Character Analysis Of Patricia Mccormick's Sold

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Never Lived

Have you ever felt like your entire world has ended? If you have you might be able to relate to our main character, Lakshmi, in Patricia McCormick's novel, Sold. In this book we follow the tragic life of a young Indian girl who was sold into sex slavery. This book shows something more important than anything out in the world about this subject. Thus because it tells the story, in detail about how bad these scenarios really are. As we get to know Lakshmi more and more throughout the book we start to feel intellectual empathy for her. As she starts to dive into detail we start to picture how it would be like if we were in there instead of her. That’s when we start to feel the empathy kick in. Some of the worst issues with the whole thing of child slavery are the poor living conditions, the lack of treatment, and the idea of the “business in general.”
This is because if you wrong Mumtaz in any way, she will have you whipped and beaten. “Mumtaz draws back, the jaw of the scissors poised at my neck.” (McCormick 107). At this point of the story we discover Mumtaz’s true nature. She is cutting Lakshmi’s hair to shame her so that if she tries to leave people will stop her. While the haircut is in session, Lakshmi starts to try to struggle free. So in an attempt to intimidate Lakshmi, Mumtaz presses the scissors into Lakshmi’s neck. This proves that Lakshmi’s life is at risk if she messes up. “Tonight when Mumtaz comes up to my room, she sees that her strap has left sores on my back and neck,my arms and legs, so she hits me on my legs.” (McCormick 110). This poor little girl has not only been threatened with her life but has been tortured for days. Since there is nowhere left to torture her. They go right for her feet. How can someone be this cruel to an innocent girl? If the respect was any better we might be able to end this act slowly, eventually the business will

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