Sold Lakshmi By Patricia Mccormick

Walking into Happiness House the girls are sad and depressed on how they are being treated. Mumtaz, a cruel brothel owner tells Lakshmi, “You are mine now.”(pg 106). According to Equalitynow.org, 20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide commercial sexual servitude, forced labor and bonded labor. In CNN Human trafficking survivor, Karla Jacinto has estimate 43,200 is the number of times she was raped, and she says up to 30 men a day, seven days a week for the best part four years. In Patricia McCormick’s book Sold Lakshmi is a sex slave and the description of Lakshmi while she was a sex slave. In page 102 when she had sex with that old man and she bite his lip. On page 120 when this guy named Habib tired to be a pervert in Lakshmi’s room. Life is priceless and another

For example when Lakshmi’s stepfather was selling Lakshmi’s cucumbers for a cigarettes, a hat and a coat. Then he turned it around and he sold her into sex slavery for 400 rupees because he sold her at Bajai Sita’s store and he tries to buy everything that he wants. Another example is Mumtaz when she keeps abusing the girls at Happiness House, a brothel who forces girls into the sex slavery, and she put chillies inside their private parts and she abuses Lakshmi. She forces the girls to have sex with numerous of men to pay them money. A final example is that Ama gives Lakshmi’s value a positive way. When her and Lakshmi were at the festival and gives her money to buy sweets and tells her “Tonight your a kid” (page 42). On page 42 While Lakshmi and Ama were at the festival Ama says “Tonight you are a kid.” Ama values her because she gives her value to Lakshmi as a positive way on how she helps her with her baby brother, helps her with the chores and the house. From these examples we may see that other characters place values on Lakshmi but through it all she does find a way to stay strong and