Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Fill gaps and explore silences
What are the big questions not answered? Eg. Events, characters and ideas.
When does the timeline of the story begin and when does it end? Are there unwritten but important events before, during or after this? Create a timeline to help you find the gaps.
Who remains the biggest mystery as a character and what is not explained about their past, their views or thier behaviour? Whose points of view or opinons are never shared? Who never speaks?
Where is the story set (Time and Place)? How does that influence the characters and their attitudes? Which aspects of this influence are never resolved or explained?
How is the story told? Whose points of view are never given? Which language choices suggest the implied values and attitudes of the text?
Why is the text constructed in this way? How does the order of events/stories/poems and the use of language influence readers' attitudes? What does this sequencing help to ephasise or downplay?
The story is a non-fiction narrative written in the form of a novel by Katherine Boo, a Journalist
Katherine Boo's points of view are never directly expressed, but are contained in the key facts she interweaves into the story
Language choices such as silencing scenes in the text can explore issues within a certain group of people. Boo creates a silence for the people of Annawadi when being opressed by the people of real authority.
The story is set in a slum in Mumbai in the 21st century.
The slum environment emphasis poverty, and is the perfect place to explore themes and examples of corruption
Boo wrote the non-fiction collection of events in a novel style to better convey these peoples stories to readers.
Some readers might recognise that, although the collection of events is non-fiction, that it was wrote by a third party who may still have some bias or predisposition for certain groups within power in India.
The way that the burning of Fatima is wrote in a non-chronological emphasises the seriousness of the altercation.
Prologue: Directly after Fatima's burning when Abdul and his family are stressed and on high alert
Backfill on characters such as Asha, Sunil, Hussain's, Manju and Sonu
Back to the burning, when it is explained in detail
The murder trial
The election, sparking real change for the Indias poor communities