Edward R Murrow

May 22, 2010

Matthew Rosenthal
C Band

PART 1:
1) When Rukmani attempts to get Ira's husband to take her back, he says that he wants
to, but can't because he has a taken another woman.
2) Rukmani worries that if Ira stays home with them, she might not have a future.
3) Arjun and Thambi made a rupee each day that they worked at the tannery, which was
six days a week. The money they earned was used to pay for food for their family.
4) Arjun and Thambi leave home because the tannery refuses to pay them more money, and
they find out that there are jobs that pay higher wages in Ceylon on tea plantations.
5) Rukmani attempts to sell their own possessions to Biswas, even though she doesnt even
have that many possessions.
6) Nathan had stolen Rukmani's rice stash because Kunthi threatened him to take it.
7) Rukmani does not feel angry and instead relieved that Kunthi does not have control over
them (Rukmani and Nathan).
8) "The truth is unpalatable" means that the truth is not pleasant, or hard to accept. A
tannery official goes to Rukmani's house and tells her that she cannot get compensation
for the death of Raja.
9) Ira makes money by becoming a prostitute.
10) Kenny's new saying is "You must cry out if you want help."

1)
2) Rukmani does not understand why Arjun and Thambi said "people will never learn." She
is confused as to why they are fighting against the tannery, as they would surely never
defeat them. She sees no use in fighting the tannery, such a powerful force, as they would
lose all of what they already have.
3) When Sivaji comes to collect money, he is touched by the misfortune that Rukmani's
family is going through, offering to collect half now and then collect the rest later. If they
do not pay, they will then lose the land. After this, Rukmani and Nathan then sell all of
their possessions to make money for the next collection. Sadly, Nathan and Rukmani do not
have enough money to pay and the next time Sivaji comes to collect, Nathan begs him for
more time, and they are granted another year.
4) In chapter 15, one of Rukmani's sons, Raja, was brought back to the house dead. There
is a funeral held for him. After the funeral, two officials came from the tannery to
Rukmani's house in order to explain what happened. Apparently, Raja had stolen a catfish
from the tannery and some guards hit him lightly; because of his fragile body, he died. I
understand that the guards dont want Rukmani fighting for her son and rights for
compensation, something that Rukmani clearly does not understand, or may be too blinded
(by grief) to even think of.
5) Ira becomes pregnant because when she was being a prostitute, she had just managed
to get pregnant. The child she had was an albino, and at first her mother was scared,
claiming that it was the fairest babies she had ever seen (she tried rubbing oil on the baby
to make the skin darker). People come from far away just to see Ira's son, as they think it
is a rarity, and they are amazed.

PART 2: