Summary Of Sold By Patricia Mccormick

62 million girls are denied an education around the world. This relates to the problem of child slavery because they don’t get the chance to learn about the issue of child slavery. Most American teenagers know that girls are denied an education around the world, however the girls in the parts of the world where the issue is actually occurring don’t know about the issue. However, after reading this book, I have a better understanding of the topic then I did before I read this book. The author of Sold, Patricia McCormick, was successful in explaining to an American teenage audience how and why the cycle of human slavery present within the brothel exists. One issue McCormick discusses is debt bondage. We see this when Lakshami calculates her debt to Mumtaz. Money is taken away for food, medicine, and bed. “I do calculations. And I realize I am already buried alive”. (McCormick 147-148). Lakshami makes less money then what she needs to make to pay off her debt to Mumtaz. Another example of debt bondage is when Mumtaz suggests to Pushpa, who is sick and therefore doesn’t get a lot of customers, to sell her daughter to Mumtaz to help pay off her debt and if Pushpa

This fear is one of the reasons the girls stay. An example of this is when a girl attempts to run away and they recapture her and shave her hair. They also spit at her and throw gravel at her (McCormick 84-85). Lakshami sees this and this creates a fear in her that says if she tries to escape this will happen to her. However Lakshmi becomes brave and attempts to escape but is recaptured and her hair is shaved (McCormick 107). This shows the evolvement of Lakshami. She is becoming more daring and brave versus at the beginning of the story when she was afraid. However after her attempt at escaping, she doesn’t go against anyone in the brothel, rather she tries to fit in. This example shows both the fear of punishment and the lack of