Behind the Beautiful Forevers,
written by Katherine Boo, has caused me to doubt and reevaluate my own ideas of
right and wrong. I have grown up
surrounded by much different morals and ideals than the people of Annawadi, and
my own seem completely normal and reasonable to me. However, reading about Meena
and her brothers and how they “had once caught her on the phone and slapped her
for it” upset me; to me, this is immoral (Boo 182). As we discussed in class, I
had the impression that her brothers felt this was normal, and that is was their
duty. If I had been raised in an environment in which abuse and violence toward
women was a responsibility, it would seem normal to me as well. I wonder whether
the ideas of right and wrong are merely relevant to specific environments, or
if there is a universal right and wrong that should be followed.
Boo’s style initially took me by
surprise; there are so many stories to follow and so much detail. For example,
Boo describes what a typical day for Abdul looks like, and everything that he
sees (Boo 4). This style submerges the reader in the culture, and really allows
one to feel not only connected to the inhabitants of Annawadi, but do the environment
itself.
While discussing the book, I noticed
I was always referring to individuals as “characters”. It was hard to grasp
that these were true accounts of a culture, but I felt much more connected to
each person than I would have if it had been written in a more traditional manner.
However, it did cause me to wonder how she
was able to understand how these individuals felt. For example, when Abdul and
his father are being whipped, and she explains that Abdul “closed his eyes and
tried to recall some key words from the last time he had prayed” (Boo 105). Was
she able to witness each moment she writes about, or were these tales recounted
to her? Overall, Katherine Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers has shown
me a new way to approach culture, and it has given me quite a different experience
of India.
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