ECASD | Memorial High School | Library
Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi is like most girls - she helps her mother, plays with her baby brother, and dreams of one day marrying and having babies of her own. When the monsoons destroy the crops on her family's Nepal farm, her stepfather arranges for her to leave their village to become a maid for a rich lady in the city. Instead, Lakshmi is sold into a Calcutta brothel, facing unspeakable cruelty and horror, her memories of home all she has to help her endure.
McCormick tells Lakshmi's story in brief, poetic scenes, painting a haunting and thought-provoking picture of helplessness and hope...The juxtaposition of Lakshmi's life in her village, where electricity is a luxury, against the city with its cell phones and soap operas is jarring, an eerie reminder to the reader that nightmares like hers are happening right now in cities around the world.
Adapted from the book review by Vikki Terrile in the Voice of Youth Advocates
Patricia McCormick is a journalist and writer. She graduated from Rosemont College in 1978, followed by an M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1986 and an M.F.A. from New School University in 1999.
To research Sold, she traveled to India and Nepal, where she interviewed the women of Calcutta’s red-light district and girls who have been rescued from the sex trade.
Author image and information from https://www.patriciamccormick.com/sold
The term "Vignette" means little vine and comes from French term "vigne" meaning vine. The vignette is a poetry form that is a brief descriptive verse that uses clear and specific imagery to capture a specific moment in time. The vignette's vivid manner and is meant to be a small part of a larger image or story.
Sold is a story told in a series of vignettes. In the poetry walk, the vignettes are divided into color coded sections: green for exposition, yellow for rising action, orange is the main conflict and climax, black is the falling action and resolution. Select one vignette from each section that you believe is the most powerful, explain your choice and cite at least one line from the vignette to support your answer.
Sold is a historical fiction told in verse that spotlights human trafficking specifically in Nepal and India. Identify some of the indicators of the time period and locations in the vignettes.
Sold also follows the "Hero's Journey Plot Line" it is a story told in a series of vignettes. In the poetry walk, the vignettes are divided into color coded sections: green for exposition, yellow for rising action, orange is the main conflict and climax, black is the falling action and resolution. Select one vignette from each section that connects to a specific part of the "Hero's Journey". Explain your choice and cite at least one line from the vignette to support your answer.
Sold is a historical fiction told in verse that spotlights human trafficking specifically in Nepal and India. Identify some of the indicators of the time period and locations in the vignettes. It is a story of survival, and although fiction, it represents the very real story lived out by many around the world even today.
In the poetry walk, the vignettes are divided into color coded sections: green for exposition, yellow for rising action, orange is the main conflict and climax, black is the falling action and resolution. Select one vignette from each section that you believe is the key to Lakshmi's survival. Explain your choice and cite at least one line from the vignette to support your answer.
Sold is a historical fiction told in verse that spotlights human trafficking specifically in Nepal and India. Identify some of the indicators of the time period and locations in the vignettes. It is a story of survival, and although fiction, it represents a very real story lived out by many around the world even today. To what extent do certain social constructs determine those who are trafficked?
In the poetry walk, the vignettes are divided into color coded sections: green for exposition, yellow for rising action, orange is the main conflict and climax, black is the falling action and resolution. Decide which social constructs have the biggest influence on Lakshmi's enslavement. Select one vignette from each section that connects to your selected social construct(s) . Explain your choice and cite at least one line from the vignette to support your answer.
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world; the annual per capita income is about$300—roughly the same cost as an iPod. Compare the gross national product of Nepal to that of the United States and other countries. Compare the countries’ literacy rates and infant mortality rates. Make a graph showing the differences. Lakshmi was initially soldforabout800 Nepali rupees. Determine the current exchange rate between U.S. dollars and Nepali or Indian rupees and calculate the amount for which she was sold. Bring this amount to life by making a list of things you and your family routinely buy for that amount. Holda fundraiser for Maiti Nepal or ApneAap. It can be of any form you prefer— bake sale, carwash, walkathon, read-a-thon, etc. Break into small groups and compete to see whose idea nets the most donations. Graph your results and discuss which strategies were most successful. Organize a toy and book drive for the children of the red-light district and donate your contributions to Maiti Nepal or Apne Aap.Ask local businesses for contributions and donations.
Create a piece of art inspired by the book. The form—sculpture, painting, musical performance, etc. Is entirely up to you. Chronicle your experience in a brief journal. Imagine that you are going to leave home for a year to support your family. What would you pack? What items would be indispensable? Work those items into some kind of art form—collage, sculpture, poem, song. How does your list compare with what Lakshmi carried? Draw a map of Lakshmi’s travels.
Research the issues from the novel and create a poster, Website, or pamphlet about what you learned. Be sure to include information for those who may be interested in getting involved. Investigate various Websites (including www.ecpatusa.org)to find out about the trafficking of children that is currently taking place here in the United States. Show a film at your school: Born Into Brothels or The Day My God Died. Invite a speaker to your school, or find out how to organize a student group to push for change. (www.ecpatusa.org/ECPAT-USA_StudentGuide.htm)
Non-English activities from Teaching Guide - Discussion Questions
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