A Tin Roof
- Lakshmi and her mother, Ama, inspect the thatch room of their hut in Nepal.
- Because thatch allows rain through, Lakshmi wants a tin roof, which implies wealth and prosperity.
- Ama refuses Lakshmi's request to go to the city to earn money; instead, Lakshmi needs to stay in school.
- Lakshmi's stepfather eyes her the way he looks at the cucumbers in the garden—like she's got a price tag. He would prefer to spend money made from selling the cucumbers on things for himself.