Beautiful Forevers, response pg 1-50

What can you learn about writing about culture from these pages?

From Boo’s point of writing, I can tell that it is very important to actually be submerged completely into the culture and in the lives of the people that one is trying to understand.  Boo accomplished this by what she mentioned in the Author’s Note, that she lived with all of the people that were mentioned in the book and recorded their lives as they unraveled in real time.  I can see that many people from different paths of life, no matter their living situation, can always have time to make fun of people from other social classes.  (pg 8-9) As the way Rahul, Abdul and their friends made fun of the ways and customs of the upper class: the way they address people as “Sir” and how Rahul would not act like such a loser if he was ever so lucky as to have as much money as the people at the event he was working.

What can you learn about writing in a more general sense from Katherine Boo's writing? 

The way that Boo writes is fairly consistent.  Each chapter has a focus on one specific person.  As the chapter develops, one can begin to understand the history of the person, the relationship the person has with others, and where the person falls in the caste system of the slums.  She also made sure to share what I believe are details that could have been vitally important in the survival or success of others in the community.  For instance, (pg 20) when there was a long line of people waiting outside of Asha’s house and how Asha took a call in secrecy (pg 23) outside only to explain to her sister about the corrupt ways to swindle money out of the poorer residents of the slums.  Also (pg 25) how Asha told Mr. Kamble he must go pray and return with a better financial plan in order for her to make his loan happen.  In that instance, Boo had to make sure that she did not let her emotions take control and intervene in the situation, as she would then become a part of the slum politics, potentially making an influential change and causing a shift in power.