Sold by Patricia McCormick: Book Response

            What would you do if your family was really poor?  To what extend would you push yourself to in order to gain money for your family?  Everybody is different and has different needs.  Some people will go on their knees and scrub the floor to get money for their family.  Yet, there are people around the world who expect the money they need for their family to appear at their window. 

Social commentary has a lot to do with people’s decision.  In some countries family is very special and something to value.  In other countries family is taken for granted.  This is not the case for 13 year old Lakshmi.  In the book Sold by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi is a young 13 year old who lives in a hut in the mountains of Nepal with her mother, stepfather and her baby brother.  Lakshmi’s stepfather eventually sells her to a women who claims to be taking her to the city for a job opportunity.  Lakshmi is taken to place called the “Happiness House”.  Here unfortunately, Lakshmi is tricked into prostitution.  Many of Lakshmi’s decisions are based off of social commentary.

            In the “Happiness House” Lakshmi makes many decisions based off of social commentary.  For example, after Lakshmi insists that she will not sleep with the men, another girl says “Do not insist.  Or Mumtaz will beat you half to death.”  In other words, if Lakshmi does not comply with the wishes of her “client”, the head of the house, Mumtaz, will beat her “half to death”.  Lakshmi takes the advice from the girl and distracts herself as she is raped.  The social commentary Lakshmi receives influences her decision.  Also, after Monica (another girl in the house) explains to Lakshmi that by strutting and twining her arms around the men as they enter the house and acting “like a thirsty vine” she will receive the most “clients”.  By receiving more “clients” Lakshmi is convinced that she will receive more money.  After learning of this Lakshmi decides to learn Monica’s tricks.  Soon enough Lakshmi is strutting and twining her arms around the men as soon as they enter the doors.  Monica’s commentary influenced Lakshmi to change her ways.

            The decisions Lakshmi makes in the “Happiness House” are highly influenced by the social commentary she receives and encounters.  The book Sold really makes the reader think about how fortunate they are to have the lives that they do.  As a 13 year old myself, it saddens me and angers me to know that many girls my age in India are tricked into the human trafficking industry.  It’s sickening that many girls can never leave these homes until they become too ill to “work”.   Lakshmi was a very strong and inspiring girl.  When she left her home to “work” in the city, she wasn't afraid of leaving her family.  She was proud to be a working women.  This book questions so many things about the world.  Why are people so cruel?  Why aren't these people caught and punished?  Why do young girls have to experience such revolting situations?  These questions run through the mind of the reader throughout the book.  There are so many possible answers to these questions, but which is the correct one?