Global Fiction Book #1 Final Project – Daniel Varnis

Around 28% of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight.

1.2 billion people live in India. 110 million of them live in the slums.

India is the second most populous country in the world.

A bulk of that extreme deficit comes from South Asia.

186,000 children under the age of five die each year are a result of diarrhea.

Aid has to come into the slums with fresh water because it’s not accessible for most people living in the area.

90,000,000 people in India don’t have access to this free fresh water, either.

With 17% of the world’s population (over a billion people), the water crisis in India is only getting worse and is becoming life or death for millions of people.

Measles is also one of the reasons why children in the slums are dying.

Not every child who lives in the slums has access to a [somewhat] quality education.

Most people in the slums don’t understand that it takes a while to escape poverty, so they try to make quick money in hopes that it will alleviate all of their problems.

Less than a third of people have access to sanitation in India.

"Everything around us is roses," Abdul's younger brother, Mirchi, put it. "And we're the shit in between." -Prologue, p. xii

“She was less and less sure she wanted to go to Vasai, less and less sure her husband would live to get there. She wanted a more hygienic home here, in the name of her children's vitality.” -Chapter 5, Ghost House, page 83

“Abdul wasn't sure how much money his family had left after fixing the house and paying his father's hospital bill. But he thought that whatever remained should be paid, in order to be innocent. He wanted to go home to the place that he hated.” -Chapter 7, The Come-Apart, page 107

"My flowers live because I don't keep anything dark in my heart. I let the bad things come out into the air." -Chapter 12, page 179

"Do you ever think when you look at someone, when you listen to someone, does that person really have a life?" -Chapter 13, p. 198

“Abdul could control his many desires, but not this one. He wanted to be recognized as better than the dirty water in which he lived. He wanted a verdict of ice.” -Chapter 15, p. 220

It’s not common for the people in the slums to find any form of jobs, so having Rahul’s foot in the hotel will allow me, as a reader, to see the two sides to these contrasting styles of living (rich vs. poor).

When reading this book, the reader has to take into consideration the horrible living environment/environments when making judgements about someone or something.

Although Fatima lied about many things, setting herself on fire was an act that did a very good job displaying her senses of self confidence and individuality.

How are you going to allow all of these high class events to occur, knowing that the people in your own country are dying from poverty and famine?

The people of the US are probably so drawn to this book because of what it pertains to. Although we do have a lot of homeless and poor people in the US, we don't have large cities of people that has a poverty rate of 100%. Reading behind this book allows us, as readers and Americans, to learn about different cultures and ways of living in India.

All in all, even though this was a really good book, it came to a close with a very sad ending. Some good things did come about towards the end, however, there was an equal amount of bad things that occurred.