Matt Carucci
Critical Studio
Chapters 9 – 10
Synopsis and Questions
Asha and her family visit the village they are from. Asha feels proud coming back as if she is worth something now after she’s struggled and worked to get out from that. She mentions how she could work like a Donkey without eating for day. Asha wants to marry off Manju. The villages have had a drought and which they knew as “between the rains”. The village calls July the month when the gods sleep. Farmers are killing themselves by drinking pesticides because they can’t pay back loans they took out for their seeds. The government doesn’t really help out with the water situation ever. Asha puts on a fake it until you make it attitude until she can get into the first class. Manju learns a photoshop term at college – Marquee Effect. Then tells her mom she doesn’t want an arranged marriage and that some people get to choose their own spouse. She likes this guy ViJay who always saves her first when they play pretend at her class. Asha has sex with policemen for money.
Sunil finds a scavenger with his leg busted but is scared to call the police. No one helps him. Later Sunil comes back to see he’s now dead. Police tell other scavengers to clean him up cause they don’t wanna get tuberculosis. Lots of bodies show up and Annawadi thinks one leg left them a curse. Sunil is worried that Annawadi will be destroyed and turned into an airport. Sunil meets Sonu who gets lots of trash even though he is scrawny and not healthy. Sonu pays airport security to get their trash and after a while they just let him have it. Sunil and Sonu work together and start to make a dollar a day. Kalu is a thief who helps Sunil and protects him and smokes with him even though Sonu hates it. Sunil has Kalu stop stealing parrots cause he likes to listen to them. In order to not get arrested Kalu agrees to tell cops information about drug deals. Kalu becomes scared for cops and dealers and decided to move home with his dad which makes Sunil sad. Before he leaves he tells Sunil his real name is Deepak Rai and his main god is Ganpati. Abdul comes home from juvy and tries to teach other scavengers but only Kalu listens. Zehrunisa tells Kalu he looks healthy after working with his father and says how he’s a changed man and will scavenge instead of stealing. Abdul gets punched by some old guy. Kalu is found dead the following morning.
- Why do you think Kalu decided to tell Sunil his real name and god before leaving?
- What happened to Kalu? Cops or Drug dealers?
