked, “Was there a soul in this enriching, unequal city who didn’t blame his dissatisfaction on someone else” (20)? From what can be seen from both ‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers’ and ‘Development and the City’, the current answer is no, though hopefully the future will change this outlook on life by those residing in
As this novel so beautifully describes the constraints of migrants residing in the urban slums of Mumbai, development does not benefit everyone. In ‘Development and the City’ it is well iterated that India holds two-thirds of the world poor with a continually increasing population that is expected to surpass that of China in the next decade. Unfortunately this means that the current problems are only going to become even more exaggerated as development is unable to keep up with urbanization. Although there has been progress “in which many of India’s old problems- poverty, disease, illiteracy, child labour- were being aggressively addressed” many others have not, including “corruption and exploitation of the weak by the less weak” (28). Therefore, it would appear that the longer India avoids investing in their poorer urban population through development in infrastructure, heath care and education, the worse the situation will become. In the novel this question is asked, “Was there a soul in this enriching, unequal city who didn’t blame his dissatisfaction on someone else” (20)? From what can be seen from both ‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers’ and ‘Development and the City’, the current answer is no, though hopefully the future will change this outlook on life by those residing in