Poverty

Poverty is one of the three major, dominant, overarching themes in Katherine Boo's book, "Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity". Poverty - a lack of basic needs and wealth - stalks the people documented in the book like a nightmare, and influences every single part of their lives and their stories. In Annawadi, poverty is nearly inescapable and unavoidable. People are born into such poverty all over the world, and in Annawadi, it is no different. There is no running water, no indoor plumbing, no relief services, no cleaning services, and the people do not take care of what they have, because they can barely afford to take care of themselves.

As a driving force, poverty causes contention between those who live in it, blaming each other for their own misfortunes. Poverty sharpens religious, cultural, and ethnic divisions in Annawadi. Poverty also...