Through the Lens of Literature: Comparing Slum Life in ‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity’ and ‘City of Joy’

Abstract

In this world of rapid urbanization, metropolitan cities have become the primary focus of migrants. People from different religions, cultures, and races migrate to cities for better prospects, but due to a lack of job prospects, they end up living in slums. The ‘slum’ life, where people live under the most deplorable conditions, is associated with poverty, pollution, theft, violence, and little access to water, food, and sanitation facilities. Within this paradigm, Katherine Boo, in her novel, Behind The Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in Mumbai Undercity, portrays the slum, Annawadi and showcases the lives of a ragpicker Abdul, his family, and the other residents of the slums. Another well-renowned author, Dominique Lapierre, in the City of Joy, expounds on the harsh slum dynamics of Hasari Pal, Stephan Kovalski, and other inhabitants of Ananda Nagar. The present paper expounds on the struggle of the slum dwellers of the Indian metropolitan cities of Mumbai and Calcutta and brings to the fore how the characters are socially excluded and marginalized. An attempt has also been made to highlight the hardships faced by women in slums as they struggle to take care of their families and even make ends meet. The comparative study of the two texts presents the misery, the hardships, and even the moments of achievement and happiness experienced by the inhabitants of two entirely different cities.