The opening scene of ‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers,’ introduces Abdul as he sorts through trash in the India slum Annawadi. Abdul is hiding because he fears being arrested for lighting his neighbor Fatima’s (One Leg) fire. In 2008, Abdul was rummaging through garbage to earn money for his 13-person family. Through this, his younger sibling Mirchi could go to university. Mirchi’s fantasy is to work in one of those hotels that are over the wall. In the novel, we meet another family. One of its members is Asha. Asha has a dream of becoming Annawadi’s first female Slumlord. Asha is a slumlord for Shiv Sena. Asha’s daughter Manju is a college graduate who has been working to support her family financially. Sunil works along the wall which separates the local airport from the international one. Sunil does not find enough garbage to support himself. He suffers from malnutrition. Sunil is trying to escape poverty and this message may be a secret in the book. Annawadians can’t evolve as working in slums costs more than it pays. The corporation owning the land in Annawadi says it will remove the slums so that industrialization can take place. Mumbai officials are happy to approve the plan in order to show that poverty in India is no longer a problem. The novel explores the different friendships and relationships that keep Annawadi’s residents hopeful for a brighter tomorrow. The novel shows how globalization has created inequalities that affect the lives of these people and their daily choices, such as begging, drug use, charity, work, education, and marriage.
The theme is globalization, which is repeated throughout the novel. Globalization has a negative impact on residents in Annawadi. Globalization has a lot of power to explain things. This is why many people are in favor of it, but few see the negative effects that globalization can have on issues currently occurring in the country. The government can create poverty and wealth in a certain area, if they do not focus on the population or the problems at hand. If you were not born wealthy, you would not be able to assess your financial and social status. Annawadi’s poverty means that there are few resources available for education, health care and food. These things can help you to increase your income. The reason that many multinational corporations choose to do business abroad is because the labor is cheaper, environmental protection laws are lenient and taxes are lower. People think this will help a developing country build its economy. But it can actually mask poverty by hiding the reality. Globalization introduced different industries that could have created jobs for Annawadi residents, but it didn’t. An army uniformed workers cleaned up the surrounding area of the terminal. The luxury hotel garbage was largely recycled by large recycling firms, resulting in a ‘finance beyond counting’ according to Abdul.
Globalization is taking away control from Annawadi. Globalization has affected Annawadi’s lives, especially Manju. Asha is adamant about her culture. One aspect of that is the arrangement of marriages. Globalization brought international airports and hotel chains. These industries only care about profit. These industries do not want Annawadi to be able to live there, and they are trying to get rid of them to increase their profits.
Globalization results in lower prices due to the fact that other countries can manufacture products at lower costs, reducing their social welfare. Globalization increases the amount of travel, but can also cause problems for countries such as India. They may not be able to contain or cure the disease.
In the novel, residents of Annawadi are unable to make independent decisions and act on their own behalf. Asha, who sleeps with the police officers to profit from illegal fraud and to maintain her village’s power, is an example of this theme. Asha could have a happier family life if her job didn’t require sexual acts in order to make money. Annawadi’s structures constrain the individual by not allowing them to collect garbage. They also limit their ability to move around India. As a result, residents are forced to steal goods and sell them for money. Indian authorities even take away voting rights from poor citizens, which makes them less equal than other Indians and a way to make their voices heard. Institutional corruption impacts individuals’ lives because the amount paid by a prisoner to police is often used to determine if he or she is ‘guilty. Karam, Abdul and others would all be in jail if found guilty. Their families would not have the food they need and they could not provide basic needs for them. Annawadi can be a dangerous place because of the fear that people will get beaten up or incarcerated if they didn’t do anything wrong. Sunil doesn’t stop and help a scavenger who has a bloody wound. This is because Sunil fears police brutality. As a result, the man dies. Abdul won’t confront a man punching him in his chest without provocation out of fear for police brutality. A scavenger who died from tuberculosis was taken away by the corporate police in India. The police decided that slum boy scavengers could not collect garbage at the airport. If they did so, they’d be charged for Kalu’s murder. The police are doing this to ‘improve India’s image of poverty and not having people beg.
Globalization is the main theme behind the Beautiful Forevers. India’s government seeks to correct the negative perception of India by changing the way it is portrayed. The government will do anything to improve its reputation and attract more businesses/travelers. The sceptic’s view is based on the idea that the government has the power to regulate economic life and the welfare system, but does not. The government could regulate economic life through various means. For instance, they could regulate waste and building laws. Animals that are in contact with the waste and construction materials will become sick. If humans eat this animal, it can spread illnesses. India’s government accepted the request for demolition by the airport, which would result in overcrowding of another slum. More people would be homeless. Annawadi residents could be protected by the government, but it is only interested in protecting its image. The government takes away voting rights from people living in slums so that they can’t receive extra resources and support to help them live a sustainable lifestyle. The government wants to maximize profits by industrializing and promoting tourism. Globalization serves to advance India’s elite business agenda, by hiding Annawadi at the international terminal to mask the notion that India has extreme poverty. Annawadi’s people are less aware and more apathetic because they can’t be seen. They could have hired residents from Annawadi in order to help them increase their income, and to remove poverty. The airport hires officials because they look good, instead of hiring their own staff. This only serves to advance India’s agenda than help Annawadi. The sceptics approach is to restrict the residents’ freedom of choice and employment in Annawadi. Barakat (2019) states that free-marketeers are using globalization to undermine welfare systems and cut back state expenditures.
Lack of financial and medical support makes the public hospitals a death trap. Manju has volunteered to educate Annawadi’s children, but the Catholic charity is not interested in the success of her school. Annawadi residents and those in other areas of poverty will not be able escape poverty unless the government provides welfare and state funds.
References
Original: In conclusion
Paraphrased: To sum up
Barakat, G. (2019). Introduction to Globalization and Sociology: Perspectives, Dimensions and Perspectives
Boo, K. (2012). In Behind the Beautiful Forevers, an in-depth look at life in a slum in India is presented. Random House, New York.
Robinson, W. I. (2008). Different approaches to understanding globalization. Blackwell Publishing, Malden (US)
