Chapter.8 "the seventh night"

Chapter 8.

page. 250-276


The seventh night

Summary: 

The 8th chapter is the last chapter of the book.
It’s about Balrams change from a hunted criminal into a solid pillar of Bangalorean city.

Balram remembers.

After Balram left Dehli he transferred from train to train,zigzagging his way down to Bangalore.
At one of the train stations he saw a police poster. It was his police poster. They were looking for him.
Balram had to find a way to fit in the city. Once again he overheard peoples conversations.
He heard people talking about American businesses and outsourcing.
He wanted to join the outsourcing movement one way or another.
The employees of these companies work at night and sleep during the day.
Walking home at night is dangerous especially for the female employees.
Balrams idea was a taxi service. He wanted a service to pick the employees up and bring them home safely.
Because there were already some taxi services in the city he counted on the police.
Balram gave one of the police officers some money and he said “ for all the going to do me,
sir.”
Balram rented some cars and got his first contracts.
His idea had grown into a big business. Nowadays Balram calls himself Ashok Sharma.

A couple of nights ago one of Balrams drivers drove a boy over. Balram took the blame.
Balram handed one of the policeofficers some money and the police didn't even report the case.
He also gave some money to the family of the boy and he offered the other son a job as a driver.

Balram thinks that the stork's family probably killed his family after he murdered Mr. Ashok but he tried not to think about them.
Dharam is the only family member he has left. He put him into an english school and feeds him.

In his last words he tells about his future plans. He’s thinking about real estate next and someday he’ll start an English school for poor kids in Bangalore.

This is the final sentence of his story:

“I’ll never say I made a mistake that night in Dehli when I slit my masters throat.
I’ll say it was a worth while to know, just for a day, just for an hour, just for a minute, what it meant no to be a servant.”

Personal Part: 

Something that is worth mentioning in this chapter is Balrams way of achieving everything he ever wanted.

He was brave enough to kill his master and to steal the money. Well now he just needed the a good idea to make a big business.
His idea was good but not a great one. It’s something other people did before he just knew how to do it better than everybody else.
A great idea is worth millions of dollars.

A good example for that is Bill Gates whofounded the internetcompany microsoft and invented the system "windows", the students who invented facebook etc. They all had a great idea which was worth a million of dollars.

Money gets to important. It turns friends into enemys.

Because Balram wanted to make the big businness and alot of money he fogott about his family and he traded their lifes for his carreer.


Links: 

This is an article about Bill Gates and his life
http://www.whoswho.de/templ/te_bio.php?PID=122&RID=1

 This is an article about the inventors of facebook.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/01/technology/01facebook.html

 Bill Gates

Zuckeberg inventor of facebook

Chapter.7 part.2 "the sixth night"

Chapter.7 part.2

page.219-247

the sixth night

Summary: 

Balram continues his story.

The next morning Balram was ready to make a full confession to Mr.Ashok .
Because he felt guilty for everything he had done.
Mr.Ashok wasn’t paying any attention to him. Because of his behavior Balrams feeling of guilt vanished.

One day Balram walked into a slum in Dehli. A slum even worse that Laxmangarh. The people who lived in the slum were the ones who built the malls for the rich.

When he came back he saw a young boy standing next to his bed. The boy was the son of one of Balrams sisters. His name was Dharam. They sent him to Dehli so he could become a driver like Balram.
Balram was the one who was supposed to take care of him.
The boy handed Balram a letter from Kusum.
She wanted him to sent money home to Laxmangarh. Otherwise they would tell his master about his behavior.
Besides that the called him selfish and she told him that she’ll arrange a marriage for him.
Balram took Dharam to a teashop and asked him some basic questions about what he had learned in school. Sitting in the teashop Balram noticed how black his heart has become.

One day he he drove Mr.Ashok and the Nepali girl around. He overheard a conversation between them. The Nepali girl gave Mr.Ashok the advice to fire the driver.

The great socialist got elected. From that day on Mr.Ashok had to pay even more money to the politicians.
Balram took a day off to show Dharam the zoo.
At the zoo they saw a white tiger in a cage. Balram fainted. Afterwards he wanted Dharam to write a letter to Kusum. He wanted him to write her about what happened in the zoo. He told him to write what he said after he woke up.

“ I can’t live the rest of my life in a cage, Granny. I’m sorry.”

One night he carried out his plan.
The took Mr.Ashok out to the woods.
He told him there would be a problem with one of the tires. He led him out of the car and waited for the right moment. He pulled a bottle over his head and killed Mr.Ash. Afterwards he threw him into the woods, took the red bag and left. He went and got Dharam and they flew.

Personal Part: 

National zoo in new dehli

The zoo was established in 1959.

The Delhi National Zoological Park lies near the famous Old Fort.

The zoo houses over one thousand varieties of animals, reptiles and birds.

The white tiger from Rewa, the elephant, which plays a harmonica and the leopard, are some of the highlights.

                       

The national zoo of Dehli is something I found interessting because I think the verieties of animals in Indian zoos is far more spread than in european zoos.

 I’ve never seen a white tiger but I whish I will someday. The white tiger seemes to be one of the proudest animals on this planet. The tiger is so seldom which makes him so misterious. There are also alot of other animal I would love to see.

Links:


Video of the white tiger in the cage:


http://ishare.rediff.com/video/nature-wildlife/white-tiger-at-delhi-zoo/282361

http://www.indianholiday.com/tourist-attractions/delhi/delhi-zoo/


http://www.indfy.com/places-to-see-in-delhi/central-delhi/delhi-zoo.html

http://www.bharatonline.com/delhi/tourist-attractions/zoological-park.html

Underneath i provided some pictures of the animals in the Delhi zoo

Chapter 7. part.1 "the sixth night"

Chapter 7. 

Page. 192-219

The sixth night


Summary:

„ the dreams of the rich and the dreams of the poor never overlap, do they?”

That’s how the 7th chapter starts off. 

The chapter mainly deals with Balrams hate for the riches and how his will to break out of the rooster developed more and more.

Balram remembers.
He showed vitiligo-lips the strand of the gold hair he found in the car. Balram asked him how much a girl like that costs.
The other driver thought Balram asked because his master wanted a blond girl. But Balram called himself his "own master".
Balram cheated on his master. He siphoned his petrol,He took his car to corrupt mechanic who billed him for work that was not necessary, and he picked up some paying customers.

After Balram got all the money he needed for a blond woman. 
He asked another driver to help him. He paid for a “gold-haired” woman and he got a girl with dyed blond hair.
He wanted his money back so he got into a fight with the procurer.

When he got back to his room Mr.Ashok was already waiting for him. The other driver told him that Balram went to a temple to say some prayers.
Mr. Ashok recognized the shape of Balrams room. He felt guilty and wanted Balram to get him something to eat. Something only poor people eat.

The Mongoose came back to Delhi. He told Mr.Ashok about the ministers demands for more money.
The Mongoose handed him a bag. He was supposed to use the bag everytime he handed over the money.
Balram hammered out a plan. He thought off killing Mr.Ashok, stealing the bag and leave.

At this point of the story he was still in an innerconflict. To risk a life in prison and maybe be lucky and break out off the coop or staying a driver until there is no more need for him .

One night he went to the secondhand book market of Darya Ganj.
He looked through some books and a Muslim red a poem to him.

“ you were looking for the key for years/ But the door was always open”

That poem sticked with Balram.
Balram felt guilty about his plan.

 Personal Part: 


You were looking for the keys for years/but the door was always open

That saying didn’t just stick with Balram it also sticked with me. It made me think about life and all the opportunities we have and the ones we simply don’t take.

There are so many chances in life and it’s a pity to see how we let those chances go.
Chances like education and achieving something in life, to be in love with someone who doesn’t love you in return and not seeing how other doors open. Sometimes the solution is right in front of us but we don’t see it because we’re looking for other ways and don’t just try the one which lays right in front of us. 

People think if you want to achieve something in life you have to have a great idea or a lot of luck but all you need is an education and you have to study hard and you can become whatever you want to be.
The door is open for everybody you just have to try.

Some people who are in love with someone who doesn’t love them in return think making him/her love me is going to be the key to be happy but if you just let go and look ahead you’ll see the door to happiness was always open.

Links:
These are two articels about the key to happiness


http://www.geometricvisions.com/writing/key-to-happiness/

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186216,00.html

Chapter 6. "the sixth morning"

Chapter 6. 


Page. 167-189

The sixth morning 

Summary:

This chapter will mainly deal with “the sorrowful tale of how Balram was corrupted from a a sweet , innocent village fool into a citified fellow full of debauchery, depravity and wickedness”.

Balram thinks these changes happened because they happened first in Mr.Ashok.

Balram remembers.

The moment his brother left he changed.

One night he drove Mr.Ashok around. First they stopped at a disco.

Afterwards Mr.Ashok went into a hotel.

While Balram drove him around they looked at the girls on the streets.

Mr.Ashok walked out of the hotel with his hands around a girl. The girl looked like a Nepali .

They spent the night together.

The next morning Balram overheard a conversation between Mr.Ashok and the Nepali girl.

He figured out that she was his old love and not some pick up.

Another night Balram drove Mr.Ashok and the ministers assistant around.

They were drinking and the assistant kept talking about sexual needs.

He asked Mr.Ashok if he’s ever been with a white girl.

The ministers assistant called a blond girl from the Ukraine.

Mr. Ashok refused sleeping with another woman but the assistant didn’t care.

Mr.Ashok, the assistant and the girl went into a hotel for a while.

Like I mentioned before Balram also tells about his change.

One night he drove around in the car and he turned the music up.

 He also started looking through English magazines.

Balram tried more and more to break out of the rooster coop.

Personal Part: 

Sheraton hotel

Something i found particularly interesting while reading this chapter was the Sheraton hotel.
When I went to America I saw sheraton hotels almost everywhere I went.
And not just in America also in other countries I’ve been to.
I was always interested in the hotel chain so this time I took the opportunity and made some research about the Sheraton hotels.

Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand

In 1937 Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore acquired the Stonehaven hotel in Springfield Massachusetts.The chain got his name from another hotel the pair acquired.
Henderson and Moore had opened three hotels in Boston by 1939.
In 1945, it was the first hotel chain to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

In 1949 Sheraton expanded internationally with the purchase of two Canadian hotel chains.
By 1965, the 100th Sheraton had opened its doors.

I think it’s amazing how the pair expended their business within 28 years from one hotel to 100 hotels around the world.

And still today the Sheraton chain is one of the best known.
 
 

Hotel in Bangalore

Chapter 5. "the fifth night"

Chapter 5.


 Page. 148-160


The fifth night

Summary:

The fifth chapter starts off with Balram explaining the "Rooster Coop" to the prime minister.

If you leave a black bag with a million dollars in a Mumbai taxi. The taxi driver will call the police and return the money by the day’s end.
That’s because he is the in the "Rooster Coop".The people in the "Rooster Coop" don't even try to get out of the darkness. They do not rebel. The trustworthiness of servants is the basis of the entire Indian economy.

Like Balram tells he never thought of telling the judge the truth about what happened, the night Pinky Madame drove the girl over.
He remained silent because of the rooster coop.

He remembers the day the stork came to Delhi. They told him that his help in that case won’t be needed. There were no witnesses who could report the case to the police.
During the storks stay he drove him to the hospital a couple of times.

One night Pinky Madame wanted Balram to drive her to the airport without her husband.
That was the day Pinky Madame left and the marriage between her and Mr. Ashok came to an end.
Before she left she gave Balram an envelope with some money in it.

The next morning Mr. Ashok found out she had left. He was devastated.
Balram was a consolation to him, he looked after him and helped him where ever he could.

When Mr. Ashoks brother came back the intimacy between Balram and Mr.Ashok was over.
The Mongoose handed Balram a letter from his Grandma. Once again she tried to persuade him to get married. Besides that she wanted him sent some more money home.

The day Balram dropped the Mongoose off at the railway station he saw Mr. Ashok massaging his feet by himself. He refused Balrams help.
Balram thought about getting married or not.
While he was waiting in the car he got a vision of a “ pale stiff foot pushing through a fire”.
That was the moment he decided he wanted to break out of the “rooster coop”.

He started to do Yoga in the car. The other servants made fun off him. Once again the Rooster coop was doing its work.
Servants have to keep other servants from becoming innovators, experimenters, or entrepreneurs.



Personal Part:

Something I found particularly interesting was the “Rooster Coop”.

The opinion I have about India is that 1. you can’t trust anybody 2. everybody just thinks about themselves .
This Opinion developed by reading this book.
The stories Balram tells about his life in darkness and his life as a servant don’t seem to be so nice and trustworthy.
In that case it surprised me even more that the servants are actually that honest and trustworthy.

I don’t think the narrator is lieing about that. I just think it sounds really odd.
Why are the suddenly so trustworthy? Just because they’re are servants and drivers?
The storks family always says they can trust Balram he’s from home. That sounds to me like you can’t trust everybody.

Maybe Balram carries it to far with the rooster coop?

I believe there is something like a Rooster Coop but I don’t think it’s exactly like Balram tells us.
When Balram talks about the Rooster Coop he starts off with telling about the chickens and how they wait for their death and do not even rebel.

He made it sound like something horrible that happens to the people in India and i agree with that.
Taking the chances in life and the dreams away from people is horrible.
But later he makes it sound like something great. "The trustworthiness of servants is the basis of the entire Indian economy."

Links:

While reading this article I thought more and more that this is just away off stealing somebody theire chances in life.
Those people in the Rooster Coop will never have a chance to get out of there and do what they would like to do in life.
I don’t think there is anything good about the Rooster Coop.

http://jagruti.orangy.in/2009/02/great-indian-rooster-coop.html

Chapter 4. "the fourth night"

Chapter 4 


Page. 98-145

the fourth night

Summary:

Delhi is the capital of India and they call it “the showcase of the republic”.

Balram  tells about Delhis street system which is confusing and illogical.

Balram remembers and continues his story.
The Mongoose and his brother Mr.Ashok got in some arguments about money,about Mr. Ashoks wife and his American lifestyle.
Mr.Ashoks plan was to stay in Delhi.

In Delhi Balram had to drive his masters to the mall a couple of time.
That’s where he met some other drivers. One of them told him everything he needed to know about Delhi.

At his masters house was a quarter for the servants. The other servents made fun of him and called him “village idiot”.
Balram decided to sleep in a room by himself.

One day Mr. Ashoks told Balram to drop Mukesh of at the train station.
After he dropped Mukesh of he noticed two things about Mr.Ashok:

1. nothing held his attention for long

2. He was weak, helpless,absent-minded, and completely unprotected by the usual instincts that run in the blood of a landlord.


Balram saw a servant trying to go into a mall in Delhi.
Servants were not allowed to go into a mall. Balram tried it as well.

He bought a rich mans t-shirt, a pair of shoes and some toothpaste.
He tried the same thing like the other servant and he walked into a mall for the first time in this life. Nobody noticed that he was a servant.
Balram calls it “his first taste of the fugitives life”.

One night he picked Mr.Ashok and his wife up from a party. They were drunk.
Pinky madame wanted Balram to get out of the car so she could drive by herself.
In that night Pinky Madame drove a girl over and killed her.

The next morning the Mongoose and man in a black coat wanted Balram to sign a paper
which said that the accident was caused by Balram when he was driving the car.

Underneath were the names of the witnesses listed.

Kusum Halwai was one of them.


Personal Part:

Delhi is a very interesting city. Like Balram says on page. 98 “ It’s the capital of our glorious nation.The seat of parliament , of the president, all ministers and prime ministers. The pride of our civic planing. The showcase of the republic.”

Delhi seems to be multicultural. Like Mr.Ashok says on page. 101 Gurgaon, is the most American part of the city. There are malls in Delhi, American restaurants like T.G.I Fridays etc.

On the other hand it seems to be like in any other city in India. There are rich people who live in houge houses, hire servants, drive nice cars etc. and on the other hand there are thousands of homeless people on the streets.

On page. 140

A conversation between Mr. Ashok and Balram.

“Oh, she was one of those people.”

“who live under the flyovers and bridges sir.That’s my guess too.”

“ In that case, will anyone miss her...?”

This is a good example for the class differences in Delhi. Homeless people are treated like animals. The riches don’t care about them. Poor and rich are two different worlds in Delhi.

Links: 

This link is more about the touristside of Delhi

http://www.tourism-delhi.com/sightseeing-in-delhi.html

this link is more for the citizens of Delhi.

http://delhigovt.nic.in/index.asp

This picture shows a slum in Delhi.

Chapter 3. "the fourth morning "

Chapter 3. 
 
Page.79-95

the fourth morning

Summary:


Chapter 3. starts with a little introduction into Indians democracy.
Balrams tells about the elections in his village. He tells how the great socialist had ruled the Darkness by winning election after election but this rule was weakening. The animals had joined together and started a party of their own.

“ I am India’s most faithful voter, and I still have not seen the inside of a voting booth. “

That sentence basically describes Balrams view of democracy in India.

He also remembers a man who went mad at the election day. He went to the voting booth because he wanted to vote. They beat him up and killed him.

In the darkside of India people don’t vote for themselves.
Balram owns the democracy his birthday. When he went to the voting booth for the first time he was supposed to tell his age but he didn’t know his age. The man from the government decided that today was his birthday and he turned 18.

Balram remembers.
The great socialist came to the storks house one day and forced the stork to pay him a million and a half rupees. Otherwise they’d have to leave Dhanbad.
The storks family decided to go to Delhi for about 3 month. At first they wanted the first driver to join them. But Balram found out about his secret.
The first driver, Ram Persad, pretened to be a Hindu but actually he was a Muslim. Because the stork didn’t like Muslims, he lied.
Because Balram knew about his secret the first driver left.
From that day on Balram was the first driver

He joined the family when they left to go to Delhi.


Personal Part:

Something I found interesting while reading this chapter was the democracy in India.

Like other countries around the world India calls themselves a “democracy” but actually it’s like Balram say on page. 86 “ I am India’s most faithful voter, and I still have not seen the inside of a voting booth. “
The election in India is basically about power and money. If you got both you don’t need any voters you just buy the votes and pretend they won the election legally.
Especially the people in the darkness don’t get the chance to vote for themselves.

Page. 84 “ I’ve heard that people in the other India get to vote for themselves- isn’t that something?”

I think it’s a shame how a country calls himself a democracy but in some parts of India they are not even able to vote for themselves.
When I looked for some links on the Internet I could not find any links about “ Indias bad democracy” all I found were articles about “ Indias great democracy”.So I’m wondering what is the truth?
The people in India seem to be unscrupulous. They kill each other because of an “election”, they marry people against there will and because of those weddings they ruin someone elses life and take a little boy out of school.
Balram talks about the teacher how he took everything from the government what was supposed to be for the children in school, he tells about the hospital and how there was no doctor to save his fathers life etc.
It sounds like the people just think about themselves and they don’t care about anybody else.

Until now Balrams story left a bad impression on me.

Links:
 
Unfortunately I could not find a specific link on the democray in the”darkness” of India. All I found is a link about Indians democracy in general.


http://www.123indiatravel.com/travel-to-india/india-democracy.html

http://www.beyondbooks.com/wcu91/3p.asp

 Indians democracy

 Map of the Indian parties