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.

Sir Camden Clement Dowd Post Number Four.

“If you aren’t part of the solution, are you part of the problem?” I believe that this is mostly true, depending on the circumstance. If the problem is global warming then if you’re not a part of the solution, you are part of the problem. This goes for almost every problem in the world. However, if people think that global warming isn’t existent, then how is there a problem to something that doesn’t exist? This is a little far fetched, because technically there would be no problem if people didn’t think that there was a problem. Also, a twist to this is that if people have multiple problems, you could be the solution to one problem, but you could be helping out the other problem.This happens very often with money. A person may be helping out their financial problem, but causing a problem with their health, or their relationships at the same time. This is very common and very problematic.

In sold, Lakshmi gets sold into sex slavery. After she gets out of her locked cell and begins to live with other girls she is able to receive some tips from men if she pleases them well enough. She could either, save the money which would help solve her problem to get home quicker if she chose to run away, or she could give the money to Mumtaz, helping her pay off her debt quicker, but keeping the problem of going home sooner. Another solution for the girls is to rebel against mumtaz and gang up, but that could end worse, even resulting in death.

Jordan Cannington bog post 4

“ If you aren’t apart of the solution, than are you apart of the problem?” I think that this question is a very broad question and can be interpreted in many different ways according to what the problem is. Lets take sex slavery for instance. Sex slavery has been going on for a very long time now and clearly no one has come up with a situation for this worldwide horrific problem. Reading Sold has really made me realize how many different factors come upon other than girls being raped and abused. I think that if you aren’t apart of the solution, you can very much so be apart of problem. Lakshmi is a perfect example for a young girl who has been told to do this and is probably not going to make a solution, but she is just an example of an everyday girl who goes through sex slavery.

In Sold, Lakshmi faces extreme challenges that she has not prepared her self for mentally and physically. Lakshmi is being used day after day and is stuck in this whore house and guys keep paying and paying, and she says, “ Thirty rupees. That is the price of a bottle of Coco-Cola at a store. That is what he paid for me”(146). She gets the idea that she is only worth thirty rupees. Feeling that your worth thirty rupees, would make hr feel like she would never be able to get out of this problem. She feels like she is going to be stuck their forever. Even though she mite never be part of the solution she, will always feel like she is part of the problem.

James Day post #4

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

If you aren't part of the solution, that doesn't mean that you are part of the problem. You don't have to be part of the solution or the problem. There is always a middle. Everyone most of the time either picks to be a part of it or not. You don't always have to be part of it. Sometimes though being not part of it is the problem or the solution so it really depends on the situation.

In Sold, Lakshmi's mother stands by the whole time. When the step-father gambles all of their money away, she could probably stop him even though its against what they she believes in. In this case Ama is part of the problem because she has neglected stopping the problem. At first she was neither but after awhile she could have changed what was happening and become the solution but she did nothing and became part of the problem. In Sold, it seems like Ama is always becoming part of the problem because she isn't becoming part of the solution.

Narlock Post 4

If someone isn't a part of the solution, they aren't automatically entitled "the problem". There could be any random outsider watching from a distance, and even though they aren't doing anything to help, they are in no way adding to the problem. The question of, "If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?", however, does bring up a lot of dispute. There is a huge grey area with this, and it all depends on the situation. If someone has wide open chance to solve something and chooses not to, then yes, they are a part of the problem. But if it's a situation where the person simply can't solve the problem or it wouldn't help to be a part of the solution, then there's no reason to blame them for the problem.

In Sold, Lakshmi initially isn't part of the solution, but she surely is not a part of the problem. After being trafficked for sex for over a year, Lakshmi was given an opportunity to rat out Happiness House, aka "solve the problem". Lakshmi is on one end of the grey area in this situation because she actually has a reason to not solve the problem. She had already been given the chance to go to the American police, but when they raided Happiness House, all they did was take away a few girls from the house. "I ran upstairs, saw our room in chaos, our beds overturned, Anita's movie star posters ripped from the wall. The worst is what I did not see: Shahanna" (215). Lakshmi was scared to try again, which is completely understandable; she didn't want to be one of the girls caught again. Sex trafficking is a huge problem, and Lakshmi making the decision not to go to the police absolutely did not make her a part of the problem.

Comstock Post: 4

I believe that if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Some may interpret this as pessimistic, however it is nothing but observance of situations that happen all the time- whether it’s in our individual lives or the ones around us. Many times in our lives, we are faced with making decisions for better or for worse. Our morality is tested when we make choices or come across roads that diverge in our own lives. When we avoid making certain decisions, it is definitely just as valuable as making them. The reason is because either way, you begin to walk down an inevitable path. So if you are not contributing to a solution in any circumstance, you may certainly and subconsciously be contributing to the problem.

Towards the middle of the novel Sold by Patricia McCormick, the reader may notice that the main character Lakshmi, struggles with solving her problem. After being sold into sex slavery in Napal, she cannot help but experience more and more innocent girls entering the “Happiness House” or the brothel to which she cannot find herself leaving. The reader understands that surely she is in a difficult position. She must make money for her family: something she truly cares about. Despite this, it is breaking her down and ripping her apart from the inside out. "How they can eat and laugh and carry on as normal when soon the men will come is so perplexing that, while they laugh, I fight back tears." (137) It is obvious that Lakshmi recognizes the situation and the problem because she wants to break away from Mumtez’s horrible grasp. By staying in the Happiness House she certainly contributes to the problem. She is being cheated of both her money and her own happiness. Also, because the police don’t do anything in the first place and ignore the situation, this makes it so the problem just keeps on amplifying to more extremes and more and more innocent girls like Lakshmi are “sold.” If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

Sydney Blixt Post #4

If you aren't part of the solution to a problem, you are part of the problem. The main issue in a lot of problems is that there is no body coming forward and trying to stop them. For example, the huge sexual assault scandal at Penn State, there was one assistant coach who didn't come forward about what was going on, the problem may have been stopped if he and others who knew about these attacks came forward to the police.

In Sold,by Patricia McCormick, Mumtaz pays off the police to keep her Happiness House a secret and by them turning there backs and walking a way from the dozens of suffering girls right before their eyes, they are contributing to the problem. Also, people like the young tea vendor boy, he accepts money and orders form Mumtaz and the girls to buy them novelties like soda and magazines, even liquor in some cases. He could be telling somebody about the horrible things being done in theses places. Although, he does risk beatings and abuse from his boss if he did decide to tell somebody or stop bringing the girls things as a sort of silent protest. But in a way he is helping, by bringing them things that make them a fraction of happy for a few minutes while their tea cup is still warm, and the words in their magazines are still fresh. This shows how controversial this idea is, sometimes it may seem like it is helping people by not trying to stop a problem, like the case of the tea boy that wants to help the girls by bringing them things that make them happy, and other times it is extremely clear that not being part of the solution contributes to the problem, like the police letting Mumtaz pay them off.

Emma Burtt Post #4

"If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?" If you do nothing to try to solve the problem then you are in the way. In a way, if your are just standing on the side lines, you are contributing to the problem because you're not resolving it. Some people can only do very little to help the situation, but this is better than standing around and waiting for someone else to step up. Problems can only be resolved if people help work them out.

In Sold, when Lakshmi's mom hears that her husband has sold their daughter, she's very scared for her child. She could have stood up for Lakshmi, and there would be a chance that her daughter would be able to stay. But, because of the respect women are suppose to show men in the Middle East, she was afraid to say anything. She stood on the side lines and added to Lakshmi's problem of trying to find her way home from the city and out of the Happiness House. If her mom had stood up for her and helped resolve the problem of her leaving home to go to a foreign place, Lakshmi might have never left.

Becker Post Four :P

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

Being part of the solution means fixing the problem, but the problem doesn't have to be revolved around you or what you are doing for you to help the situation. People all over the world are trying to find the answer to cancer or to huge problems that are occurring around them, and yes- They could be part of the problem, but it doesn't necessarily mean they are. "Being the solution" also doesn't entitle that you were part of the problem. The situation changes this though. If you are in a scenario where you are somewhere, but you can't leave, and that is the issue, then there is nothing they can do.

Lakshmi has been forced to be in the Happiness House and she has no say in leaving. Although she is part of the problem, she couldn't leave the hell house to be part of the solution. Girls being sold into prostitution is the issue. Lakshmi wanted to help the situation and not be a part of it, and she did so for as long as she could by not listening to Mumtaz and refusing to take part in the horrid acts she was demanded to follow through with. After many hours of being drugged into being part of the problem, she started to become friends with all the other girls who were there under the strict rules of Mumtaz, and she started to loose track of the days. Another part of the novel, Sold, that was a problem that Lakshmi doesn't try to fix is that when Pushpa was sick and being forced to continue with "work." There is no care for any of the girls who are there, and Lakshmi says nothing to Mumtaz about this, but this also doesn't make her part of the problem, because she has no real say in it, or she will be beaten or thrown out. Being part of the solution means fixing the problem, so would she still part of the solution if she tried?

Samantha Blog Post 4

"if you aren't apart of the solution, are you apart of the problem?" This quote bring the quote "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends" - Martin Luther King Junior. Its easy to hear about problems happening, like war, abuse, and slavery, and not do anything about it. But when it affects you directly it's a different story all together. You want to help, but usually when you're so desperately wanting to find the solution you are being too affected by the problem, almost leaving you your self helpless. I don't necessarily think you are apart of the problem as an individual, but if everyone as a whole is not being helpful then there will be no way to find a solution, which can cause the problem. So if every body does nothing then the solution will never present its self.

In sold, by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi is being trafficked as a sex slave. It could be argued that because Lakshmi isn't standing up for her self and is "willingly" being trafficked she is not being apart of the solution, but to back up what i said earlier, she is so deep into the problem that she is helpless to even find a solution. It is disgusting the way that she is being treated, but she is so helpless there is nothing she can even do.

Robinson Blog 4

"If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?" This is a very good question to be thinking about. This question can interpreted in many ways. For me, it makes me think about bulling. When a kid is getting bullying and you know about it and you don't tell anyone you are the problem. You can help this kid but you decided not to. This makes you not part of the solution but the problem. If your friends are in a fight and you try to help you can make it worse. Lets say you try saying something to one of your friends and they take it the wrong way. You are thinking you are part of the solution, but really you are adding more to the problem. You are part of the problem.

This question relates to Sold because Lakshmi has the chance to tell someone she is in trouble but she doesn't. When the American man comes and talks to her. He asks her if she is held there against her will. She could have just said yes and please help, but she resists. This is part of the problem. Instad of helping with the solution she makes it worse. That was one of her chances to get out of there. Now she has to wait longer until she can leave.

J. Calmell Post #4

"If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?" If you aren't helping the problem at all, then yes that makes you part it. If you stand along the side lines and do nothing to help what so ever, the solution can never be resolved. It takes action by everyone in order for the problem to become the solution.

The problem in Sold are that young girls are being sold into prostitution. The problem adds on whenever there is a new girl at the Happiness House. At first Lakshmi was trying to be part of the solution by not obeying to Mumtaz horrid demands, but having to give in to take care of her family, she adds on to the problem. Lakshmi did believe that there will be a good side to all those in the end. But when she loses that faith, a bigger problem is added on to the house, the loss of hope.

Elena Woodside Post 4

There is always a problem, but there is not always a solution. There are so many problems in the world but there are way more people. There are some people who are part of the the problem, and there are some people completely unrelated. There are so many different problems that people can get involved with. When you support a problem then you are part of the problem and you are not part of the solution. It all depends on the situation. I feel that there are some problems that I haven’t done anything to support it or to prevent it. Like whats going on in the Middle East at this moment. There are also some problems that others feel are problems that I may either not understand or not think that they are problems. I may not be part of the solution intentionally. And there are always some times when you cant help be a part of the problem.

In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, the main character Lakshmi is one of the victims of Sex Trafficking in Nepal. She can’t stop working at the Happiness house. Girls being sold into prostitution is a big problem. She cant help that she has been taken here by her new “Uncle” and she cant help stop what has been going on in these countries. She, although not willingly, is part of whats stopping this being resolved. All the girls who have been sold to the Happiness House and who are being forced to stay there, are all preventing it from being solved. It’s unfair how unwillingly, these girls are sold to a brothel, and how they, unknowingly, are making it easier for the Sex Trafficking to continue to flourish. I’m sure that Lakshmi would not wish the kind of pain from the men, Mumtaz, and from having to leave her family, unto anybody else. In this case, she is not part of the solution, and she is, not willingly, part of the problem. “I attempt a first step into the hallway, then another, and watch as the new girl enters my old room with tentative steps, as if she is clenching her feet inside her new shoes like a poor frightened bat clinging to a branch [134].” Lakshmi watches these new girls enter and she cant to anything to stop it. She knows how all these girls feel, and she knows that it is wrong, but she doesn't know how to do anything to prevent other girls from suffering like she has.

Christina Euphrat Post #4

Wearing Post 4

In my opinion the answer to the question "If you aren't part of the solution are you part of the problem?" is yes. Sometimes you cannot help becoming part of a problem, but often you can change the way you act so that you become part of the solution. Often problems start as small issues and become bigger when no one steps up to do what is right and solve the problem. If there is a problem in the world that you see is happening, but you do not do anything to stop it, then you also become part of the problem.
In the book Sold, the problem is that young girls from Nepal are being sold into prostitution against their will. When Lakshmi is sold to Mumtaz at the Happiness House, she becomes part of the problem. When she first come to Happiness House she tries to stand up to Mumtaz, and if she had succeeded she would have become part of the solution. Instead she decides there is nothing she can do about the situation and therefor she becomes a bigger part of the problem.

Pineda Post Four

There can exist a lot of disputes concerning the question, "If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?" In my opinion, if you are not part of the solution, then you are indeed part of the problem. You may let yourself believe that you aren't directly causing the problem, but by not doing anything to stop it you become a big factor within the problem making the problem grow worse. Then you slowly become the roots of the problem by causing it to grow more because of your ignorance towards the situation. What many people don't realize is that by letting problems grow in your surroundings, our world is being flooded with many horrors. If we all decided to work together and stop the terror movie we live in, then our world would be able to prosper, while learning to not make the same mistakes we have made in the past.

In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, even those who are supposed to look for justice ignore the problem, therefore making the problem even worse. Mumtaz, the owner of The Happy House, was paying a "fat roll of rupee notes to a man". The man she gave the money to was a police officer. "Policemen are supposed to stop people like Mumtaz from selling girls, but she gives this one money each week and he looks the other way (159)." This police officer was the roots of the problem of prostitution which Lakshmi was a victim of. He was being bribed into becoming the accomplice of The Happy House's prostitution problem. By not doing the right thing, and not trying to find a solution of the problem, the police officer has become a huge factor in the problem with his ignorance. If he were to make the decision of becoming part of the solution, he could have saved many young girls lives, and not just his own.

Emily Cook Post #4

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

Just because you are involved in something that is wrong, and you aren't helping towards the solution, it doesn't mean you are part of the problem. You could just be an innocent bystander forced to participate, but not really making it worse. This isn't an over all rule though, there are some times when this is not the case. For example, you may be helping someone embezzle money from your business but not stopping it. But if you weren't helping them you wouldn't be part of the solution or the problem.

In the book Sold by Patricia McCormick, Lakshimi is unknowingly sold into sex slavery. (Sex slavery was, is, and probably will be, a big problem. Not only in the United States, but in Nepal and India where this story takes place.) She is trafficked from Nepal to India while she and her parents were told that she would be a maid. Once she realizes what has happened and has learned "the tricks of the trade," she finds out for herself what a problem it really is. Although she does nothing to stop it, she isn't the problem. It is people like Mumtaz, the "pimps" of the girls.

Sarah Davidson Post # 4

When I think about the question, If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem? I would have to say I believe that it is somewhat true. Imagine just watching the problem happen, like when someone gets bullied, but you don't want to get involved. You aren't helping the solution when you could, which I would say would be the problem. But I would also have to say that not always are you the problem because I understand most people don't want to help because it would affect them too in the problem. Not always trying to help the person being bullied will help because, lets say the bullier then targets you when you were just trying to help. Then you are in a new problem when you weren't in one before. I'm am not saying don't try to help if someone is being bullied, but go with how you see this problem, if you want to help which would be good or not help.

In the book Sold, Lakshmi who is sold into prostitution goes to the "Happiness House" with other girls there, have to have sex with the men and pay for their things to stay at the home. The problem here is that the policemen know about what is happening to these girls, but Mumtaz, the head pays them off with money. This here, they would be part of the problem because they know what is happening isn't right, but with just a little money they go along with it. The other thing is that the girls could runaway to help with the problem, but would this actually do them very good. They have no money and are far away from their homes. They would have to decide for their own if running away is the best option to help solve their problem.

K. Dodge Post Four

The question, "if you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?" leaves me thinking, how is the problem apparent in the first place? In math, almost all problems have a solution, but if life I think it is the person with the problems choice, is there a solution or not? Is your glass half empty, or half full. I like to think of mine as half full. I've come to a conclusion that this question is sating that you can't have someone else solve your problems, you need to solve them yourself! If someone stole my purse, I can chase after them, being apart of my problem, working towards a solution or I can take it to a higher authority which gives me less say in what happens to the thief. This question is up to the person who has the problem, fix your own problems, and solve them the way you like, or have someone fix them for you and life with regret and disappointment. In Sold, we learn that Lakshmi solves her own problems wether she wants to or not.

The problem in Sold is that these girls are being forced to have sex with men they don't know and don't like. Along with this they are being cheated for their money and are being treated terribly. The solution: pay off your debt, or run away. Without getting caught. We learn the main character, Lakshmi wants to escape, and despite her weakness and her little power, she will make it possible. Lakshmi always notes when the "pink skinned" men come to her room. Usually, they talk about taking them to a safe place. an better place. The girls were trained to not trust the Americans, but Lakshmi did. (I'm assuming many people are done with the book but if you aren't stop reading!) She waited for the mysterious American man with the bird card, she waited for days, and never lost faith in him. At the end of the book, it ends with an abrupt ending but Lakshmi solves her own problem, she leaves her friend, betrays her owner, but follows her heart and trust the American man. Lakshmi was part of the solution to her own problem!

Hennessey Post 4

"If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?" This is a very reasonable question. To me the answer is yes, if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. Most large problems cannot be solved by only one person, they need help. So if you are not one of those people that are trying to do good and help out, you are becoming part of the problem. Or, say someone is doing something wrong, and you don't help out and tell someone of what they are doing, then yes, you have now become part of the problem. Although sometimes it doesn't seem like what you are doing to help out is doing much at all, it is. Say, there are people working to get out an idea, or a proposition, if you spend some of your time telling others about it, or handing out information sheets, you have just let that many people know. So yes, in my opinion, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
In the book Sold, this question has an obvious answer to me, like i talked about above, yes. Take Lakshmi for example, she is part of the problem because she is not trying to fight against Mumtaz. The problem is that young girls are selling their bodies just to "pay off" Mumtaz. This is wrong, girls this young shouldn't be having the experiences that Lakshmi and the rest have gone through. Therefor Lakshmi is part of the problem, if she wanted to do something to help, she would have to rebel, and get the rest of the girls to follow her and not let anymore girls into that business. Mumtaz would be nothing without them, and so then her "business" would be shut down. Although Lakshmi and the rest of the girls at the Happy House are not okay with what is being done to them, they are still a huge part of the problem.

Feiner Post 4

When I think about the question, "If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem?" I really think about it. In some situations it is really obvious that if you aren't helping, i.e. if you are standing there watching someone be physically hurt by one of you friends or whoever you are with is definitely true. If you aren't helping that person out, you are part of the problem. You are letting it happen and are not trying to save this person. In some situations, not as obvious as that one, I still think that it is true. Think about poverty in other countries. Is there something that we could do, in the slightest way that could help them? Yes. But when I say this I'm not saying that if you aren't part of a solution that is worldwide and difficult to help, then you are an awful person, but there should always be a way to help. There are so many no-profit organizations that dedicate what they do to that exact situation, and many people don't help. Like those commercials on TV you see, where they show the pictures of the polar bears, or helpless animals in a pound that are about to be put down, you always want to change the channel because it makes you feel so terrible to see any living thing in pain like that. Well if you just change the channel and do nothing to help those poor, helpless animals, are you helping? No. You aren't part of the big problem like the people beating these animals, but by not helping you are part of the small problem of letting it just happen.

This relates so much to Sold. Being sold into prostitution in another country, against your own will is a huge problem in many places around the world. We hear about it happening, we are even reading a book about it, but all we do is feel sadness for these poor girls. We are doing nothing. Even donating 5 or 10$ to a non-profit that works with this, is being part of the solution. Helping is all that matters. Like the Americans in the book that come and try to save Lakshmi and any other girl stuck in the brothel. That is being a real part of the solution and no doubt donating any money you have is being part of the solution. It's not bad if you aren't part of the solution to anything, but be part of it for one thing, save one thing, anything, the ocean, poverty, stick with something and help.

Kyla Pasternak post#4

Many people complain how bad things always happen to them
and that it’s not their fault, so they try to change who they are or what they
do. But maybe if the common denominator is them then they could be the problem;
maybe something happened in their past or it may be just who they are. A friend
or family member could’ve been murdered and they saw how it ruined other people’s
life and thought that revenge how solve it when it really just made it worse;
or a person could have tried to help someone themselves, like stopping them
from killing themselves, instead of getting them help like calling the police
and it just makes it worse.
In sold there’s a few people that wanted to help Lakshmi and
the other girls at the happiness house; like an American woman who would come
by and give the girls condoms so they wouldn’t get sick, and the little boy who
brought tea and things to the girls. Yes they were helping the girls they gave
them hope, but they didn’t do anything to stop it, they just helped the girls
stay longer; until Lakshmi ask the boy to get someone who could help them.

Ryan Meagher: Post# 4

I believe it is unfair to say universally that if your not a part of the solution then you are a part of the problem. Let's look at that in a historical sense. Would you say that a German family who refused to let a Jewish family hide out in their house were partially responsible for the Holocaust? Thats ridiculous and ignorant. Is it really the families fault that if they let the family in, they might all die? Sometimes people aren't strong enough to contribute to the solution and therefore not being a part of the solution is not being a contributor to the problem. That is something that people from upper class areas need to understand, not everyone can act. Not every family can buy a brand new hybrid and get solar panels on their roof to help curb global warming. Being poor doesn't mean your a part of the problem in that case.

What I mean by this is that people shouldn't be ignorant as to why people can't always help out. Though another theme I brought out is that if your not in any sort of danger or economical hindrance by helping, then what is stopping you from trying put an end to something you think is terrible. For example, while the police in India have the power to shut Mumtez's operation down, they don't. Its terrible that these police officers are at no risk of getting in trouble by turning Mumtez in, though they refuse to tell because of the economic incentive of remaining secret. While these people are clearly part of the problem, its hard to say that those that aren't directly involved with the trade are a part of the problem. I think thats just insane.

Cara Conaway Post 4

     "If you aren't part of the solution, are you a part of the problem?" To answer that question I would say that it depends on you're awareness of the problem. If you do not know that a problem even exists, how can you be a part of the solution? One could argue that by being ignorant of the problem you are already a part of the problem because you are not doing anything to stop the problem in the first place. Only when you step up and try to change things do you switch over to becoming a part of the solution. I suppose this can be true in certain situations. Take something like recycling. Say someone throws all of their trash in one bin, puts it out on the curb, and thinks nothing more of it. They have almost no knowledge of the fact that its better for the earth if we recycle and reuse certain items and put them in a separate bin. So when their recyclable waste products are thrown in with the rest of the garbage, they are the hurting the planet and those in it, unaware of what they're doing. This, I don't see as being against the solution. Just being ignorant of the solution. Now say that someone tells them they should separate their trash and tells them why, but they keep on doing what they've been doing, choosing to ignore the wrongness of their actions. This is when "if you aren't part of the solution, you're a part of the problem" rings completely true. This same principle applies to the human trafficking situation that is described in Sold by Patricia McCormick.
     At the begininning of the book, Lakshmi is unwittingly forced into the world of prostitution. Even then she is cunningly deceived by her "Auntie" and "Uncle husband". They do not seek to help the girls who are made to become sex slaves, they want only for their personal needs to be satisfied and for their lives to improve, even if it means being immoral. He chooses to be a part of the problem by conniving girls into trusting him. "It is all so confusing. I am afraid of this man. But I also feel grateful that he will protect me from the bad border men with guns.' .... 'Don't be afraid,' he says. 'I will take care of you'" (77-78.)  Lakshmi's Uncle is not the only one of is a part of the problem. Even the police officers that are employed to keep things like prostitution from happening are letting it happen. Mumtaz, the head woman at the Happiness House, bribes the men into staying quiet, and they remain silent, even as cruel and inhumane events take place. Along with the law enforcers, the people of the city and the people of cities all over the world ignore the injustices because they feel it is not their duty to do anything, they don't know what to do, or they are afraid to do something. Prostitution and human trafficking will continue to happen until people step up and acknowledge the problem, and choose to become a part of the solution.
   

E Dodge Post #4

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

In some cases if you take notice of things around you that are problematic, and you do not do anything about it, it could be considered to be "apart of the problem." For instants if someone is being bullied and you just sit there and do nothing about, yet you know that someone is being hurt, you are apart of the problem if you cannot help something as noticeable as bullying. In other situations, sometimes it is better to stay out of the solution because it is not your business, or it could be harmful to you or your peers. But if nobody does anything about a universal problem, like global warming and sex trafficking, is there even a problem?

In Sold, at the beginning of the story, Lakshmi is sold by her cruel-spirited father so that he would receive pay, and she would send home pay. Right off from the bat you get the feeling that the tone throughout this book will unruly and highly unfair. Many things in life are unfair, for people in this world do not take in what's right or wrong. They let things slip by, like when the police officers take the money from Mumtez, the grueling women who runs this "Happiness House." But is it really so happy? Girls being forced to do sexual favors for men, and people of their society are letting it pass them by. So yes, in this case not being apart of a solution forces you to be apart of the problem. What if everybody just assumed that somebody else would take care of the problem, so you don't need to get your hands dirty. Then the problem would increase until finally hell is broken loose.

Cade Yongue Post 4

It all depends on the situation. In this book, Sold, not helping is a big problem. If you do not do anything in a major situation thdn you are helping nothing, and maybe if you did something a good solution could be reached. There is a reason why if you witness a crime and do nothing about it, you can be arrested. However, if it is a major problem, such as the war in the Middle East, taking individual action may not solve it. Just because you join the army and go to fight doesn't mean we win the war, it helps a little but will not have a major impact. It depends on the situation.

In the book, if someone would do soemthing, report the crimes, brake in the save the girls, or anything else, the situation could be resolved. We see this many times in the story. A great example is Mumtaz paying the police officer to turn his head. If he would go to the authorities, government, then the girls would be rescued from there hell like prison. Also the first American that gives her the card. He did help by giving the card, but he knew what was going on and could have, should have done somethhing immediatey. If someone would take action, the problem could easily be solved.

Anabelle Swezy Post #4

Imagine sitting, and observing a worldwide problem. You know it's wrong, negatively affecting people's lives, yet you continue to stare without taking action to help. Does this make you part of the problem? The problem can't have a solution unless there is an action to do something about it. If one does nothing, they aren't necessarily part of the problem, but they aren't helping to find the solution, leaving the problem unimproved.

In Patricia McCormick's Sold, Lakshmi is a victim of the problem. She wants a solution, but people do nothing about it, thus making the problem worse. The solution is to be free, to go back to her family with the money she has rightfully earned from selling her body, but Mumtaz makes it so she will never be able to have her freedom. She is trapped in the "Happiness House", working hard to be a part of the solution to her own problem, but each step she takes forward, she takes two steps back. She is standing in the problem, falling through it's floors. An American man comes to Lakshmi, to save her, to be a part of the solution, which gives her hope. But once the man leaves, she waits for him to come back to take her to America, yet he never returns, making Lakshmi lose hope in finding the solution to her problem.

K. Vangelder Post #4

If you aren’t part of the solution, are you part of the problem? In other words, if you don’t stand up and do what is right, are you encouraging the predicament to continue? Though a problem is always started as just a simple dilemma of some sort, it does not truly become a problem until people do not fight it and begin to become its victums. A solution is only possible once people start to take a stand against the problem and if one is not willing to do so then he or she is falling subject thus allowing it to continue to be a problem.

In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi, along with many others, continues to be mistreated and abused at the Happiness House while working for Mumtez. Lakshmi cannot get herself out of the house by working off her debt because her debt keeps getting larger by the day. She cannot run away and report Mumtez to the police either because the police are being bribed to be on Mumtez’s side. Because the problem at hand is so grand and just keeps getting worse due to no one taking a stand for fear of Mumtez, even when Lakshmi is given the opportunity to be free, the other girls have trouble accepting. Anita, another woman at the Happiness House, has freedom right at her fingertips but is too afraid to accept it and instead locks herself away. Because Anita doesn’t fight for herself she stays part of the problem. Though it is not her fault that she is stuck in sexual slavery in the first place, her fear causes it to be far harder for anything to change, therefore she allows the problem to continue on in its cycle.

A. Suzor Post 4

    "If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem" This statement stands true for me in large way. For example, lots of people know about the sweatshops in China making Iphones, though they still buy the product. These people may even be against sweatshops, although they have an Iphone, this makes them part of the problem. Though at times i feel as if it comes off as a little cynical. It also seems extremist to me. 


    In "Sold" Mumtaz pays off the police officers who come to the Happiness House in order for them not to tell anyone. Even though these police officers have not done anything to these girls or are in  favor of prostitution, they are still not participating in the solution which makes them part of the problem. So far, it seems as if even the people that know about the Happiness House, do not want to help with solution.

Isabelle Meckfessel Post # 4

If you are the kind of person that will just sit by and watch something terrible happen right in front of you and not stop it, you are just as bad as the person committing the act. So yes you being part of the problem when you just sit back and let terrible things happen in front of you. Some people could make the argument that if you not the one doing the act than you have nothing to be ashamed of and you are doing nothing wrong by not taking immediate action. But I feel that just letting it happen could be, at times even worse that doing the terrible thing.

Throughout Sold Lakshmi meets many terrible people that will do terrible things for money. First she met her “auntie” and she believes that she is good and will help her with her ne job as a maid but it turns out she is just selling her off. And then she meets her “uncle/husband” and he is nice at time but them just sells her for ten thousand rupees. And worst of all Mumtaz, who is just sitting and watching all these awful things happen because she knows she will profit from it. So all of these people are part of this huge sex trafficking problem. All the people that know about the “Happiness House” and don’t do anything about it I feel that they are just as bad at times. Especially the policemen that are supposed to be protecting these girls, but instead he just turns the other way for a little extra cash in his pocket. So when you’re the type of person that just turns the other way and lets this stuff happen you are most definitely being part of the problem. “ If Mumtaz brings one of her important friends… He will pay nothing.” (142) It people like this that are supposed to be doing something about these things and just don’t because they get it for free, that really are the problem.

SHANE B. COONEY POST 4 :D

Every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year, there is some sort of conflict. Correct me if im wrong, because it seems that in every comflict, If you arent part of the solution, you're part of the problem.This " Rule" happens because there are usually two sides to an agrument; one sides thinks the same about the other, its like a war almost, from a different perspective both sides are considered "bad". So, if this is true then it means that whenever a conflict occurs, whether it be to do the dishes, or to settle a peace treaty, someone or something is trying to either prevent it, or to solve it.
In "Sold" Lakshmi describes her stepfather as a terrible, gambling, disrespectful man. She implies that if her stepfather werent there, that her family would have an easier life. Later in the book, Lakshmi is sold to be a maid, her stepfather initates this because he has spent all the families money on gambling, and expensive items for himslef. By this point McCormick has clearly stated that the stepfather is part of the problem. Although the solution is not quite clear; From a readers perspective the solution is for the family to have more money, to have a tin roof, and to be able to live decently. Later in the book the solution is for Lakshmi to get out of the city and back to her family, to get rid of Mumtaz, and to make money for her family. Now reflect on the cause of all these problems that need solutions... if you follow the trail to the start of them you will find the stepfather, who is definately part of the problem.

Makenna Finch Post 4

You can stand back and keep telling yourself that you are not doing anything wrong by not getting involved, however the truth is whenever you just ignore a problem you become the problem. People don’t realize that there can be more than one reason for a problem and one constant in all of these problems is people just looking the other way. By not doing anything you become just another reason why are newspapers are littered with terrible story after story. By not being part of the solution you become just another person part of the problem. There are only a handful of people that are the solution, doing what they can to help solve and resolve our world’s troubles. The question is what will you choose to be, the problem or the solution?

When Lakshmi is working at the Happiness House after being sold into sex trafficking she encounters many people who just look the other way because it is easer for them that way. There are only a few people who actually try to help her. The first time she was sure that she was being tricked when an American man told her he could help her get out. The other girls working at the brothel told her that American man would say things like this only to take away her clothes and leave her running in the streets necked. Even though she told him she wanted to stay he gave her his card. Latter she became desperate and gave the card to a street boy who had a cart of tea and goodies and asked him to get her help. The street boy does all he can and Lakshmi finally meets an American man who was sent by the street boy and who has come to help. "I will come back for you,' he says. 'I will come back with other men, good men, from this country-fathers and uncles who want to help-policemen who are not friends of Mumtaz. We will take you away from here" (249). It is people like this young street boy who, when faced with a problem, does his best to create a solution. He is one of the few along with these two American men that become the solution by taking action and not just closing their eyes to all the imperfections in the world but instead take action.

Weinstein Post #4

If you aren't part of the solution are you part of the probleam? Sometimes you try so hard to fix a probleam, but no matter what you do, there is just no solution. You feel like you are so close to solving it, but there is no ending it. In some cases you are part of the probleam, just getting in the way of your self. Other times, something or someone, is blocking you from finding that solution.

In the book Sold by Patricia McCormick, the protagonist Lakshimi, is a girl who is sold into the world of sex trafficking. She despises her new life, longing to return home. She keeps track of the money that she has earned and counts the days until she can return home. Lakshimi works hard and even avoids the temptations of the tea cart that comes every day. She brings her calculations to Auntie Mumtaz and learns the hard truth. ""Let me do the calculations for you," she says. She prentends to be adding and subtracting. "Yes," she says. "It's as I thought. You have at least five more years here with me."" (226) The dreams of one more year until returning home are broken. Lakshimi is not part of the solution nor the probleam, because someone else is in the way of her finding a solution.

B. Hinnenberg Post # 4

If you aren't part of the solution, are you part of the problem? The answer to that question would be most likely if you are not part of the problem then you wouldn't be part of the solution. You would just be the outside person seeing what the problem is and so someone couldn't blam you for anything that you were not part of.

In the book SOLD by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi is still at the Happiness House third of the way through the book. She still is seeing things that she wishes she did not see. So when Lakshmi is in her new room with other girls, she notices different things. Like how one girl named Monica who is able to leave because she payed off her debt to Mumtaz but is still there because of her family needs the money back at home. She has a daughter and her father needs an operation done. Then after a while Monica came back. "Look, she says, she shrugs off her shawl, revealing arms and shoulders covered in angry purple bruises. " He did this with his cane," (193). After Lakshmi hears this, she asked Monica if she got to see her daughter. But Monica says that they told her daughter that her mother was dead. Lakshmi felt really bad about asking and also that it wasn't her problem, so she shouldn't do anything about it.

Caroline Yoss Post #3

The most prominent tones in Sold by Patricia McCormick are innocent and solemn. Though Lakshmi is thrown into a brothel uknowingly, and against her will, she maintains an innocent way about her. It is surprising how calmly and factually she explains the very adult events that happen to her throughout the story. I believe her innocence and naivety creates some sort of barrier from how real her situation is. The book is also very solemn, considering the plot. Lakshmi does not fully understand what is going on for most of the book, but she deffinetly understands the seriousness of what is happening, as well as that it is very wrong. Stories with a person trapped in a place or situation without a choice are often solemn. The firs time Lakshmi attempts to go home, she realizes the severity of her situation. "My heart is pounding like the drumming of a monsoon rain, and my shoulders are shaking as if I had a great chill. 'You ignorant hill girl,' she says. 'You don't know anything. Do you?'" This showed me how helpless Lakshmi was. I wouldn't say the narrative is sad, because I consider sad a feeling you have when there is hope to overcome it. Where as solemn is a more hopeless feeling or tone.

Kest Post #3

The book sold starts out with a dismal tone, however, as the book progresses it becomes horrific. There are times when Lakshmi's tone is almost detached and informative. However, I believe this is the writer's way of showing how terrible her conditions are.

At home in the mountains Lakshmi's conditions aren't pleasant. The author uses diction and writes, " Our family has no spare grain for the crow

and nothing for the stray dog, save a kick from my stepfather's sandal." (39) Unfortunately Lakshmi

has no idea just how much worse it can get. Soon she finds herself being sold like a goat from one

trafficker to the next. The writer uses imagery and writes, "But he and Auntie are laughing. They are

speaking in a strange language, but it seems they are trading numbers. Auntie names a price as high

as a mountain. The Man spits." (74). I think the langudge the author uses to describe Mumtaz is

amazingly descriptive. For instance, when the author writes, "Then Mumtaz flies at me. she grabs

me by the hair and drags me across the room." (103) After being sold to Mumtaz the writer uses

startling details to describe Lakshmi's horrific experiences. "I know how your stomach gnaws

on itself searching for something to fill it." (111) For instance, when the author writes,

"Then Mumtaz flies at me. she grabs me by the hair and drags me across the room." (103)

Towards the middle of the book the author begins to use simple sentences to send a very direct

message about how terrible life is in Mumtaz's Brothel. "I try to take in this idea-that

Monica will soon be free- when a mane comes into the room. He has city shoes on his feet and a

a gold chain around his neck. In an instant, Monica is at his side, winding her arms around him,

like a snake." (150)

Cara Conaway Post 3

     The story of a girl named Lakshmi in the book Sold by author Patricia McCormick is told in a candid and somber tone that reflects the inhumane and unjust series of events that unfold in Lakshmi's life. Her detached and often poetic narrative voice shows also how her arduous life has affected her, even back when she had a family to support her. 

     At her home within the mountains of Nepal, Lakshmi has a hard but ultimately happy life, although her tone still carries a sort of sad and informative feel. She cares for her baby brother, helps her mother with chores and work, and pretends to worship the very ground her one-armed stepfather walks on. She does the best she can in school and at home, but it never seems to be enough for her seemingly uncaring stepfather. Lakshmi is puzzled at why all the injustices seem to fall on the female gender. "I ask Ama why. "'Why,' I say, 'must women suffer so?' 'This has always been our fate,' she says. 'Simply to endure,' she says, 'is to triumph.'" (16.) 

     As if the discrimination that Lakshmi goes through in her village is not enough, she is tricked into moving to a big city to become a maid, when really she is unwittingly being sold into the underground world of prostitution. Once at the brothel ironically named the Happiness House, Lakshmi begins to realize that she won't be sweeping floors and polishing silver. As man after man invades her privacy not only in body but in mind, her storytelling becomes evermore detached, showing how these terrible experiences only push her further into the darkest depths of her mind. "Once it starts, you may hear the sound of horns bleating in the street below, ...but if you are lucky, or if you work hard at it, you hear nothing" (127.) 

     Lakshmi's tone makes the subtle details of her experiences being raped become all the more real. She becomes shocked into dullness, if only as a defense mechanism to keep her own mind from leaving her. And as the story lengthens, Lakshmi's sentence structure shortens, her willingness to divulge the ornate detail with which she observes the world dissipating into her shame and guilt. 

Emma Burtt Post #3

The tone that I keep seeing popping up in the book Sold, is innocence. Lakshmi is told that she is going to the city to work as a maid for a rich family. No one tells her that she is actually going to be forced into prostitution, only to be freed by paying her way out by going through men. In the chapter titled, The City Girl, Lakshmi is punished by having her skin above her eye twisted. She does not understand the importance of this, and then the girls crowd around her and put make up on her and brush her hair.

Lakshmi asks them, "What is happening?" (page 101), but the other girls do not respond. Lakshmi thinks that she look pretty, but doesn't understand why she needs, "Black-rimmed tiger eyes, a mouth as red as a pomegranate, and flowing hair," (page 101) when all she thinks she is going to do is clean the house. None of the other girls in the Happiness House are brave enough to tell Lakshmi what her new fate is, and what she has actually been sold into. Until she has her first customer, she is innocent to the fact that she is about to have her life flipped up-side down.

Becker Post Three :D

The indignant and somber tone throughout the novel Sold by Patricia McCormick, really sets in for the reader about how hard life can be in India right now for some people, and especially for the family who aren't getting enough money to get by in life. Reality really sets in, as McCormick hands you the piece of imagery, Lakshmi looks to her right and finds a man behind a red curtain zipping up his pants, and she realizes what her life had just been sold to. After being drugged through a simple sip of mango lassi, Lakshmi looses her motivation for not "working." The language that was chosen for this beautifully written novel expresses the hardships and pain that Lakshmi has to endure. While describing this, McCormick illustrated, in a very somber tone, what it was like to have the weight of a man on top of her, when he was not wanted there. "Then he is on top of me, and something hot and insistent is between my legs. He grunts and struggles, trying to fit himself inside me. With a sudden thrust, I am torn in two...After a while, I don't know how long, another sound interrupts the rhythmic thud of the headboard....Finally I identify it. It is the muffled sound of sobbing. Habib rolls off me. Then I understand: I was the person crying."(pg. 121) Her tone in this piece is shown through the dialogue like, sobbing, 'I don't know how long' and sudden thrust, show how indignant and somber she was.

Goelz Post 3

The tone found in the book Sold by Patricia McCormick varies according to the part of the book you are speaking of, but it mainly sticks to one specific tone- hopeful. The reason this book is hopeful is the fact that in the beginning, Lakshmi is looking forward to helping her family get the money they need in order to live. She is excited and hopeful about the new opportunities she has to venture out into the world. In order to help everybody in her life, she needs to be hopeful about leaving. Instead of being negative about it and making her mother feel bad about sending her away, she swallows her pride and sadness and deals with it. When she leaves, she is forced to realize that being hopeful is her only way out. If she is sad and negative, she will lose sight of what she wants in life. In this quote, Lakshmi shows signs of hopefulness and looking forward to the future: "I crane my neck this way, then that, looking at a man scooping his hot popcorn into a paper cone, next to....and I wonder, In this swarming, hurry- up city, what will happy next to me" (pg 66-McCormick). Lakshmi has no idea what is in store for her, or what is happening in the future, but she keeps it positive with happiness, and most of all- hope.

Kate Anderson post #3

In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, the tones change as the book progresses, starting with innocent and then proceeding into extremely dismal. In the beginning Lakshmi has a very positive view of things and how she will be able to help her family, but then, after Lakshmi is sold in prostitution the positivity is replaced with a very negative tone. For example, the diction further in the book is very solemn and dark. "Each morning and evening Mumtaz comes, beats me with a leather strap, and locks the door behind her." (109) "I am torn and bleeding where the men have been." (125) These are perfect examples of the dark tone that McCormick's book takes on as Lakshmi continues to suffer at Happiness House. Words like beats, torn, and bleeding are good examples of how the diction in Sold turns very dismal. As the book continues, you also see how Lakshmi's outlook on life also becomes very joyless. She focus' mainly on the sad things she experiences instead of trying to find some positivity in her dull new life. "I do the calculations. And realize I am already buried alive." (148) Lakshmi is constantly thinking of a way out, trying to calculate how many rupees she needs, and rightfully so, but it seems to always be keeping her from trying to focus on other things, like the David Beckham boy, and trying to salvage a little hope in happiness from her old, innocent life. The syntax and sentence structure in Sold is very clipped and short. She doesn't try to sugar coat anything or make it seem like something its not. McCormick uses short and very to the point sentences, that while being easier to read, also get her point across very clearly.

Comstock Post: 3

Patrick McCormick’s simple and innocent wording in Sold can truly disguise the tone of the book. In the first few chapters, the novel begins with a somewhat playful childish tone. Slowly, the reader begins to recognize that the main character Lakshmi is slowly entering a situation that is quite serious and suddenly the tone shifts to more somber and at times flashes to violent.

She leaves her family in the mountains and is unknowingly brought to a city where her lifestyle completely changes. As she travels across the border from what she thought was the city to an even bigger city, she is forced to travel with a man that instructs her to say she is his husband. Naturally, the reader would understand that the man is unsafe, however considering Lakshmi tells the story, the underlying tone simply becomes somber; the reason simply being that the reader knows that Lakshmi will be put into a situation will she will be unhappy.

In the chapter “Old Man” the tone is somber and disturbing. Lakshmi is put into a situation where she is forced to sleep with an old man in all her innocence. “And then he is on top of me, holding me down with the strength of ten men.” (103). This scene obviously is disturbing to the reader, however it is the syntax really brings out the true tone of somberness. The sentences are short, to the point, and often unexplained. The chapters in the whole novel even are short, almost like they are unfinished, and this lack of description often contributes to more melancholy thought within the reader’s imagination.

Sir Camden Clement Dowd Post Number Three

In Sold, Patricia McCormick writes in is a tranquil, somber tone. However, the whole book is not in an extremely somber tone, like it is towards the middle and end. In the beginning, the tone is more playful, but still calm. Throughout the book the main character is optimistic, and attempts to look at things on the bright side. Even in times of distress and freight when you would imagine someone freak out, Laksmi keeps calm. When the owner of the Happiness House, Mumtaz tells Lakshmi that “You can go home… as soon as you’ve worked off the twenty thousand rupees I paid for you (132).” Previously Mumtaz had told Lakshmi that the price was 10,000 rupees, but Lakshmi doesn’t argue even though she knows that she has “seen her record book, with its entry of 10,000 rupees (132).” Instead of saying that or standing up for herself, Lakshmi keeps tranquil about it and gets more somber than before.

The language that the author uses to describe what is happening in the book is small, not very educated words. This is because the narrator is not the most educated and she is trying to capture that through her small vocabulary due to lack of education. The author does a wonderful job of this, I knew every word in the entire book and didn’t have to look for context clues like I do in other books.

The syntax that the author uses are short and simple sentences, mostly for emphasis and emotional support. This is what helps the tone be somber. They show the emotion and sadness that Lakshmi is experiencing. Very rarely there are long sentences, which could also be a way to show the lack of education that Lakshmi has experienced.

The images that the author uses are both gross disgusting images, and happy images. Some of the gross images are when Lakshmi is with the men and describing what she feels and what the man is saying. Some of the happy images are when Lakshmi is working on learning a new language with the boy.

Wearing Post 3

The Author of Sold, Patricia McCormick, tells Lakshmi's story with a very somber, candid tone. When you read the book the writing is so openly truthful that it almost seems like you are talking to Lakshmi.
The way Patricia McCormick uses details really adds to the candid tone. It is not so much the actual details that make the tone, it is the fact that she doesn't cut out any details that people may not want to hear. The tone of the details is almost informative. It seems like the author is trying to bring attention to all of the bad things happening in India today. If she had left out the details about how horrible Mumtaz is, or how Lakshmi was whipped and starved, the book would have a very different tone.
The language the author uses is very simple. The words she uses to describe things are everyday words, which adds to the feeling that you are being told about Lakshmi's experience by Lakshmi herself.
The syntax in this book makes the tone somber. The short sentences are completely honest and the way they end so abruptly with out any good things to counteract the bad make the tone somber and sad. "According to the number of notches on Ama's wedding stump, she is thirty one and i am thirteen. If my baby brother lives through the season she will carve a notch for him. Four other babies were born between me and my brother. There are no notches for them." (12.) Also the way the lines are spaced sort of like in a poem makes you pause before reading each sentence. this adds emphasis to everything that happens in the story.