The
book Sold by Patricia McCormick is about a girl named Lakshmi who
belongs to a poor family in Nepal. In the beginning of the book, Lakshmi’s
mother is explaining to her all the work that women have to do for their
husbands, and around the house. Lakshmi will have to wait to eat until her
husband has been fed, never look a man in the eye, and much more. Lakshmi asks
her mother why women must suffer so. Her mother replies that suffering has
always been women’s fate. “’Simply to endure,’ she says, ‘is to triumph.’”
I
think that this quote means that since life is so hard for women of that region
and belief, simply to get through life as a highly-restricted housewife without
making trouble is success. This really made me think. I know that most
societies are not like that. In Park Slope, women are everything from doctors
to social workers to stay-at-home moms. Whatever they do, they do with their
head held high. Their triumphs are
beyond what they must do. Their
triumphs are what they believe in doing. Where Lakshmi lives, it must be so
hard for women to be proud. They don’t get to do much other than cooking and
practically hiding from men.
When
Lakshmi’s mom said that suffering has always been women’s fate, I was a little upset.
Women have, over the years, proved themselves to do so much more than endure.
They have had fun, celebrated, worked, and succeeded. I think that if society
is forcing you to just live your life abiding by many rules, you’re able to care
for your family, but there’s so much else you could be doing. Lakshmi’s mother
could be a doctor, artist, teacher, or so much more, but instead she must use
all of her energy abiding by strict rules and regulations, while her husband
gambles all day.
Lakshmi
lives in a strict society where women are looked down upon. However, I think
that Lakshmi has so much to offer. It’s not fair that she must be treated like a
lowly maid, suffering for her husband’s comfort. I hope that Lakshmi defies the
rules and becomes someone that she will enjoy being.
I completely agree with you. All of these women if they had the opportunities, probably have incredible talents and potentials to become something really great. Because they all have to live like this and have simple triumphs like enduring, they never really will be able to do anything creative or constructive with their lives other than cleaning and cooking.
ReplyDeleteI loved this post!!! I agree with you 100%. I understand where you are coming from, and I too was angry when I was reading a part of the book. Women do not deserve to be treated that way. You supported your idea very well :) <3
ReplyDeleteGreat Post Talia! I thought it was an interesting quote you picked at the end of the first paragraph. It was used well. It's very bad that men in that region of the world just feel like they are entitled to pampering, that's about half the population. It wouldn't make sense as an economy anyways. I think it's one of the reasons why that region of the world is in mostly poverty right now.
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