Slumdog Millionaire: Tragedy Queen – Content

Chapter No. 10

• Ram and Salim escape from the clutches of Maman and his gang by taking a train.
• Arrived in Juhu they go to Neelima Kumai (a film star) to ask for a job as a servant. Neelima needs only one of them and her mother Maaji doesn’t like Muslims, so she chooses Ram (because of Salim being a Muslim). Neelima wants Ram to be a live-in servant, but her mother doesn’t want to have a male in the house. Because of that Ram lives in a chawl in Ghatkopar, in which Salim also can live and which is paid by Neelima
• Neelima teaches Ram about film genres and tells him that she is called the „Tragedy Queen of India“
• Maaji becomes ill, so Ram has the job to buy medicines for her
• One evening Neelima wants to watch her movie together with all workers of the house. Ram thinks that the film shows the life too realistically. Due to seeing Neelima leaving the house and returning late in the evening, he thinks she could have a boyfriend
• Neelima uses a lot of creams (etc.) to be beautiful and look young
• Maaji dies
• Ram moves to Neelima’s flat and lives in a tiny ironing-room. One evening there is a burglar in Neelima’s house and Ram wants Neelima to call the police but the burglar says that he is the biggest fan of her and that he only wants her TV to watch NeeIima’s movies.
• Ram does not believe him but Neelima tests the burglar with questions about her. The burglar can answer all questions, so Neelima lets him sitting on her couch and Ram has to serve them tea and biscuits.
• Neelima needs privacy, but Ram observes her and sees her lover
• Neelima has bruises all over her face and a black eye. She gives cigarettes, whiskey and money to her boyfriend.
• Neelima says she loves him and that a real tragedy queen has to feel pain, Ram says that due this facts he can become a tragedy king
• Neelima has an interview, the journalist tests her that she is old
• Neelima has the wish to die young
• She gets no hero jobs because of being too old
• Neelima shows Ram her naked body, which is burned by cigarettes and draws Ram’s face into her chest. Ram feels as though he is no orphan anymore (he is 13 years old)
• Neelima becomes more depressed, wears her most expensive sari, puts on her finest jewellery and spends hours in front of the mirror
• She flushes all her cosmetic creams down the toilet, gulps down the tablets of her mother, go to bed and wants Ram to go to the market
• When Ram returns Neelima lies death in her bed, with her trophy „National Award for the best Actress“ for her role in “Mumtaz Mahal“.
• Because of being afraid that the police will arrest Ram as a murderer he doesn’t call the police and quits the scene

Deutsche Version

TIPP für Schüler: Zur Vorbereitung auf das Abitur oder für Klausuren kann ich diese Lektüre empfehlen; sie enthält professionelle Inhaltsangaben in Form einer Lehrerübersicht. Leicht verständliche Zusammenfassungen und Analysen enthält außerdem diese Lektüre. Vikas Swarups Buch Slumdog Millionaire ist ein Schwerpunktthema im Fach Englisch.

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