The Final chapter of the novel

Kris, Somer, and Asha heads back to California. After 4 years Jasu comes to the Orphanage to get information about Asha. He has finally realized that he didn't do a good job by giving away her child, and hurting his wife. He can't see his wife sad everyday anymore so he goes to the orphange to get information about Asha. In the orphanage he learns that Asha is alive and she is in America. The orphanage clerk also tells him that she was here and searching for them 4 years ago. He becomes really happy and excited that she is in Aerica and she is good. The clerk hands him a letter that Asha wrote for her mother Kavita. Jasu heads back home and tell Kavita about this who is really worried about her daughter since she gave her away. She becomes very happy to hear that her daughter is alive and she is in America. Also she becomes little upset that she was very far from her in these 24 years. She opens the letter and reads it. The chapter ends.

Why to read this book?

People should read this book in order to understand the way relationships works between the parents and children, especially the realtionship between a mother to her daughter. Mostly this book talks about the challenges that the parents face rasing thier children, the hard decisions that the parents make to give away thier children when the aren't able to raise them so they give them away to keep them alive. It also talks about those parents that can't give birth to a child, and they make the decision to adopt one, and raise them as thier own child.
By reading this book I understood the meaning of love between a mother and her child. I learned that how much a mother loves her child, and what she does for her child in order to give her/him a good and sucesful life. In addition this book talks about the different cultures of  India and America. I reccomend this book for those who don't have good relationship with their parents. I am sure by reading this book they will get a good lesson from it.

Unknown Words

1. Hahn- Yes
2. Pitcher- Jug
3. Futta fut- Quickly
4. Gulab jamune- Indian sweet
5. Bhinda- Okra
6. Arre- Oh my
7. Memsahib- Madam, Mrs
8. Gawar- Village boy
9. Bhai sahib- Brother
10. Yar- Friend
11. Kajal- Eyeliner

Similes and Metaphors

"Look, Things work differently here. I know how to handle this, just trust me. You can't come here with your American ideas." Kris page: 62

Composition: The American life and point of view of Somer to Indian life and culture.

Context: In India the rights of women and men are not equal.

Significance: In India women are to cook and to clean the house they are not meant to work outside. But In
America it is completly different where women and men have equal rights, and they both work and make
money.

"In Bomby won't have to break out backs everyday"  Jasu page: 90

Comparison: Life in Dahanu and life in Bombay.

Context: Life in Bombay was easier then Dhanu.

Significance: Jasu thought that if they move to Bombay life will be easier, and he will find a easier job there that won't break his back everyday.


"Imagine how she will outrun you back in the fresh California weather" Kris page: 328

Comparison: The weather of Mumbai to the weather of California.

Context: The weather of mumbai was polluted and the weather of California was clear.

Significance: The weather of Mumbai was very polluted because of the dirty enviroment and they are not get use to this air since they have a clean and fresh air in California they arn't use to this polluted air.

A twist in the story!

In the last chapter if the book Jasu goes to the orphanage to find out about his daughter. The daughter that he never cared for. Finally he realized that he did not do a good job by giving her daughter away, and making her wife upset and worried about her daughter in each day of her life. In orphanage he learns that his daughter is grown and lives in America now. He becomes happy for her for having a good life in America. He comes home to tell Kavita about this. While Kavita hear about her daughter she becomes happpy and realizes that how far her daughter was in these 24 years. In last Jasu gives her a letter that Asha gave it to the orphanage the letter that Asha rote for her mother Kavita.

Summery of the novel from part 4 to 5

Asha gets a job in times of India to work there as a reporter for one year, She talks to her parents about it. At first Somer is not agree with her because she is not old enough to go to a country like India where the women are not treated well. But after some time become convinced, and let her go. Asha arrives in India she is excited because for the first time she is going to see her grandmother and other relatives. She arrives in Mumbai, meet her family and join her job as a reporter in Times of  India. Her job is to meet the poor people, have conversation with them and see how they are living in such bad conditions where they hardly find money to feed their family. Asha's co-worker Meena helps her to discovers lot about Mumbai she even eat in the streets where Indian sell some good and tasty food. Asha gets to know that life is much easier in US then in India she discovers that most of the girls are not educated in India because their parents do not spend much money on their education. Then she realizes that how lucky she was that she got adopted by Somer and Kris, and had a good life. Kris talks with Somer for going to India he realizes that he haven't been to India since a decade, and he feels that he should go and meet his family and friends. But Somer doesn't want to go there now so Kris go there by himself. She arrives in Mumbai with lot of excitement to meet his family after a long time. He meet Asha and hugs her. Asha talks with him about her natural parents. She wants to find out who is her real parents? Where they are? Why they give her away? She has a bunch of questions to know about. Kris tells her that he is agree with her and she should find out about them. Asha talks with her grandma and gets help from her. She goes to the orphanage and luckily find some information about them. By the hard struggling finally she finds out about them and she discovers that her natural parents have a son, and she gets upset that why they give her away and kept their son. She don't meet them and get run out of their place.  After  that Aha's Grandfather die. Because Asha's father is the oldest son he can do the funeral ceremony. But because he is in California and can't reach in time, her grandmother asks Asha to prolong the ceremony.  Meanwhile Kris and Somer comes to India for Kris's father funeral. Somer meets Asha and Asha say sorry to her for not behaving good with her in her last moments in California. She realized that how much Somer loves her.
My prediction about the last chapter of the book is that maybe she will meet her natural parents and get to gather with them.

Blog prompt

The setting of my book is in small Village of India, and in San Fransisco, California.  I think this is symbolic of people who are against of giving birth to a daughter, and who are suffering from not becoming pregnant and having a child. I can't believe That Jasu didn't even Cared about her daughter and was ready to give her away. This is the part which makes me very upset that why people in India, and in some other part of the world don't treat their children equally, instead some love their sons more than their daughters, and some love their daughters more then their sons. I don't trust that some people are very cruel and uncaring that they even become ready kill their own children or give them away.
My favourite part of the story is when Somer and Kris adopts Asha and, she find a great parrents to give her a bright future bright and educate her. In addition Somer and Kris are also very lucky that they find a daughter. I don't understand why Kavita forgive her husband after giving her child away. She dose noy behave very good with him at first but after some time she forgives him.
If I could meet the author I would ask her that what made her to chose this story? And why she published it?
My favorite quotation so far is: "You dont know until it happens to you. It is the strongest love you can imagine."

Symbol

A symbol that I found in the first chapter of the book is drowned which describes water, and means emotions and birth of an identity. It is during Kavita's pregnancy which means that she is going to give birth to her child soon, and her emotions are that she is worried if it is a girl what she will do? what will happen to her child? Is her husband going to accept her or no? she is worried and frustrated with a bunch of questions in her head.
                                         

Reader response chart

Setting: Palghar, India, Dahanu, India, Bombay, India, San Fransisco, California

 Unknown words and definitions:  Bena- Sister
                                                           Beti-  dear
                                                           extraneous-  subsidiary,  foreign
                                                                                                  
This story reminds me of the Indian culture when I was in India I have seen many people who dislike to give birth to a daughter sometimes the kill her or sometimes they give her away.

What happened in this chapter: Kavita finds an orphanage in Bombay by the help of Rupa to give her daughter to the orphanage. She go to Bombay, and give her daughter away to keep her alive although she is worried about her that who will take care of her and who will feed her but she makes this hard decision and gives her child to the orphanage.

An inner conflict:
is between Jasu and Kavita because of their child, Jasu doesn't want the daughter but Kavita loves her and want to keep her. This makes Kavita to have a conflict with Jasu.

A thought from the protagonist:

"A sudden fear grips her, the same suffocating fear she has felt throughout this pregnancy. what will happen if they are all wrong? Her second prayer, and the more desperate of the two, is that she not give birth to another girl. She cannot endure that again"


When did this take place: 1984, 1985, 1990

Significant quotation:
"No I will not you are not taking her"

Emotions in this piece: frustrations, sadness, confusion, excitement, angry.
Most important word to describe
this section: reassuring
A question I have: why Kavita's husband didn't have any feelings for his child?
A lesson learned: Love your child and do anything you can do for her/him.

The characters in this piece: Rupa, Kavita, Somer, Krishnan, Jasu.
Prediction: I think Kavita will meet her child again maybe not soon but after many years and if she won't meet her she will be praying for her safety and hope to meet her somewhere.

Quotation from another character: "Daiji, don't tell anyone. Go quickly, fetch Rupa, and bring her here. No one, you hear?"
Unknown word & definition: anticipation-forecast, belly-stomach, gesture-movement, pandit-Hindu priest. 
Somebody: Somer
Wanted: to give birth to a baby

But: She couldn't do it

So: she adopted one.

A social possible social
commentary: Most of the people in India didn't like to have a daughter because the could find problems for them but How they didn't have any feeling for their child.

My advice is Jasu knows that having a daughter is a difficult think in his place but she is his daughter and he should learn that she is a gift from God to him and he should love her!
A power conflict: Jasu always had fight with Kavita because she couldn't give birth to a boy.

Reader response

Maybe I am just not meant to be a mother.

This reminds me of my sister when she was expecting a child, and the child died when she was giving birth to him. It was very frustrating and sad for her that she lost her first child, and she nearly said the exact words as it says on this line. This line speaks to me about the truth that my sister experienced and  it also reminds me of my mother she also lost one of her child when she was giving birth to him.

My predictions

I think there is a mother who has a secret daughter far from her, and her family. The reason because she is away might be that her life is at risk or her mother fears that her family does not like the daughter and will not accept her or will kill her if they see her . In this case she is giving her away to a safe place to keep her alive, and give her a good education. My prediction about her daughter’s future is that maybe at first her mother and she will suffer for being away from each other and face many challenges but in conclusion they will have a good life, she might return to her mother, and her mother will be happy that she made this decision that saved her daughter’s life.

Book cover

Book choice!

The book that I am reading is the secret daughter written by Shilpi Gowda, and it is 352 pages. This book is about a mother who makes the choice to save her new born daughter's life by giving her away. I choose this book because it seemed interesting and it has a good story.