Response To Pages 1-50

Boo has taught me that writing about culture doesn't need to be a fully academic endeavor. After all, it's ultimately the people that create and modify a culture, so why not focus on their stories instead of just blandly writing about how they live? I must admit I've not done much research or casual reading on culture in the past, but Boo shows deft ability in making the writing engaging and creating a sense of investment in the people. Her narrative style keeps the reader from being inundated with bland statistics or needless survey data. I am struck by both the rampant corruption of government programs perpetrated by Asha, the Corporator Subhash, and even the police. To me, the fact that Asha is wanting to run for office to further reap advantages from this corruption shows me just how desperate Annawadians can get. They must chase after every opportunity at a better life, regardless of how dangerous or illegitimate. Boo really does a great job of weaving the individulals' stories into a form of narrative that allows the reader to get a sense of the hopelessness these people feel.

I think what I could learn from Boo about writing is mainly that great value and interest can be contained in people's stories. Inside the first 50 pages, we learn about the origins of the Annawadi slum, the people that first squatted there, and it's evolution up to the current timeframe of the book. We also learn about how the books' subjects came to inhabit Annawadi, and even the class struggle within Annawadi itself. It's a fairly complex and foreign concept for Americans, especially ones like myself who did not grow up in poverty. I think Boo handles these issues with care and compassion, and really makes the reader understand the bigger systems in play that makes the lives of Annawadians so dire. I feel that having this understanding helps keep the reader invested in the people throughout the book thus far.