The first important theme of Behind the Beautiful Foreversby Katherine Boo is the contrast between wealth and poverty in India. It is set in a slum in Mumbai which is in sight of Mumbai's international airport and many luxury hotels. Thus, we get a sharp sense of how the "new India" of successful technology companies benefiting from globalization contrasts with the "old India" living in poverty without basic modern conveniences. An important and ironic element...
The first important theme of Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo is the contrast between wealth and poverty in India. It is set in a slum in Mumbai which is in sight of Mumbai's international airport and many luxury hotels. Thus, we get a sharp sense of how the "new India" of successful technology companies benefiting from globalization contrasts with the "old India" living in poverty without basic modern conveniences. An important and ironic element of this contrast is the way that the slum dwellers of Annawadi make their living is by sorting through the garbage thrown out by their richer neighbors.
The second theme dominating the book is "garbage." Annawadi is a garbage dump, both in terms of the objects tossed out in the literal garbage dump and the way in which its inhabitants are viewed as human refuse by wealthier and more fortunate Indians. Just as the residents of Annawadi survive and sometimes even succeed by sorting through and finding value in other people's garbage, Boo and her readers find value and interest in the lives of the people marginalized in Annawadi.
The final important theme of the book is justice. On top of the fundamental injustice of people living in filth and poverty in the sight of luxury hotels, we also see miscarriages of justice and corruption in the Indian legal system contributing to systematic oppression and inequality.
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