Trust Evolution

Recently, I finished reading Sold by Patricia McCormick; a book about a young girl in Nepal, Lakshmi, whose world turns topsy-turvy when she is sold into prostitution. Lakshmi, at first, has a very trusting, innocent outlook. Trust is simple. She trusts her Ama, and she DOES NOT trust her stepfather. But by the end of a story, trust is a far more complicated being with Lakshmi.

When Lakshmi is traveling with Uncle Husband (one of her escorts) to the city, he gives her food and guidance and protection from the men at the border. Lakshmi trusts him entirely, without the barest trace of doubt. When introduced to Mumtaz, Lakshmi is slightly confused, since she is still thinking that she is to be a maid, and Mumtaz mentions Lakshmi's hip size, which puzzles Lakshmi. But then she trusts Mumtaz. Mumtaz then introduces Lakshmi to her little friend; a leather strap she has solely to abuse her "workers". Lakshmi is betrayed, and she begins to realize how harsh the world, especially Mumtaz, is. She no longer trusts Mumtaz. This shows me that she is learning that she can not trust everybody. That she is realizing, trusting people gives them the opportunity to take advantage of you, and that can leave you in an extremely vulnerable postition. A position that Lakshmi is getting tired of.

While working for Mumtaz in the Happiness House, Lakshmi is betrayed by Mumtaz (and her stepfather, if you think that he knew where she was headed), hundreds of times by hundreds of men. Pushpa, one of Lakshmi's coworkers, has two children that Lakshmi spends time with, especially Harish. Harish is an eight year old boy that loves to play soccer and read about Elmo. He teaches Lakshmi some English, and on the Festival of Brothers and Sisters, he gives her a new pencil. She feels a somewhat brotherly love for him, and a deep gratitude for his lessons. This makes me think that she considers Harish like her little brother back home. I hope that those expectations don't disappoint when she (fingers crossed!) returns back to her village.

But Lakshmi's one relationship that really stood out to me where trust was concerned, was with the tea vender boy. He is pretty much the only person in the whole city that shows her true kindness. Granted, Anita and Shahanna did she her considerable kindness, but this boy wasn't forced into intimate situations with her at close proximity day after day. He was a stranger, and in fact she never learned his name. But he showed hospitality, and brought her coca-cola and in the poem "A Coca-Cola", it say's: "He kicks one bare foot against the other. "We are both alone in this city," he says. "Isn't that reason enough?"'. This showed me that he is also vulnerable, but still hopeful (sound familiar. Also, I am curious if the boy is from a small village, like Lakshmi, because she says a few times that he has eyes just like Tali. I firmly believe that eyes are windows to your soul, and has the ability to reveal your true emotion and what you have seen in life. So if he has eyes like Tali's...maybe he is like Tali. Considering how beneficial Tali is for Lakshmi, both emotionally and economically, then maybe Lakshmi and the tea vendor were meant to be friends. But Lakshmi barely gives him the time of day, even when he leaves her tea and coca-cola without asking for a payment. This really kind of pissed me off. I mean, seriously, of all the times to grow a backbone and act suspicious of a relationship, you do it now? NOW? I was quite mad at Lakshmi and had to stop reading for a little while to calm down.

In conclusion, Lakshmi is generally a very trusting person. But being sold really had many subliminal effects on her that she might not have realized. I understand that she might not trust people so much after her trauma, but she has to get a little better at deciphering people. I understand that most people aren't clearly 'good' or 'bad', and I understand the point of having your guard up at most times. But if somebody is showing you true kindness when your world has recently turned to poo, then maybe you should trust them a little. I also understand that Lakshmi has been through some serious trust issues recently, and maybe she can act a little irrational. But of all the ways to act irrational, this was the LEAST rational (if that makes sense).

Agreed?