The literary works by Katherine Boo and Evan Osnos are essential in understanding the Indian and Chinese societies and the challenges facing people in the two societies. Behind the Beautiful Forever: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Slum Life and Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China, are written after deep examination of the two societies, which reveals the aspirations of the local people. Through living with the societies, the writers managed to document the daily struggles of the Chinese and Indians to make their lives better. Both books were based on two different societies but there are glaring similarities and differences between the two that make every reader understand the actual life that these societies
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In Boo’s book, she finds that political connections play an important role in ones aspirations (Osnos 42). The main type of connection required for one to success in Assandand is political and government connections. There are groups of corrupt government cartels that make it impossible for the people to escape poverty. These officials control all the business in the slum to extents, where they are involved in the scrap metal and garbage collection business. They make it hard for the slum people to do anything with their lives by frustrating their ascent to the top. The writer documents cases of rich governments who take all employment opportunities, even those in the Mumbai airport near the Annawadi slums. In China, aspirations and social mobility is determined by parental connections than any other factor, including education. In other countries, the decision on how far one progress economically is determined by their education. However, in New China most people’s aspirations are distinguished by lack of political connections. This creates a conflict where a crop of people controls the economic factors therefore reducing other’s growth. Just like the case in Annawadi, the role of the government in these aspirations is evident. Osnos gives the case of the repressive Chinese government that oppresses on people …show more content…
Most people living in Annawadi are in the lowest caste, which makes economic progression hard. Their aspirations are curtailed by the values held in the Indian society, where the low castes are restricted from good jobs and dreams. They are treated as servants and menial workers for the dirty jobs like scrap and rag picking. The Annawadi slums are the definition of these values, as seen by the writer. The writer finds that all higher castes have overtaken all businesses, thus making it impossible for Annawadi Indians to move forward with their economic aspirations. In China, the types of aspirations are affected by contemporary values rather than societal values like caste. There are no restrictions on one’s growth as long as one possesses a zeal for hard work and success. To prove this, the writer uses the case of Gong Hainan, who was a low peasant but rose to become a millionaire. There is also the case of Lin Yifu, a Taiwan officer who rose to become a top World Bank economist (Boo 65). The book is full of other cases of ordinary citizens, who actualized their aspirations and rose to become extraordinary leaders in business and politics. Additionally, the values in China as illustrated by Osnos show an urban and prosperous society whose aspirations are not controlled by traditional societal values like caste and racism. Everyone can achieve their dream as long as they
In Boo’s book, she finds that political connections play an important role in ones aspirations (Osnos 42). The main type of connection required for one to success in Assandand is political and government connections. There are groups of corrupt government cartels that make it impossible for the people to escape poverty. These officials control all the business in the slum to extents, where they are involved in the scrap metal and garbage collection business. They make it hard for the slum people to do anything with their lives by frustrating their ascent to the top. The writer documents cases of rich governments who take all employment opportunities, even those in the Mumbai airport near the Annawadi slums. In China, aspirations and social mobility is determined by parental connections than any other factor, including education. In other countries, the decision on how far one progress economically is determined by their education. However, in New China most people’s aspirations are distinguished by lack of political connections. This creates a conflict where a crop of people controls the economic factors therefore reducing other’s growth. Just like the case in Annawadi, the role of the government in these aspirations is evident. Osnos gives the case of the repressive Chinese government that oppresses on people …show more content…
Most people living in Annawadi are in the lowest caste, which makes economic progression hard. Their aspirations are curtailed by the values held in the Indian society, where the low castes are restricted from good jobs and dreams. They are treated as servants and menial workers for the dirty jobs like scrap and rag picking. The Annawadi slums are the definition of these values, as seen by the writer. The writer finds that all higher castes have overtaken all businesses, thus making it impossible for Annawadi Indians to move forward with their economic aspirations. In China, the types of aspirations are affected by contemporary values rather than societal values like caste. There are no restrictions on one’s growth as long as one possesses a zeal for hard work and success. To prove this, the writer uses the case of Gong Hainan, who was a low peasant but rose to become a millionaire. There is also the case of Lin Yifu, a Taiwan officer who rose to become a top World Bank economist (Boo 65). The book is full of other cases of ordinary citizens, who actualized their aspirations and rose to become extraordinary leaders in business and politics. Additionally, the values in China as illustrated by Osnos show an urban and prosperous society whose aspirations are not controlled by traditional societal values like caste and racism. Everyone can achieve their dream as long as they