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