Sold+1

by Patricia McCormick

 Discussion Time: 4B, Thursday, January 13, 10:55-12:25

 Group 1 Members:  Taylor H  Josef S  Ryan T  Catie O'T  Grayson  Cathy A  Denise C* 

- What was Lakshmi's relationship like with her step father? Why did it seem as though they were uncomfortable around each other? - Do you think Lakshmi was ever able to overcome the feeling of being violated? - How is Lakshmi effected by the relationships she develops with other girls in the house? Does it benefit her to have those friends or does it make her journey more difficult because she has to see most of them leave? - How was Lakshmi effected by moving from a small village to a big city? - Was Lakshmi's family aware of what they sold their daughter into?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Clarifying Questions **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Lakshmi__ - Main character. Sold into prostitution at age 13 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Tali__ - Lakshmi's goat, she develops a strong bond with her pet. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Ama__ - Lakshmi's mother <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Step Father__ - Gambles away his families money. Has a deformed arm and therefore cannot work. This contributes to why Lakshmi must be sent away to work for money. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> __Uncle Husband__ - One of the people involved in bringing Lakshmi to the city. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> __Mumtaz__ - The cruel woman Lakshmi works for at the brothel. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> __Harish (Beckham Boy)__- A young boy who Lakshmi admires while she works for Mumtaz as a prostitute. He teaches Lakshmi how to read English words. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> __Shahanna__ - One of Lakshmi's close friends in the house in the city. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> __Habib__ - Lakshmi loses her virginity to this man. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Pushpa__ - A women in the whore house with two children. Eventually she gets so sick that she is forced to leave the house. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> __Monica__ - Monica is a woman that lives in the same house as Lakshmi in the city. At first, Lakshmi fears her because she is older and has a harsh exterior, however, eventually they develop a strong bond with one another. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> __Anita__ - Disfigured women at the house in the city. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> __Gita__ - Woman who lived in the same village as Lakshmi. She left the village to work in a city just as Lakshmi does. When Lakshmi moves to the city she attempts to find Gita but is unsuccessful.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Characters **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- This novel is narrated from Lakshmi <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- How would the novel have been effected if it were written from a different point of view? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Written as a stream of consciousness, as though she is speaking it herself
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Narration **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - The novel beings in Nepal in a poverty stricken village <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- When Lakshmi is sold into prostitution, she journeys into a big city in India <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- She lives hidden in a house with several other girls and women because they are in the prostitution business and therefore cannot be found <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- When Lakshmi moves from her village in Nepal to the city in India, she experiences a culture shock and was so unaware of other cultures surrounding her
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Setting **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - To endure and triumph <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - The importance of sacrificing for family <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - Never losing hope or giving up on dreams <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - Not submitting to harsh treatment from others <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Survival <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Separation from loved ones <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Escaping from reality
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Themes/Motifs **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - Did the author choose to write the novel in this way for a reason? Why was the text formatted the way it was? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - The style of writing is simplistic. Was this to portray the lack of education that Lakshmi had? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Why was this poetic style of writing more effective than how most novels are written?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Style of Writing **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- "I learned on my journey with Uncle Husband." -Lakshmi
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Significant Passages: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- "But at least for a few minutes, I pretend I am in school with Gita and my soft, moonfaced teacher, and I am the number one girl in class again." Lakshmi

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- "Simply to endure is to triumph." -Ama

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- "Trying to remember, I have learned, is like trying to clutch a handful of fog. Trying to forget, like trying to hold back the monsoon." - Lakshmi

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- "You will make us proud," Ama says, "as the first member of our family to leave the mountain. And perhaps at festival time next year, your mistress will let you come back to visit. Then you can tell us about the world beyond this one."

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- "There are a thousand girls in the city. But so far, none of them is Gita." - Lakshmi

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- "Each morning and evening Mumtaz comes, beats me with a leather strap, and locks the door behind her. And each night, I dream that Ama and I are sitting outside our hut, looking down at the mountain at the festival lights, and she is twining my hair into long dark braids." - Lakshmi

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- "In this city, there are many diseases and many remedies. For the fever-and-chills disease, there are white pills, For the coughing disease, there is a special tea, For the itching and scratching disease, there is a golden ointment. For the burning pain in the groin, there is a shot from the dirty-hands doctor. But for the virus, there is no remedy." - Lakshmi

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- "I try to answer, but nothing comes out of my mouth. I hear more cursing and the scuffle of feet. He is leaving. My American is leaving. Something inside me breaks open, and I run down the steps. I see Mumtaz, her fat mango face purple with rage, her arms pinned behind her back by two policemen. She lunges in my direction and spits. But the policemen hold her back. I see my American. There are other men with him, Indian men, and the American lady from the picture. 'My name is Lakshmi. I am from Nepal. I am fourteen years old'".

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- If it were up to you, would you leave your family for a job that would support them? Why or why not?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Discussion Questions **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Do you believe that Lakshmi's family knew that they were selling their daughter into prostitution? If so, why do you think they would have done this?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- How different do you think the book would be if Lakshmi wasn't the narrator? What if Mumtaz was? Beckham Boy? or a customer?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- What differences would be in the story if it took place in the United States? Other countries?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- What do you think the relationship is between Lakshmi and her stepfather? Her mother?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- If this book had a sequel would Lakshmi be successful in her new life? Would she make it back to her family?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- What do you think happened to Mumtaz after the Americans arrived?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - Should this book be banned because it focuses around prostitution? Or is it a learning tool for the realities of the world around us?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- Where in the world do things like this continue to happen? Do you think that society does enough to stop them from happening?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - What was the significance of the hugging man?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - Do you think prostitutes are culturally accepted in some countries?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- What emotions do you think prostitutes experience? How do they differ from prostitutes who choose to be in this line of work, and from those who are forced into it?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - She's from Nepal and sold as a prostitute. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - I am not sure yet, but I think that she'll likes it. It is nice chance how to see a something more than her mountains where she was living before. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - I think it's idiotic at they'll arrest the prostitutes but not the men who encourage their business. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - The book is pretty hard to read at times. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - Patricia McCormick has another book that is compelling like Sold. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- The subject of this novel is about a very controversial topic. While it is written in a very simplistic way, the message it contains is one of great importance. This novel would be good to study thoroughly in class because it is centered around an important idea that I feel is necessary to talk about in high school.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Initial Thoughts and Interpretations **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> -[| http://brhsbookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/03/sold-book-review.html] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> - http://yareviews.wikispaces.com/Sold+by+Patricia+McCormick <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sold_%28novel%29] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">- http://www.pattymccormick.com/index.php?mode=objectlist&section_id=112&object_id=145 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Patricia McCormick's site, which talks about her books more.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Outside Sources **

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 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Additional Works by Patricia McCormick **