Kest Post 5

I believe story's have played a huge role throughout the course of human history. Storys give us a way to pass information from generation to generation. They allow us to  teach each other, and share experiences in an exciting way. Over the years, the word "Story" has become used in a more fictional sense Story's have also impacted humans with their therapeutic ability. Story's take our minds off of current events and open of windows to the past or imaginary worlds.

In the book Sold, Lakshmi uses the book given to her by Harish to escape her terrible surroundings. Even though it is in English, its simple story is more than anything else she has. The book her here ignore what is real, and gives here a way to block out what is going on around here. All around the world people use the power of Story's to escape from reality and experience situations they would normally never come across.

Elena Woodside Post 5

Stories are one of the most important aspects of our life. We have told stories since the beginning of time, whether through drawings, actions, or word of mouth. We are told stories of things that really happened, and we may embellish them over time, but thats what makes it so special. The fact that it has been told from person to person and over many generations, gives them a rich history. Stories have been told for many reasons. They also give us advice for the future.

Patricia McCormick’s novel Sold, is a deep, gut-wrenching story about a young girl being sold into prostitution. This story not only tells a tale from the point of view of the girl who is being forced to live in a brothel, but it shows emotion and the terror of being so young and yet so exposed to the things that really go on in the world. Patricia McCormick tells a great story that can teach many lessons to young girls. To be thankful for what you have, and to put yourself first. At least that is the lesson that I got out of it. Lakshmi stays there because she is forced too, but her family is the ones getting the money for her labor and suffering. She finally gets tired of suffering, and when she realizes that she needs to do things that are in her best interest, she escapes. This story shows that even in the darkest of times there is still hope. That is one of the best things that stories can do. They can inspire us, and just like they did for Lakshmi, they can help set us free

Kate Anderson post #5

Stories are an outlet, a way for people to be creative and a way for life lessons to be passed on from generation to generation. Stories allow you to learn from past mistakes and be able to interpret what may happen as a result of your actions. Stories are a way for people to escape their lives, escape into a world that is one completely unlike their own. Stories are a very critical and positive thing for humans, however they do have the ability to be used negatively, as we see in Sold.

In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, you can see the positive and negative aspects of stories. For example, in the beginning, Lakshmi heard wonderful stories of the city and how much promise it held, therefor she didn't hesitate at the opportunity to go there. Those stories she had heard, in the end, hurt her because she had no apprehension over leaving her nice life with her family and in turn, unknowingly entered the trade of sex slavery. Also, when Lakshmi is at the sex slavery place called "Happiness House," he hears stories of things that had happened to the other girls, such as how Anita's face got the way it was. These stories scared Lakshmi and made her very afraid. Those are examples of how stories can effect you negatively, however in Sold, you also see how stories can help people. When Lakshmi hears stories about the outside world and how life is outside of Happiness House it fills her with hope and a determination to escape. In that way stories are very positive because they are a way to instill hope in someone who once felt completely hopeless.

Stories are extremely important to humans and rightfully so. They are able to help, hurt, but most of all pass on knowledge from years past and years to come.

James Day post #5

Stories are to me in the same category as myths. Some people say that some stories are real and some are fake. What makes a story a story is that no one really know what exactly happened except the person who tells it and they can twist it however they want. Not all stories are like myths, some could be like what you did last week but whoever tells the story almost always changes the facts a little bit.

In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi knew only what was told to her about the city. Her step father told her a story that Lakshmi wanted to about how going to the city could pay for everything she wanted and they'd all be happy except she got tricked. He changed the facts and lied.

Robinson Blog 5

Telling stories has been a way of life for thousands of years. From the elders to the families around the fires, people are always telling stories. The Indians live their lives on stories. The times when a hunter took down a mammoth on his own, those are stories. That girl Sally, she kissed Timmy. Those are all stories as well as rumors. Stories sometimes give us an impression on a person. If you hear something from someone about someone you have that thought about them. Stories are very important because they give us an imagination. With stories we can imagine what we do or don't want in them. Stories are one of our outlets that have no limits. Everything we do or write about is because of stories. This gives us ideas with what we want to do. We try to copy stories that we hear, or try to create our own. Our whole life is a story. The simple things that happen to us that we don't expect are the plot twists. Stories are apart of our lives that is why they are so important.

In Sold, Lakshmi, is told about the city by her friends that it is painted with gold. She had the picture in her head with what that looked like because of the story. When she arrived to the city she was looking around for the gold on the cities and even asked "auntie" if they were painted with gold. Of coarse they weren't, but since Lakshmi had been told that story she expected it to be true. You can't always trust someone with stories. Lakshmi's story experienced a dramatic plot twist. She thought she was going maid, she was wrong. She was sent to a whore house. This is all one story. She also was told stories from the Beckham boy. This gave her ideas of what it is like out in the real world. She had been so caught up with the life of filth that she forgot what it was like to be free.

Isabelle Sarrafzadeh #5

Becker Post Five

Stories are how we learn about new things and how we interpret how things will end up. When you are told a story, maybe about how to ride a bike. Possibly your mother told you this story, about how the first time she rode a bike, she fell off of it and she scraped her elbows and knees- but she kept a smile on her face and tried again, because she loved it so much. This story teaches you that riding a bike can be dangerous, but also very fun at the same time. It also influences you in such a way that, you might not want to ride a bike yet, because you are scared and you might fall off. This is a huge part of stories. You can be afraid of the outcome, because you have heard what others have told you. On the contrary, you might also be influenced to go out and do something immediately because the story you heard sounded so amazing and inspirational. People all over the world have different reactions to stories, but in reality- these two aspects of stories are the same almost anywhere you go.

In the novel, Sold, by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi is told multiple stories by all the of the people she met along her journey. These stories scared her and made her worry day in and day out, like the stories she was told when she left home. "I don't know what to believe. I believed that the stranger in the yellow cloud dress was taking me to the city to work as a maid. I believed that Uncle Husband would protect me from the bad city people. I believed that if I worked hard enough here at that Happiness House, I could pay down my debt. And I believed it was all worth it for the sake of my family...I am to afraid to believe him" (250). This quote shows that all the stories that Lakshmi has been told, she is to afraid to believe any more stories. She doesn't want to trust people because everything she has heard before is a lie. Also, all the girls in the Happiness House said that all the police were bad, and that all the Americans were bad, but in the end, it was demonstrated that they can be good and that it is okay to trust some people sometimes. Lakshmi, worried yet willing, walked down the stairs and went with her gut, showing that she knew was was right and what stories, she should be listening to. Her own.

Amy Goelz Post # 5

Storytelling is one of the most important aspects of our society and human nature. It is of the utmost importance because it gives mankind the chance to learn from our mistakes and respect our ancestors decisions. Storytelling gives us the possibility to learn about our past in order to aid our future. However, storytelling does not have to be thought of as such a big deal, for just the smallest most simple of stories can change lives. This is expressed at the end of the book.

Throughout the book, Lakshmi was told that the American police and Americans were bad and that she should never fraternize with them. However, at the end of the book, when the American police had come in to the Happiness House, Lakshmi trusted them and was the only one to go downstairs and talk to them. She had previously met the American man who brought the police there and he gained her trust by showing her the place she can go through digital photos. Because he had these stories and the ability to tell stories, she trusted him and it all turned out for the better. Although his story wasn't a huge tale of life lessons, it did change Lakshmi's life.

Pineda Post Five

Story's have always played a huge roll in our lives as humans. As far as I can recall human history, stories have always been an important thing. For example, all ancient traditions come along with a story backing them up. Also, all that us as humans have done includes a very long beautiful story with many twist and turns along the way. Remembering the day you farted in front of everyone in your class would also become a story you would never forget. Stories are essential things that help us move forward. People have many stories locked in their hearts and thoughts. They can be about your family, the day you took your first step or even your first love. Looking back at all these silly actions we have done in the past turn into wonderful stories everyone wants to hear. Sometimes people want to have a taste of new stories and write their own. Their are unlimited things you can do with stories. You can write them, share them, hear them and even sing them. Stories can be sad, happy, and in some cases they can be very cruel.

Sold, by Patricia McCormick, tells the story of of a valiant girl who, in Nepal, was forced into prostitution alongside many other poor victims. 13 year old Lakshmi was tricked by her step father into sex trafficking by making her believe she was going to have the great fortune of being a maid. As a result, Lakshmi ended up in the Happiness House where she was forced to sleep with men along with many other poor girls. There, Mumtaz tells Lakshmi that she will have to follow her rules until she was able to pay off her family's debt. In the Happy House, she meets a boy whom she calls "The David Beckham boy", this boy taught her to read and speak a little. Not only did he do that, but he gave Lakshmi the strength to survive her cruel reality. "My name is Lakshmi, I am from Nepal. I am fourteen years old" (263). When Lakshmi was finally free, she was strong and wasn't afraid anymore. Lakshmi's sad story is one that no one would ever want to live. But even though not all stories are pretty, they are great for teaching humans the importance of being morally good. Because Lakshmi's story has happened to other poor girls. Not all with the same luck as Lakshmi's. But the important thing is that Lakshmi didn't give up. And all humans need to realize that the world doesn't go round as smoothly as we think it does.

Sydney Blixt Post # 5

Merriam-Websters' defines a story as a "statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in question". This definition is true, but is lacking so much. A story is young fresh faced children gazing up at their teacher, a story is the princess winning the prince, a story is human. There is many things that separate and make humans so extraordinary and different from anything else, but there is one factor that truly shows one is human. All humans posses the ability to tell a story, to make believe. And although it may be hard, all humans can put themselves in another's shoes and let somebody else take them on a journey. Stories are not only a quality of humans, but they are a way of sharing information and traditions. Without stories of our "ancestors" even stories of others past mistakes, humans would not be able to function, and would not truly be human.

Sold, By Patricia McCormick tells the story of a young girl sold into child prostitution. Sold tells a STORY. The book isn't just a jumble of facts,accounts, and statistics. Harsh numbers and facts are can really prove a point and be meaningful, but a story is as powerful or more. McCormick takes something so complex and brutal, something so confusing and twisted like child prostitution and transforms it into a simple and most importantly emotional STORY of Lakshmi, a 13 year old "mountain" girl. Sold is written with a short and simple syntax that while keeping the story flowing, makes this topic easier to understand and take in. Without the story of this girl and someone for a reader to have empathy and really think about, Sold wouldn't be anywhere as powerful. The story of Lakshmi begins in the hills, the girl is a growing preteen that wants nothing more than a tin roof for her family. She is then deceived by her own stepfather and sold from various person to person until she is dropped off at the Happiness House. There she is brutally beaten, tortured, and taken advantage of. Lakshmi is forced into a life that isn't hers, she is a peaceful Innocent child not a dirty, empty slave.The story progresses throughout the novel and so does the tone, the beginning of the book starts out hope full, then as the story moves on the tone changes to depressed,angry and sad. Eventually, as Lakshmi meets American costumers that promise to save her, the story and tone begin to show that glimmer of hope once more.

Jordan Cannington's blog post 5

Hearing stories and telling story’s is what we have all grown up on. I remember my mom telling me stories about my grandpa, who I never met, and how he was an amazing man. Hearing these stories made me in vision who he was as a person. Stories don’t just tell memories or experiences about people or their lives. They show who the person was and they make the world go round and round in a circle. Lastly, I think that stories show courage and bravery. Just like Lakshmi, who told her story through the way she acted on her life.

In Sold, Lakshmi is told so many stories. Whether or not they are true she is in such a bad position she has to believe them. About two weeks before she is saved from the whore house, by an american, this man comes to her and tells her she can be saved and that she can be taken away to a safe place and she doesn’t know what to believe. So, even though she has been tricked all through out her childhood, she believes in this man, she has never meant and lives on faith for the rest of her days.

Georgia Deffner blog post 5

The importance of stories to humans is so great and affects each one of our lives in many ways. Stories are something that we hear throughout our lives. They have meanings and morals. You can learn so much from stories. For instance stories often have a main character who makes a immoral mistake which causes a conflict. Since the readers don't want to cause the same conflict as the character in the story, they learn not to make the same mistake. Stories also can keep us very entertained. They can help take our minds of something that we are currently going through and give us joy and happiness.
In Sold, the girls living in the brothel are obviously having to go through such terrible things everyday. They are taken away from their families and are forced into prostitution. Mumtaz, the hideous lady to runs the brothel, does horrible things to them as well. In this time of pain and struggle, the girls still love to sit down and watch television or listen to someone tell them a story. This made me realize how important stories are. This book tells a breathtaking story that affected me in a great way. It opened my eyes wide to what is going on in the world and how inhuman some are treated. I am very honored to have the chance to read this book which made me feel very grateful for the life I have.

Emily Dodge FINAL POST #5

I can recall growing up, and my parents would reading me bedtime stories. I heard everything from how the princess ended up with the prince to the children went running in the growing fields. These stories not only I grew up, but everyone grew up with, do not prepare us for life. They give us hope that later in life, as we begin to age and make a difference in this world, things are going to end up like they do in these stories. All humans hear and tell stories, whether they have a happy ending, or a not so happy ending. But what we are not told in these stories is the truth of reality. We are not told of hardship and death and what we face in real life. But even then, these stories are so crucial to our lives, that although we are being lied to, we rely on them. It's human nature to want to believe these stories, which I feel is why we continue to tell and read them. We want to hold onto to this unrealistic life, and someday hope, all the happy endings, come true.

Sold prepares you for reality, but not only that, it gives you the cold hard truth of what life is actually about; lies and manipulation. Lakshmi needs to believe the stories she hears, because it's all she has to believe. Going into the city, she needs to hold onto the fact that she is just going there to be a maid, and that the money she is earning is going to her family, although we all know this story she knows is not true. She is being sex trafficked, drugged, and stolen from. This does not sounds like the stories we hear.

Pardi Post 5

People are naturally curious about everything and stories are a way for people to educate themselves. For example, stories are a way to find out about history, events, and about the world. People also like stories for entertainment. They let your mind kind of go on an adventure. Books, T.V., songs, and movies are all a form of stories. I love stories because it feels like I’m really inside the book, and that I’m really a part the story. Stories give you pleasure in your life, and I can’t imagine a world without stories.

In Sold, Lakshmi didn’t have any way to experience stories when she went into the Happiness House. She couldn’t read, she wasn’t allowed to watch T.V. or listen to music. She had no pleasure in her life, and couldn’t even escape by reading a book or watching a show. Even though she can’t read a book or watch T.V., she still has the stories in her dreams. “Perhaps if I close my eyes and fall asleep again, I can at least dream of home.” (97) Stories and dreams are very important, especially to Lakshmi and all the girls in the Happiness House because within those dreams, they hold memories of what their lives used to be like before the Happiness House.

Solari Post 5

The definition of the word story is, "A narrative, either true or fiction, designed to interest, amuse or instruct the reader or listener." Stories are used to pass and transfer information. Every story has an underlying message, a moral. Generation after generation have learnt from history and stories from the past. However, a story is so much more complex than just a message. A story can force us to change the course of our lives or make better decisions.

In Sold, Lakshmi's family sells her into sex slavery. Her innocence defies her as she is living this unjust life, unaware of the sickness of it all. However, in my opinion, Lakshmi isn't necessarily learning from others stories, much rather her own. In the end of the book, she realizes this is not the life she has to live. She reflects on what she has gone through and has an epiphany. When the Americans come back for her, to take her away from the "Happiness house" she is scared to leave, but she knows she needs to be saved. "Something inside me breaks open, and I run down the steps" (page 263.) Lakshmi learned from her own stories, she drew on past knowledge and was able to provide herself with a better life.

Sir Camden Clement Dowd's Final Post...Number Five.

There are millions of stories told every day around the world. They are a common pastime, used to soak up time and entertain. Some are real, some are made up, some are improvised, and some have been passed along from father to child for many generations. But, these millions of stories thought up over the years aren’t only for passing the time. They are for inspiration, influencing and most importantly for teaching people. You can learn a lot from a story. You can learn life lessons, knowledge, and learn about the past. You can even learn about something completely random that you never you about. Stories are something that are in everybody’s life. Dreams tell a story, past events tell a story, books tell stories, and stories are evident in many other aspects in our life. They are something we cannot live without. No matter how hard we try, stories will be everywhere, and we will not be able to get rid of them.

In Sold, stories are one of the only things that Lakshmi has. When she is living in her hut in the mountains she doesn’t do much. She goes to school, works, and listens to advice and stories that she is told. These stories are all that she has to believe in. One of the main and most important stories that she heard was the story about the city. She heard that she could be a maid and work for a family, cleaning and making money. She also heard that all the roofs were made of gold, and that everybody was rich. She had never seen the city, so she believed this story. When she got sold into being what she thought was a maid, she kept expecting to see the city that she imagined from the stories. But she was wrong; she was sold into sexual slavery. While in the Happiness House, she ended up living with a few other girls. The only thing that the girls had was stories. Whether they were told out loud, watched on the T.V. or had in a dream. This is all that they had to do, besides sleep with men and socialize, which Lakshmi rarely did. One of the main ways that she spent her time was learning through a story. Whenever one of the girls child came home from school he would sit down with Lakshmi and teach her how to speak English or Indian through a story book. Without stories, Lakshmi would have been worse off and had an even worse time in the Happiness House.

Wearing Post 5

Humans tell stories to explain the world around them and inform people about things that are happening. When we read or listen to a story we get to relate to the characters and sometimes, depending on the story, learn something about a different way of life. When we write stories we are trying to explain the world around us, and sometimes we are trying to inform people about something. A story that informs does not necessarily have to be a completely factual to tell the reader a fact. Stories have become such a big part of our daily life it is hard to imagine a world without them.
The story in the book Sold, by Patricia McCormick the story that is told is very important, because even though it is fictional, it informs us about a problem that many readers do not know about. The book tells the story of a girl, Lakshmi, who is sold by her family in Nepal into a life of sex slavery in India. Lakshmi has to go through many hardships and in the end make a desition that will alter her life forever; stay at happiness house or risk being thrown onto the streets by the American offering to rescue her. This story is very important in two ways. One because it is informing us sbout a terrible thing going on in the world. Two because it is letting us relate to a character and in a way is explaining why it is so hard for us to make decisions by telling us about the decision Lakshmi has to make. I think this book really shows how important stories are to humans.

S. Demesmaker Blog 5

Stories as humans is how we learn. We have become a society by learning from stories of other peoples' mistakes and they ways that they have succeeded. We grow by learning, and we learn by doing. But as human beings we cant do everything, so we need to trust peoples' stories so we can learn what is right or wrong. On the other hand, however, we take what we hear and automatically consider it to be true, we never actually have the ability to test it out for our self. We have become ignorant to the idea that maybe people could not be telling us the complete truth.

In Sold by Patricia McCormick, hearing a story and taking what the story teller said with complete trust was what the stem of this book was. Lakshmi heard from a women that in the city where she could work, the streets were paved with gold and everybody was working and happy. It wasn't until she went to the city her self that she found the city to be the absolute opposite of what she had expected. This just goes to show that stories are a major part of our world, sometimes for better, sometimes for worst. Stories should be hypotheses, that we test out in our future... not just something we take for granted.

K. Dodge Post Five

There's a quote in either 125, 0r 126 that states, if I remember, something about telling someone a story because it's the only thing that could help them get through their day. As humans, we are constantly telling stories, our life is a story. We read stories, we write them, and we watch them happen. The stories we tell express what we did, and how we feel. Being able to recall what we did, and retell it is a human trait. It takes memory, and we have to be able to dictate it. I find myself CONSTANTLY telling stories. It's how we get our feelings across and how we explain things to people. Telling stories is a habit, it is something we were all born to do. We learn things from peoples' stories. Stories are very important to humans, they are a large part of our lives as we are constantly living in our own stories.

The book Sold is a story about a girl who may possibly have the worst luck in the world, as she gets schemed into working as a sex slave in India. She tells us her story as if it's something she has to do. It's an instinct. The reader goes through almost every day with her, we meet her friends, and enemies. She tells us the story of her life. Often times we are protected from the truth, shielded from the violence and the harshness of real life. In this book, novel, story whatever you want to call it, we learn about the true outside world. Out of the bubble of America, we learn about how those less fortunate have to live. We feel for these poor girls who are being treated like animals. But Lakshmi tells her story to raise awareness, to let people know what really happens to those less fortunate. We tell stories through instinct. To teach people about our mistakes and how we live. We learn how Lakshmi lives, we learn how many girls worldwide live. They tell us the stories of their lives.

Comstock Post: 5

There are numerous reasons why we find stories to be so important to us. Sometimes they mean more to us than we think they they do, subconsciously. We hear stories about small things, like people that we know or know of. We hear stories about the world and how things are the way they are. Ironically, we are even told dozens of stories about ourselves- stories about our past, who we are in the present, and what we can do in the future. The definition of stories to me is more than just a book on the shelf or a lesson, but it is something that has gone on, is going on, or will go on in the future. Perhaps the stories that people tell you are not always true. Maybe they are meant to stay stories and never become reality. This could be fortunate for you, or not. Lots of times in life we are told that we can or can't do things, and stories can convince us to try or to quit in certain situations. I believe that there are many situations where people must make the decision to leave stories as they are, or turn them into something much bigger.

In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi is a young girl sold into sexual slavery in Nepal. Her own family that she trusts, makes the decision to put her in this situation where there is little hope. In the "Happiness House" that she is forced to stay in, she is first unaware what she is even doing there. However, overtime, she finds within herself that she knows the only way that she can be happy again is to leave. There are many setbacks and bumps in her plan, but sometimes we must make decisions to do whatever we can to achieve true happiness. After being stripped of her innocence, she finally rises above all the stories she hears in the Happiness house about everything. About the Americans and how they are not to be trusted, about how it is impossible to leave. "Something inside breaks me open, and I run down the steps." (263) The end of the novel Sold tells the reader that at times, we must be able to determine when we want our stories to be dream or reality.

Emily Cook Post #5

I remember when I was in elementary school and we had library time every week, the librarian would tell us how fables came about whenever she read one to us. She said that a long time ago parents would tell their kids stories and when they grew up they would tell their kids, etc. It went on and on until someone wrote it down for everyone to read. Stories are for kids to be comforted when they are scared, for when they are tucked into bad at night, or to keep them occupied. Stories are for teenagers so they can learn, so they can get new ideas, or so they can always get their way. Stories are for adults so they can can get away from reality for a little while, so they can express themselves through words, or so they can be entertained. Stories are for everyone.

Lakshmi lives in a horrible world. She is being prostituted for sex and she has no way to distract herself. She has to live in a place where people get beaten for the slightest misbehavior. She can't get away from it. Until she forgets about David Beckham Boy and meets Harish, and the English-word storybooks he brought along with him. She learns words at first, "sit, walk, book, bowl, good... (165)" Then she gets into the books. "But I do know, from this storybook, that this America is a strange place. Everyone there is as rich as a a king. The birds there are as big as men. They eat a sweet treat made from snow. And the children play the kicking game with the black-and-white ball, like the one on TV. This is the David Beckham game, Harish says. (174)" Through all her after-school lessons with Harish she can get away from the place that she lives. She uses it as a flashlight. It helps her guide her way to freedom. She uses her battered English learned from the storybooks to communicate to the American that tries to help her. She saves herself and all her friends from the "Happiness House."

Bonnici Post #4

"If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?"

This is a question many people ask themselves. I think the real question is, if you're not helping the cause, are you standing in the way of progress? I believe that if you are not with the cause then you are in the way. We tell ourselves all the time that if we don't do something, some one else will pick up the slack, but if a lot of people have that mindset then nothing will get done, and they will be in the way and creating a problem.

In the book Sold, while Lakshmi is staying at the "Happiness House", she spent all of her time on her problems. I do understand that they were very big problems that do deserve attention, but she wasn't helping herself or anyone else by not doing anything. She spent all of her time doing math instead of acting towards escaping. In the end though, I must give her credit, she got the American men and the police involved, which later helped everyone.

Badala Post #5

What I have come to realize are that stories our a very important aspect to our society. Stories can be told in all different kinds of ways such as a book, folk tales, myths and more, true or not everything is a story. Stories help us to recognize what can be true, and sometimes let us realize what is false in our lives. Especially in high school you will be hearing a lot of "stories" or in other words rumors that you can interpret however you want and i think thats what makes us who we are. I like to think that stories connect people in ways, especially stories in the past. Stories connect humans every day weather it's the latest PEOPLE magazine, or the latest couple, or simply the new Sarah Dessen book that came out we are all joined with stories that may or may not be true, but it's how you interpret them is what makes us who we are.

In the book Sold by Patricia McCormick, obviously the author was enlightened by this incredible, heart breaking story about a young girl who is sold into se slavery and eventually becomes a woman. In reading Sold, it has opened my eyes by this story because if i hadn't read it, and if someone didn't have the desire to write a story about this i wouldn't have knows too much about this. These young women shared their experiences at the end of the book through stories which made it all that more effective.

Bonnici Post #5

Stories can be true or fiction, heartwarming or tragic, but we can relate. We, as humans, know the emotion behind heartbreak, and the joy of accomplishment. People can show exactly what they feel through stories, whether it is a short anecdote or a drawn out novel with many chapters and different events, and so it is easy to relate. Even if you read a book out of sure entertainment, sharing experiences and mistakes is key to be a human being.

The book Sold, is a short yet very moving novel. This novel tells the story of a young girl's life that seems to takes a turn for the worst. Lakshmi, the young girl, was told many stories as a young girl. She was told stories about how her life would be once she grew into a woman and how she would have her own children. This was one of Lakshmi's favorite things to day dream about. Other stories that she hears about is how she might go off to the big city outside her small village and get a job as a maid in a rich family's house to help her family buy a new tin roof. What Lakshmi doesn't quite understand is that just because her mom tells her stories about how her life may turn out, it doesn't mean that her fate is laid out for her within the stories.

Ryan Meagher: Post# 5

Stories are the way humans learn from one another. They teach us to move on, to not repeat past mistakes, and to fight for who you truly love. Often times they make us burst out in laughter, though sometimes they can save our lives. We are all only human, curious at nature. Thirty thousand years of human error has made the world a much safer place. All with the aid of stories. However, the most healing power of storys is instilling hope in drastic situations. When it seems like nothing will ever get better, its always good to remember that for many people it does.

In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi uses the help of story's to keep herself from losing all faith at the Happiness House. Back in Nepal, she heard stories of marrying Krishna and having a happy family. She also heard stories of working hard, and buying a new tin roof so that her baby brother can survive. These optimistic tales are really all that Lakshmi has to stay hopeful for. They give her the spirit to work hard in terrible conditions, in order to come back home and make the stories a reality.

Sarah Davidson Post # 5

Stories have been with us forever. They help teach and lead us in our human life. They keep our creativity up because we can make them up and there are endless stories we can listen to and tell. Stories can be told in a song, movie, shows, and many more. They help give us dreams like when I heard about how Taylor Swift became famous. She never gave up on her singing and kept trying to become discovered. She finally made it and now she is one of my favorite artists and has won many awards. Her story helps me believe that if I work hard enough I will be able to achieve my dreams.

In the book Sold by Patricia McCormick, she tells us the reality about prostitution in this sad gripping fictional story about a 13 year old girl named Lakshmi from Nepal who was forced into prostitution. Lakshmi was taken to the "Happiness House" and has to stay there and sleep with the men until she is able to pay off her debt. Lakshmi doesn't give up and tries her best to finally become free. "I will do whatever it takes to get out of here" (227.) Lakshmi says as she tries to pay off her debt to Mumtaz the head of the "Happiness House". Also near the end of the book when the Americans come to help the girls, but Mumtaz tells them that they are bad people and they shouldn't be trusted, Lakshmi runs to them. "Something inside me breaks open, and I run down the steps" (263.) Lakshmi was the only girl running down to have the Americans help save her from prostitution. With her dreams and remembering her old life story, she was determined to become free.

A Suzor Post 5

For years story's have brought something to people that television could never do. Story's have so much behind them, so much that you can break down and analyze and interpret. Humans can study  story's because story's can give you an experience of an experience. You can learn your morals from story's, your judgement, your ability to develop ideas. I have learned some of the greatest lessons from books I have read, some greater then what I learned from experiencing it myself. Books from the past, can help people decided on the better option in the future. No story will ever be a waste of time, listen to the ones your friends tell you, listen to the ones your parents tell you. Never let the opportunity to listen to a story, because you could be missing the greatest lesson of your life. 

"Sold" brought me so much knowledge on sex trafficking, something I had never heard of before. It educated me on the different culture differences that are so greatly different from where I live. I was so oblivious to the harsh reality of prostitution. This book really opened my eyes to the greater picture of the world, and how not everything is like our "safe, little Marin". Things like sex trafficking are always swept under the rug, people don't want to hear about what's happening in the world so the media hides it from us. Most people wouldn't be able to answer on question about sex trafficking. I was one of those people before i read this book. In McCormick's note at the end she gives statistics on sex trafficking and her personal experience. " Each year nearly 12,000 Nepalese girls are sold by their families, intentionally or unwittingly into a life of sexual slavery in the brothels of India." Girls are sold by their families! Can you believe it? The people who are supposed to be there for you your entire life, the people that will love you unconditionally? Those people would sell their daughters into sexual slavery. Astonished and bewildered, I've realized that i couldn't think of one reason why I would EVER sell my daughter into a business like that. Nothing should ever be done like that, and  that it happens every year to 12,000 Nepalese girls, will forever be a burden that stays with me. 

Cara Conaway Post 5- Farewell Sold

     Every child is told stories. Bedtime stories are children's first introduction to worlds unlike their own. We learn things from our own experiences, and we learn things from other's experience. Many lessons are taught not by a scolding from a parent or a reprimanding from a teacher, but are taught by literature and by the pure knowledge and advice that people offer to the world. Stories are the driving force of the imagination, teaching us to be creative and to ponder things outside our realm. I know that many of the stories I was told as a child have stuck with me, and some of the ones about how life is have changed and been molded as I've grown. My perception of the world around me can be altered with just a sentence, giving stories the power to sway the masses. Without stories, we would lose our empathy and our ability to put ourselves in others shoes. Our opinions would be absolute, without knowledge of how others think. I think that stories can be beneficial to society, but they can also become deceiving if the story itself is a lie.
     In the book Sold by author Patricia McCormick, the main character, a young girl named Lakshmi, lives in a small village in Nepal. There she hears many stories. Some are about life outside her town or about how she should act as a woman.  Lakshmi perspective on the world is very narrow, and this causes her and many of her people to be naive as to what is really going on. Like when her "Auntie" comes to take her away to the big city to work as a maid and make a better life for her family. Lakshmi believes wholeheartedly that she is going to work hard to make an honest living in an honest profession, but her beliefs are suddenly shattered and burnt when she is thrust into the life of a prostitute. She had no way to stop it, but maybe if the stories she had been told betrayed the bad side of the big city, she would have thought better. Her earlier fantasies of a golden city with nice, rich people turn out to have been hiding the dark side of people all along. "There are no golden roofs here...'There is a mistake,' I tell her. 'I'm here to work as a maid for a rich lady.' 'Is that what you were told?'" (105.) Lakshmi's ignorance turns out to force her into the worst situation possible. If only she had been told a different story.

Emma Burtt Post #5

For years, stories have entertained, taught, and given guidance to us. Stories can be told through music, books, and vocally. Humans have passed down stories through generations, and sometimes they become altered. These altered stories are myths and folk tales. They could also be called fantasy stories. We have created even more ways to share these stories. We use movies, television, computers, and even more to tell our stories. Our society clings to stories to catch a fresh breath out of reality. They are fun because they let our minds wander away from the important tasks of our busy days.

In Sold, Lakshmi is told many stories about how wonderful the city is and the people who live there. She's told that the roofs are made of gold. She has let her mind soak up these fantasizing images, which are all ruined to quickly. When she gets to the city, there are no gold roofs, and the people there are deceitful. She has a horrible experience and was let down from the stories she grew up listening to. Sometimes stories let our minds wander, but if we let them wander to much we may find ourselves disappointed from the truth.

J. Calmell Post #5

Stories have been past down generation to generation. They are our guidance and our entertainment. Stories play a very important role in our society, without stories everything would be very blase. People can relate to stories, can feel comfort towards stories, they can feel sympathy, compassion, etc. Whether stories have been told out of experiences or out of pure joy, stories are and will be a vital role in human beings lives.

Sold is an intense novel that tells a story of this young girl's upside down world. Lakshmi has been told so many stories, that she can't help but fantasize about them. Lakshmi was told a story of how she would marry Krishna in her village and be happy and have a family, she was told stories of what would happen when she was able to support her family financially, she was told stories about the world outside her village. She has been told so many stories, that towards the end of the book she doesn't want to fantasize anymore about any stories she hears because they all end up being a lie. When she hears this one last story from an American about a completely different and better lifestyle, she's hesitant at first but in the end she does take that chance. The purpose to this story, Sold is that Lakshmi like the other girls in the Happiness House represent the millions of girls in that same situation. Lakshmi herself represents that opening door to a better future.

S Lococo Post 5

We all know that humans tell each other stories. Some are experiences we've had, some are stories about people we love. other stories are fictional; hopes we wish for, dreams we beg to see come true. Many times, these fictional stories are our way of dealing with our burdens, the back of our mind hoping a miracle will take place. Without stories like this, society would be lonely, thinking no one else feels how they feel.
In Sold, Lakshmi has been told stories her entire life. When she was a girl, she dreamed of growing up and marrying Krishna. Later, she has been told stories of becoming a city maid. Unfortunately for Lakshmi, the next stories she hears are horrors of how badly Mumtaz will beat her if she dares to cross Mumtaz. Once Lakshmi sees how her like could be changed in America, she dreams to have the sotries shown on the digital camera come true; she craves freedom. Now, Lakshmi had heard stories of policemen throwing girls on the streets, but the stories of freedom overpower them. Some stories are strong enough to "endure a hundred punishments to be free" (260).

Feiner Post 5

Stories have great meaning to humans. The mere words that are put in a story can keep us captivated for hours and hours. They inform us, make our imaginations run wild, and they even make you cry. Stories can make you understand a person, hear what they have gone through, feel what they felt. They play an important role. Books aren' t the only form of stories too. Stories are the what you tell your friend what you did that weekend or what you tell your mom about school that day. And not only can stories entertain us, but they can inform us in a way you never thought. It doesn't have to be boring non-fiction for us to actually learn something through stories, but they can tell us the truth about a situation in a totally different way.

That is what the author Patricia McCormick of Sold does. She tells us in so much detail about a real situation for real people. She may have made up a story about Indian sex slavery, but she tells us what is happening and what they person goes through and that much is true. Throughout the book she tells us facts of the situation without us really knowing it. We don't know it because it is just a story to us, but in fact we learn what is really happening in India. It tells the story of Lakshmi, a fictitious character, but in reality it really is someones story that we don't know.

Zoe Donnenfield Post #5

Stories are important to humans, because we have the ability to feel and have compassion towards one another. We share stories which are emotional experiences. Some of them are good experiences but lots of them are sad. These experiences are what change us and make us what to help out and make a difference for things that we believe in. Although the only way we encounter theses stories are from the people who treat their fellow humans badly. The victims are the ones who have to endure the pain. We should thank the people who have endured the pain, for teaching and sharing with their stories with us. I hope that those people who are the cause of theses sad stories are one day touched by a story, and makes them change into a better person.

Patricia McCormick, the writer of the book Sold shares a sad story about a young thirteen-year-old girl named Lakshmi who is forced into prostitution. This story is a harsh and extremely sad story. It definitely changes the reader, and exposes them to all the horrible truths there are in the world that many are ignorant to or don't know about. This young girl stays composed and driven to find the silver lining even when she can't seem to find any hope to get out of the "Happiness House". She ties everything to escape her terrible fate of sleeping with men she doesn't know against her will. She inspires all to keep their dignity, power, and strength in difficult situations. She keeps track of the money that she owes the owner Mumtaz. "' Let me do the calculations for you,' she says. She pretends to be adding and subtracting. 'Yes,' she says. 'It's as I thought. You have a least five more years here with me.'"(226) After hearing this news, Lakshmi keeps her cool and told herself, "I will do whatever it takes to get out of here."(227) She understands her situation, and still tries her hardest to get herself a better life. The author of this book makes a huge impact on the readers with this story that deals with a real and true problem.

Cade Yongue post #5

Stories are very important to humans. They inspire people to do things, they entertain people who need entertaining, and they can even tell a lot of history (depending on the story). Stories teach things to people, teach them lessons that are crucial to people's judgement. People aim to inspire, make a difference, be remembered for who they are and what they did. Obviously no one is immortal, so how do they accomplish this? They become so significant that stories live on about them. Classic example is Martin Luther King Jr. He made such an impact that people will never forget him, or the things he did. And those stories will inspire someone else to go out and be significant and make a change.

The book Sold, is a story of a 13 year old girl who is sold into sex slavery. It is a sad tale of how she must sleep with about 15 men a night in order to pay off the owner Mumtaz. Though extraordinarinly sad, it does inspire me and the rest of the readers to make a difference, to change what is happening and to make ground in this current issue. It is a powerful book, that is so close to the heart that you can't forget it. And that is how the author makes her impact, and teaches the reader of what is happening and what can be done. Directly in the book we are inspired by Lakshmi's pervalence, courage, and toughness. One of the main inspiring points is when she has the curage to talk to the American, and tell him that she wants to leave, and then the biggest part: she has the courage and strenght to walk out of the closet and go to a place she does not know about with an American who she does not know. This inspires all of us to be stronger when times are tough, to realize that we don't have it as bad as others and to work through things, and ultimetely to never give up and never give in because one day, if you have the courage and strenth, you will achive what it is you desire most, you will be successful, you will be significant.

B. Hinnenberg Post # 5

Stories are impotant to humans because it's stories about your families past and the future. The stories you would get to tell your kids and then they could tell theirs and it would go on and on. The stories would never end.

In the book SOLD by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi tells her story about her family and how in the beginning of the book, her mother had to re-marry because her husband passed away and Lakshmi step father was not a great man. He would spend all their money on gambling and then Lakshmi had to go get a job. Lakshmi then would tell the reader where she was going and how her life was. When she was at Happiness House, she would tell the reader what she heard around her and how her new life was going. At the end of the book Lakshmi seemed to be really happy at the end of the book.

K. Vangelder Post #5

Stories are glimpses into the past and lessons for the future. Humans have used stories as a form of passing knowledge through generations for hundreds of years and stories play a vital role in the survival of human society. Stories teach customs and behaviors, mistakes and improvements. Without stories humans would continue to repeat mistakes made in the past and never be able to improve nor change for a better future. Understanding the lives of our ancestors helps us learn and use our lives as times to keep moving forward on things they started. If we can understand the past then we have a chance for a brighter and better future.

In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, the stories told to Lakshmi and the overall story itself, are both good examples of how important stories are to humanity. Lakshmi is told stories throughout the book to help her cope with whichever situation she is in at the time; when she is still living at home her mother teaches her the customs of how to be a good women, “At night […] I will tell you everything you need to know” (14), when she first gets to the Happiness House all the other girls tell her key information to stay safe at the house, and in the end of the book, when the American comes to give her a chance to escape, she uses her own life story to help set herself free, “My name is Lakshmi,’ I say. ‘I am from Nepal. I am fourteen years old"' (263). In each situation stories have not only played a vital role in Lakshmi’s life but also in the thoughts of the reader. Reading the story itself is a way for people to learn about the horrible situations in Nepal in order to help prevent them from happining in the future. Stories have always been important for humans in all kinds of situations and will always be.

Narlock Post 5

It is human nature to crave excitement in life. Since the existence of man, we've always had a lingering urge to experience something interesting, be it big or small. By telling and writing stories, we've been able to prove a point or moral by using an exciting and interesting anecdotes. Rather than trying to convince someone that murder is wrong simply by saying, "murder is wrong", you can tell them a captivating story that gets the listener's attention and teaches them the moral at the same time.

Sold by Patricia McCormick is a moving example of how authors deliver important messages in an interesting way. Through the story of Lakshmi, McCormick was able to show the world how vile and corrupt sex trade and prostitution is. She leads us through the suddenly twisted life of Lakshmi, a Nepalese girl who was sold into prostitution when she was 13. As Lakshmi experienced life in the brothel, she, along with all the other girls there, quickly transformed from young, innocent girls into women who'd learned to block things out in hopes to prevent themselves from becoming emotionally disturbed. McCormick worked details from a fictional story in with facts from what she already knew to deliver a heartbreaking and inspiring story. Details like the spiked mango lassi Lakshmi was given make the story more believable and touching at the same time. "I squint and there are two of her. I blink and she is gone. My arms and legs become distant things, their movements slow and liquid" (119). It is a fact that girls at brothels are drugged, but the small detail that it was lassi makes it all the more personal. McCormick could have just said to the world, "sex slavery is bad". Instead, she chose to write a moving and touching story and deliver the same message that no reader could disagree with.

Anabelle Swezy Post #5

Storytelling is an art, kept alive by shared experiences for entertainment and learning. Experiences shared by other humans help us learn, for it takes us to a part of our mind, one full of emotion and needs, to be inspired on one's journeys. Stories are enlightening, along with the feelings the bring to us. One moment they make us burst into laughter, but the next we are drowning in our own tears. Not only do stories entertain us, but they also teach us. We learn so much from books, fiction or non-fiction, about different people and their stories from around the world. The information we learn in our school texts books is even a story, for it informs us on new ideas and information to expand that part of our mind.

Sold, By Patricia McCormick, is a great example of storytelling. McCormick tells a fictional, yet very real, story through the eyes of Lakshmi, a thirteen year old girl, trapped in a world of rape, abuse, hate, and sadness. Lakshmi's innocence is taking once she is sold into sex slavery. Each day, she must sell her body to over fifteen strangers, hoping to pay off her debt to her owner, Mumtaz, a heartless and greedy woman. The readers can feel Lakshmi's pain through this powerful story. Patricia McCormick was able to learn and hear stories from sex trafficking victims from Nepal, to create her own story for us to hear. Storytelling is so important to humans, and the art will continue flourish through time.

Makenna Finch Post 5

Looking back to the beginning of time we can see that stories have always played an important roll in our society. In Native American cultures the elders would tell their tribe essential stories that would help them move forward as a people. Now we see story telling even implemented in our school curriculum through history textbooks. The reason why stories are so important to our society is because they help us from not repeating our mistakes. In order to develop as a civilization we can’t just be stuck making the same mistakes over and over and so these stories, our history, opens our eyes to what we can change to become better. These stories show the light on subjects of concern and major problems. This is all in hope that we can take our history and learn from our mistakes to create a brighter future.

Sold, written by Patricia McCormick, tells the story of one of many girl who are tricked and trapped into the world of sex trafficking in Nepal. Little Lakshmi thinks she is going to become a maid for a rich family in the city however, she ends up in the Happiness House where she is forced to “pay of her debt” by sleeping with men. At first she is hopeful of returning to her family. However after constantly being lied to she does not know who is telling the truth and can’t trust anybody. “I shut my eyes tight. I don’t know what to believe. I believed that stranger in the yellow cloud dress was taking me to the city to work as a maid. I believed that Uncle Husband would protect me from the bad city people. I believed that if I worked hard enough here at Happiness House, I could pay down my debt. And I believed it was all worth it for the sake of my family” (250). Sold not only opens our eyes to the prominent world of sex trafficking but also teaches a very important lesson: to not always believe what you are told. Lakshmi has to learn this the hard way and only by shear luck does she manage to escape with the help of the Americans. We can all learn a lot from this story and hopefully some day we will be able to build a future without Sex trafficking.

Isabelle Meckfessel Post # 5

Stories are a thing that has been cherished by humans for generations. Before there was the technology to relay information to the next generation there were stories, to be told. For human’s stories give us a chance to go into another world, experience new thing through someone else’s eyes. A great form of entertainment. They also relay lessons, and history. But overall they give us a chance to see how other people live. Its lets us know how harsh people’s lives can be that don’t live near us or around us. Its also lets us know how people in different cultures live and how different all of there beliefs are. At times it is not always easy to read about how harsh other people’s life can be.

In Sarah McCormick’s Sold we get told a story about a young girl named Lakshmi, at first she lives in a small simple village in Nepal, but soon gets sold by her father into sex slavery. She travels to India were she meets Mumtaz a truly awful woman who runs the “Happiness House” that Lakshmi is now forced to work in. We see this awful journey that Lakshmi takes throughout the book, I personally knew nothing about sex trafficking before reading Sold. By reading this book I saw how awful some people’s life can be, and how truly lucky I am to live where I do. It was a very intense book to read but it really opened my eyes to how tough people lives can be that live in other parts of the world, and how easily they can be taken advantage of.

Shane Cooney Post Number 5 :D

There are many relevant, and bold stories in life that make an impact on people. I myself have been inspired by many stories, such as; Bethany Hamilton, Martin Luther king Jr., john Muir, and many others. I have a strong opinion that stories help people get motivated, engaged, and inspired. For instance, If i were to tell you a story right now about a poor homeless boy that pushed his dream of becoming a pro baseball player, and did, most of you would think that this is incredible and inspiring. So, my point being that Stories are important in inspiring leads to another thing; History. Every single event in history is a story, because a story is usually something in past tense and history is always in past tense. History, as a story, is important because it educates people of the past. It brings to life old folklore, and great battles that mostly all happened. In a way the life of humans is just one big story, in fact a story can come out of anything, literally. That being said i conclude with a quote, " why are stories important to humans?", to which i reply, " Stories are important to humans, because they teach people what happened, is happening, and is going to happen in human life."

Stories make an impact of what happens to Lakshmi, in Happy House, and in her experiences in the city. Before I support the paragraph above, I would like to reflect the way McCormick ended Sold. First of all i liked the closing words, " 'My name is Lakshmi', I say.' I am from Nepal. I am fourteen years old ( 263)." It was interesting that she left the book SO open. After I finished I had a dozen questions like; What happened too her family? What happened to Mumtaz? Did Lakshmi go to the shelter, and did she get all her money? Finally, did she ever find Gita? I was so confused by all these questions that were left unanswered.

Anyway, I believe that Lakshmi went to the city, one because she had too, but also because she heard of " Golden roofs" and hopes of finding Gita. I wonder, if in real life, if a girl would go to the city if she knew the reality of it. Another important impact of stories in Sold is when Mumtaz and the rest of the Happy House girls describe the Americans as terrible. They say that the Americans will take the girls and throw them onto the street naked and leave them to the " Goondas" or bad guys. When in reality ( we learn in the end) the Americans are trying to save the girls from forced sex slavery. Another story is that the policemen are bad; Mumtaz obviously does not like the police because if they find out about her operation they will close it down, however she has an acquaintance with a policemen, paying him to keep his mouth closed. Never the less, the girls believe that the policemen are awful because they spoiled the food, TV, and posters searching for the girls. I believe that if the girls were not told stories such as these, they would've seek'd help much earlier and would've been saved.

Zoe Donnenfield Post #4

If you don't involve yourself in the solution, it doesn't mean that you are part of the problem. Lots of people are ignorant and don't put themselves in situations in where they don't have to deal with a problem. I think it depends on what you do and who you are as a person. The police are supposed to help solve problems, because that is their job. Teaches also put themselves in a position to problem solve, that is also in their job description. People of authority usually are the ones who are part of the solution. Although in bad cases people like the police can often use their power to become part of the problem. Sometimes a people who don't have as much authority decide to be a prat of the solution. But anyone who wishes to be part of the solution could end up being a part of the problem. I think the answer to the question "If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?" would depend on yourself and what your views are.
In the book Sold by Patricia McCormick the police are prat of the problem. "'Is that man a goonda?' I ask Shahanna. 'He's worse,' she says. 'He's a policeman.' I don't understand. 'Plicemen are supposed to stop people like Mumtzafrom selling girls,' she says. 'But she gives this one money each week and he looks the other way.' I don't understande this city. It's full of so many bad people. Even the people who are supposed to be good."(159) This shows that sometimes the people taht are supposed to help the solution, abuse their power and becomepart of the problem. It is scary to think that the people we are supposed to trust and help us, can betray and work against the things that are supposed to be good. Its hard to belive that someone who is payed to support the helpless, doesn't do their job just for selfish and gredy puroses. I think this is why Lakshmi refuses the white man's offer to save her, becasue she lost her sense of trust.

Weinstein Post # 5

Stories can teach us, humans, many things. They introduce us to new worlds, transporting us into a whimsical dream. Stories can show us what life might have been like 1 million years ago, or might be like 1 million years into the future. Fiction or Non-Fiction you can learn varieties of information, true or false. Stories can also show you the harsh realities of what someone's life is like accross the globe. Stories can change your belifes, what you thought before might not be the same once you read a few sentences.

The book SOLD by Patricia McCormick tells the tale of a Nepali girl sold into the world of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking wasn't something that I was really aware of until reading SOLD. Poor Nepali girls have no choice but to work for their families, by selling their innocence to strangers. Not only is sex trafficking bad, but it is also illegal. Reading SOLD put me in perspective. " Each year, nearly 12,000 Nepali girls are sold by their families, intentionally or unwittinly, into a life of sexual slavery in the brothels of India." (authors note 264) I felt for this girl, I desperately wanted to help her. It wasn't like there was anything I could do. SOLD proved how stories can change your belifes and completly put your own life into perspective.

Kyla Pasternak post#5

Story is a critical aspect for humans because they tell us about history and different cultures. We learn about morals and the similarities and differences within human beings and different countries and cultures. It is a great way to learn for people of all ages and races. It is also a great way for people to get there stories out in the world and get bpeople aware of their situation.

Stories come in many forms, such as books, music, poetry, drawings and story telling.
In the book Sold, the author ends her book by telling the personal story of several of the girls. Without hearing their story, the author would not have had a basis for her book. Hearing the girls bravery in telling their story inspired the author to write a book. The power of story inspired another story that will hopefully bring help for these girls who should have never had such a horrible life experience to share with others.

Kest Post #4

I know many people will argue that not being part of a solution is just as bad as being part of the problem. However, I will tell you why I believe otherwise. I believe that right or wrong, this judgement should be carried out separately for any single situation. Although in some cases it may be correct, in others it can seem pointless, if not stupid. For instance, if a man walks straight past a starving child, and is well off himself, I strongly believe he is just as wrong as the people who starved the child in the first place. However, over seas there are men and women dying every day from acts of terrorism. Does this mean that I am just as guilty as the men who commit these violent crimes, just because I do not risk my life to stop them? In this case I disagree. Situations vary and we must make our own choices. In this case there is no definitive answer, instead every questions has its own.

The book Sold is a great example of how situations vary with the question: "If you are not part of the solution, are you part of the problem?" All of the girls in the brothel show how this statement can be true. The girls' unwillingness to unite and rebel against Mumza allows her to keep a tight rule over them and when any of them do fight back alone, she punishes them severely. The rumors they spread, about the Americans being bad, also keep them locked away. Although they were all tricked into Mumza's ugly business, it is their own unwillingness to work together that kept them from escaping much earlier. However, in this case another person could also argue the opposite. For instance, they were all forced into their currant position, most of them were no older than fourteen, and even if they had all united, what could they have done against Mumza and here guards?

G.deffner post 4

There are some times where you can be neither part of the solution nor the problem. You can simply not be a part of the entire conflict and not get involved in the solution either. There can also be times where you cannot control the solution and you aren't causing the problem either. Just because you don't play a part in the solution doesn't mean that you contributed to the problem.
In the book Sold, Lakshmi had to go through so many tough situations that she couldn't control and she wasn't able to control the solution either. For example, her being forced into prostitution was not something she could control and it wasn't in her power to be able to leave and be free either. She couldn't be a part in problem or the solution.

S. Lococo Post 4

Although it is possible to become the problem if you neglect to find a solution, there are many cases when this is not correct. In uncontrollable circumstances it is usually impossible for a person to become the problem. When there is actually nothing the person can do, there is no way to make the situation worse than it is already. It is hard to describe a situation when the person is the problem to themselves, but usually it is when this person gives up or turns on themselves.
In Sold, Lakshmi’s life has turned into a nightmare as she tries to battle the new world of sex slavery she has been sold into. There are some parts of her life, however, that she can find happiness in, such as learning to read and write and having a routine each day. Others, she dreads, realizing how her fate is uncontrollable. She has no way to fix the problems; Mumtaz making her debt impossible to pay off, knowing her destiny is like Monica’s, her biggest accomplishment being getting the most men in bed. Lakshmi is definitely not part of her problem, but she can become part of the solution if she finds a way to escape.

Caroline Yoss Post #4

I don't believe that if you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem. I was taught the quote "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." There are some things you cannot change, therefore getting involved isn't always a good thing, or the right thing to do. Sometimes situations are completely out of your hands, and putting yourself into the matter can complicate things further. It's all a matter of perspective. Sometimes not doing anything can seem to put you in an ethical gray area, and this is when you must think about the possible outcomes.
Lakshmi is in no slightest way, the problem just because she doesn't do anything about the huge issue of sex slavery. This is something so much bigger than her, especially since she is so younge, that her reaching out and attempting to fix the problem seems crazy. Lakshmi had the chance to tell the American police about what what going on at 'Happiness House' but there are to many factors, and it is to risky. I have no ideas on how she could have handled her situation without hurting someone.

Badala Post # 4

I agree with the question "if you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?" You are most definitely part of the problem. If you see someone on the streets getting harassed, just because you yourself is not having the problem doing nothing isn't the right thing to do. In Grifo's Social Issue class we have been talking about Morals and Ethics, and we have watched some videos in which actors were spray painting cars, and doing graffiti on them and most people would just walk by like theres nothing wrong because it isn't something that affects them. However i think we could all live in a better world if we didn't just think of our selves and help other people with their problems to become a part of the solution.

In the book Sold Lakshmi is faced with major hardships of being a sex slave. Here in the United States we don't see it almost ever therefore we aren't affected by it. But many young woman, like Lakshmi a young 13 year old girl are affected by it in third world countries. It may not affect us, but we are part of the problem because if not enough people help and speak up that its wrong then we will be punished by it, and not make a solution for it.

Solari Post 4

One can be impartial in a situation, uninvolved in the solution and the problem. While they may not be helping towards the solution they can also not be contributing to the problem. However, if a problem is as serious as something like sex trafficking, someone who has knowledge of such an unjust thing is a part of the problem if they are not helping to stop it. When things like this are going on, it is crucial for the world and society to recognize and stop it. When someone ignores a situation like this, they are instantly becoming a part of the problem. That said, the solution can be the problem and it can be and endless circle with no escape.

In Sold, Lakshmi's problem is her solution. She wants to escape but escaping would only contribute to the problem. She is stuck in this place knowing that, while leaving with the Americans would get her out of her current situation, she would still have to suffer. Some problems have no easy way out; some problems simply have no solutions.

Isabelle Sarrafzadeh #4

Asking yourself "If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?", to figure out the answer is quite difficult. Obviously, we all want to be a part of the solution. Though sometimes we have moments when we hesitate on whether or not we should be a part of the solution. Like when we see someone being bullied or verbally abused, we know its the right thing to stop, but at the same time, we are afraid to stand up for the victim. As humans we all hope for the best but may stand aside and watch time go by as the problem gets worse.
Lakshmi is put in an extremely dire situation while she lives in The Happiness House. She is being held against her will and is forced into prostitution.  She is presented with a chance that could resolve her problem and save her life. An American official comes the Happiness House disguised as a customer, thinking he might find someone in need of help, like Lakshmi. He offers her a way out, "'You don't want to leave here?' I just stare at him." She is considering her choice knowing the bad rumors about Americans. She finally decides to take his card and ponders over the thought of him helping her. She is becoming part of her own solution by taking the card and contemplating to let her life get better.

Kate Anderson post #4

I think that if you're not part of the solution, you are not necessarily part of the problem. You can directly contribute to the problem, but sometimes people are just naive and ignorant. Some people just don't know anything about the issue. Those are the people that are not part of the problem. Then there are people who know about the problem, but don't do anything about it. Those are the ones who are apart of the problem. An example would be the huge war, specifically against women, in the DR Congo. A huge number of people have no idea that there is such a big issue there, and therefor do nothing to help, those people are neither part of the problem or solution. People who know about it are trying to help and provide assistance and care for the thousands of women affected, those people are part of the solution. Then there are those who know about it, but choose to ignore it and forget about the horrors taking place there. Those people are a part of the problem.

In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, there are many different types of problems and ways people deal with them. You have Lakshmi's mother, who believed that her daughter was getting a nice job in the city. She was naive of the fact that her daughter was being sold into sex slavery, therefor she is neither part of the problem nor the solution. Then you have the policemen, who Mumtaz pays to keep quite about her brothel. They look they other way, pretending that nothing is wrong and do nothing to stop Mumtaz. Those policemen are part of the problem because they know whats going on and do nothing to stop it. Then you have the American, who knows about the awful things at Happiness House and brothels in India and is trying to help the girls escape their awful lives as sex slaves. The American is a great example of someone who is part of the solution.

Amy Goelz Post # 3

"If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?"

This is a question we ask ourselves whenever a situation next to us occurs, one that we don't have to be part of. Our place in that situation is totally up to us, and we don't have to listen to others to sway our opinions. However, I feel that if the problem that is happening is really bad, you not helping will likely cause the situation to escalate. This, in a way, means that you are the problem if you aren't helping, which explains everything. When you view a situation like this happening, you have come to a fork in the road. Either turn one way, which is to avoid being part of a "problem" or anything, or turn the other way, and risk your safety for doing what's right. This imaginary fork in the road is difficult for people to make a decision about by first glance, so they often wait until they see what is the most safe or self-satisying to them. Although it isn't gallant nor brave, doing what is best for yourself is also a good idea. Once you have put yourself in a situation and it has turned out to be a bad idea, how do you turn back?

In Sold, Lakshmi is faced with the option to do what is right and get punished otherwise, or do the wrong thing, leading to others pain, but not get punished for doing so. When she is staying at the "Happiness House", she arrives and nobody tells her what is going on. She is under the impression that she is simply working for a family or mistress and continues to think that until she arrives. She is confused for a while, until she is forced into a room with an old man and her thoughts take a turn for the worst. This is a horrible situation, and to top it off she had no idea what was going on before or after that. If she had been eased into the situation, perhaps it might have been a more pleasant introduction. The world she has been brought into is a sick, twisted world, full of sly behavior and gross rules. Lakshmi drifts into a downfall of numb sadness, knowingly throwing her life away. Her problem is that nobody told her what was going on, and she got taken advantage of all because of that. There had been a new girl that came to the Happiness House, also unaware of the dull existence she was so close to beginning. Lakshmi saw them bringing the girl in and knew what she was in for. She knew that in a matter of days she will understand what her entire future is, and she will never feel truly happy or aspiring again. Lakshmi keeps to herself instead of warning the girl, for she knows that if she tells her, she will be severely punished. However, I feel that she sees some of herself in that girl, and feels terribly about not saying anything. Even though she thinks she is doing the right thing in saving her own life, she is somehow killing another. A couple days later she talks to Anita. Anita tells her, "That new girl, the one in your old room- yesterday morning Mumtaz found her hanging from the rafters" (pg. 143). This shows that even though she is staying out of the problem and keeping herself safe, the worst possible outcome happened and resulted in someone else's death.