Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Chapter 3

[Behind the Beautiful Forevers]

In chapter 3 “Sunil” of Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo gives readers insight into the life of Sunil, a garbage collector in Annawadi. She discusses his home life, his upbringing in an orphanage, and his perception of other garbage collectors.

Regarding Airport Road, Boo writes “For waste-pickers, the road where air cargo was loaded and unloaded was the most profitable, and therefore competitive, part of the airport. Crammed with trucks, truck bays, overflowing dumpsters, and small food joints, the place was every week more overrun by scavengers” (85).

What idea from chapter 3 fascinated you the most? Why?

--Kacee Aldridge 

14 comments:

Jacqueline C. said...

The idea that caught my attention in Chapter 3 was that rich travelers dumped garbage outside the airport and scavengers tried to get it. The first question that came to mind was, "Why would anyone want someone's garbage?" Then I thought about it more and tried to see it from their perspective. Maybe they long to at least see what the rich people have because the scavengers have little hope of achieving what they have. I don't consider it envy, but I felt as though they longed for something that seems far out of their reach.

Jacquelene G said...

The idea that fascinated me the most from Chapter 3 or mostly shocked me, was the type of life Sunnil lived and was used to. He seemed to have a rough childhood, but this made him the person he is. His life in the orphanage allowed him to read people's motives. However, the life of a scavenger has an unlimited amount of threats and many do not live long. It was shocking to me how medical problems and death was so common in the scavenger lifestyle that they made a game out of who would die next.

Jacquelene G.

Unknown said...

One interesting concept within this chapter was Sunil's drive to survive. His environment and circumstances did not allow him to succeed in any way shape or form; however, he still found a way to make things happen for him. It was also intriguing that his pride didn't allow him to expect or want hand-outs from anyone; he would much rather work for himself.
Ashya F.

C. S. said...

I find it beautiful that Sunil's sister didn't want to stay within the orphanage without him. Sunita may have made it harder for him (Sunil taking the responsibility to care for her as well) but that act of kindness was great to see. A shift from some of the other families that we have read so far.

Brenda W said...

The idea from chapter 3 that fascinated me the most had to be how Sunil handled his circumstances. I couldn't help but to think of how modern american kids would have acted in a similar circumstance. He made the best out of the life he was given, he did not let his circumstances determine who he would be. I know that if I were thrown on the streets at 11, I probably wouldn't strive for more because I wouldn't think it was worth it. It is phenomenal how much drive he had at such a young age. He taught himself so much, and believed in making more of himself. I was overall fascinated by this and just wondered what it would be like if young people today here in America operated the same way. It's funny because we are given all of these resources and take it for granted, yet here is Sunil that has to work hard for it and appreciates. It's an interesting concept.

Sable Brown said...

The last thing I was thinking about when reading this chapter was the efforts of the people to be able to fulfill more than basic physiological needs. The fact that they inhale white out as a stimulating drug fascinates me. They continue to use it to stay energized and make more money even though they all seem to know it brings mortality sooner to the scavengers.

Anonymous said...

What struck me most was how the landscape could abruptly change from the rich, clean airport area to the poor, dirty Annawadi. The fact that they were literally separated by only a wall was jarring to me. Also, the fact that Sunil had a unique insight that allowed him to view the world as it is, not how he would like it to be or hoped it was. It is an uncommon skill you would be hard-pressed to find in most eleven-year-old children.

Marta A.

Sandra N said...

Sunil's story fascinates me because of how resourceful he is. At the age of 12 he knows how to use information he finds to his advantage. I like that he thinks outside the box. He tries to outsmart other scavengers by going to places they never think of. He is also very loving and protective of his sister Sunita. It is great how he didn't resent her even though she was part of the reason he needed to work harder.

Candace P said...

The idea that fascinated me the most about Chapter 3 is the actions that Sunil had to do in order to ensure that he had an income. Sunil had to search through trash in order to find the most profitable items. However this was no simple task, he would often face assaults by other scavengers and would even risk his own life in order to obtain trash. Sunil's daily findings ultimately determined if he would have enough money to eat or simply starve.

Sunil's life and survival skills are simply phenomenal. Since his mother died when he was young and his father drank constantly, he learned how to fend for himself, while managing to teach his sister some essential skills.

Kayleigh E. said...

One idea in chapter 3 I found really interesting was on page 82 how he stole his own father's sandals while he was sleeping to sell them. Then he sold his own sandals too. That is how desperate thy were for food. I'm sure those were the only shoes they had, too. It is just shocking serious it got, and puts into perspective how privileged we are.

Jenee B. said...

The idea that fascinated me the most was the involvement of the policemen with the scavengers and thieves. I was not very surprised that the policemen were corrupt because of the way many of the other people in the area seemed to act. However, I was surprised that any of the people from Annawadi were willing to work with them even though many of them were afraid of the police. Also, towards the end of the chapter I became more curious about exactly how much control the police had over the people they worked with.

Kiara Gay said...

The concept that I thought was interesting was that the people in the story have to live such scandalous lives in order to survive in a place where everyone is poor and struggling. I think this caught my attention the most because I think about my own life and others around me and see how easy we have it when it comes to getting things handed to us without having to work nearly as hard as these people do to get it. But then you also question, is it right to hustle someone out of their own possessions, or steal just to survive, or does a life of misfortune lead to having no values or morals because being hungry and satisfying desires is all one knows?

Jessica LW said...

The idea that fascinated me the most in chapter 3 is Sunil stealing items from his father for food. The living conditions were that poor that he had to steal from his own father. He stole his father's sandal and cooking pot. He even sold his own shoes for rice. Sunil's story of scavenging for food has shown how desperate and poor the people were in the town.

Ashley Bass said...

What fascinated me the most in chapter 3 was how Sunil acted when it came to him eating and getting food. Instead of begging for food like everyone else, he decided to restrain and hope someone would notice and reward him for not begging. Soon this became his concept throughout life. "But by then, the habit of not asking anyone for anything had become a part of who he was". I thought this was interesting because it shows how one thing someone goes through can shape who they are for the rest of their lives.