Manju strikes me as someone who is very obedient and has set high goals for her. She has taken on more than she could possibly handle but would never dream of complaining about it. While it seems as if she may be one of the only women to make it out of Annawadi and be successful, she makes me wonder whether its because of her own desires or her inability to say no to anything her mother throws at her. I am not suggesting that she does not have her own aspirations, however, I think much of her opportunities are given to her by her mother. I wonder at this point in the book what her own personal hopes and dreams are. She reminds me a lot of the people I went to high school with, extremely driven by their parents wants and needs, often putting them before their own desires. They are alike in that Manju and some of the students I went to school with were extremely overworked and in need of more sleep. Both are completely over prioritized and pressured by their parents. However, the main difference between the two is that the kids that I know were born with opportunity and the ability to make something out of their lives. Manju has to struggle and strive to succeed and persevere in Annawadi. Manju's identity is very much associated and tied closely with her Mothers identity. She can be identified as obedient and quiet. Even when she becomes angry she exercises extreme self control and displays her frustrations discreetly. For example, when her mother turned away Mr. Kamble she did not speak out she just threw the food she was making furiously into the pot. Her reaction over Mr. Kamble also shows that she is compassionate and caring, which makes her very different from her mother.
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