How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Title.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"You can have her for a while," she says. "You know, instead of Harish."
She says this so quickly her words barely register. (136.InsteadofHarish.6-7)
Monica—the thirsty vine girl, the aggressive girl—recognizes Lakshmi's suffering and gives her a doll she sleeps with every night. What does this indicate about Monica's own ability to make friends and how she understands friendship and compassion?
Quote #8
I tell her I am ill, but the truth is that all I do is lie in bed and read Harish's beautiful American storybook over and over again.
Shahanna has just been taken from Happiness House, either by the corrupt police or by the good Americans. We never know. Think about everyone Lakshmi has lost. Why might she want to just lie in bed and read? What emotions might she be feeling, and how might she be coping with them?
Quote #9
And I understand that Anita has hit me.
I sit up, as if waking from a long sleep, and see this poor girl with the lopsided face. She is all I have left in the world.
I rise, shaky, as Anita helps me to my feet. She puts her arm around my waist and guides me toward the mirror. Then she gets out her makeup brushes and lip colors and paints my face with such tenderness that I think my heart will break. (148.AllIHaveLeft.6-8)
What would happen to Lakshmi if Anita weren't there to pull her back into the world? Why does Anita first hit Lakshmi and then treat her with "such tenderness"? What does this indicate about the nature of the friendship between the two and also the needs of both girls?