Alyssa Mills

Dr. Burke
ENGL 414
April 18, 2016
LSW: 11

I personally do not believe that it portrays a bad image of India. I

feel as though the events that happened to Koly are unfortunate, but
for the time and the sake of the story, that the events happened, do
not depict India. My reasoning for this is that say Kolys husband
survived and was in good health, they would live a good life with food
and wealth. However, due to the events that happened with her
husband, that is the reasoning for her unfortunate life.
On the contrary, I would not teach this book in elementary
school. I feel that talking about marriage at thirteen and having the
death of a husband and the mean mother in law, is just too much for a
fifth grader to handle. I think it would be over their head and it could
put negative connotations toward marriage and life in India. Also, from
my experience with upper elementary school, they believe anything
and everything. They wouldnt appreciate it as a book or story. They
would take it as an interpretation of India, an interpretation that is only
based on a case scenario, not everyones life.