Slumdog+Millionaire

ENG 3051 Novel Study Assignment Part B

** Slumdog Millionaire ** When teaching texts that are based in other (foreign) countries, it is not always simple or easy for students to relate to the characters and the plot. Slumdog Millionaire is a movie that is based in India, in Mumbai and Bombay, and takes place mostly in the slums of the hugely populated city. The story itself is a ‘rags to riches’ tale, with an underlying //Romeo and Juliet//-esque theme of forbidden love. The opening scene is presented to the viewer in flashes, beginning with the Indian version of the popular game show //Who Wants to be a Millionaire.// The contestant, the protagonist, is a young boy named Jamal Malik, who with his brother watches his mother brutally killed in a raid of the slums, simply for being Muslim. His entire life is shown in these flashes throughout the film, his reasoning for knowing so many of the answers to the game show’s questions. The viewer is presented with a //Who Wants to be a Millionaire// –like question asking how does Jamal win, and then given four possible answers; A. He cheated; B. He is lucky; C. He is a genius; and D. It is written. The beginning of the film has scenes from present day, which are of Jamal on the show, as well as being tortured, having been accused of cheating and forcibly demanded to tell how he knows so many of the answers to the difficult questions on the show. The viewer is told that the average man makes it just to 16,000 rupees, and Jamal has made it to the 20,000,000 rupee question. It is seemingly unheard of, as this boy is a ‘slumdog’ (a boy/person that was born and raised living in the slums of India). The movie follows a non-linear pattern as Jamal explains what it was that happened in his life that gave him the knowledge of the questions, therefore being able to answer even the most difficult questions. The story of his life is not just one of survival, but of a boy searching for his one and only true love, Latika, another orphaned child on the hard streets of poverty-stricken India. The popular portrayal of the “Other” in novels and films is a hard barrier for some students to break, making it difficult to see past the diversity of the text, and being able to relate to it. Being a middle-class Caucasian female might make the text a little harder for some of the student to reach, or for me to be able to explain, but I think this can be used as a learning opportunity for both the students and teacher, in this respect. The idea of the “Other” can be explored by the students, viewing possible causes for seeing the foreign world with such jaded assumptions. The idea of stereotypes, as well, is a big theme in the text (as Jamal, being a slumdog, is seen as not possibly being able to answer the game show’s questions because of the fact of where he is from), and can be picked apart by students and teacher while uncovering themes of the text and the causes for ideas such as this stereotype of the poor world. There are so many themes in the film that can be explored and discussed, such as the ‘rags to riches’ tale (Jamal wins the game show), the idea of forbidden love (Jamal’s love is the property of someone else), the use of foreshadowing and flashbacks, the non-linear story, survival (the entire story is Jamal’s struggle to survive), the war between religions (Islamic and Muslim), class struggle (between rich and poor), the treatment of the poor (by the middle and upper classes), the exploitation of children (the orphaned kids are maimed and forced to beg for their captors, or sold for their virginity, etc.), the treatment of women and women’s rights (as property, and lacking any rights), urbanization and globalization (India’s slums are changed into commerce and the call-centres make like they are in England), knowledge (the game show is a knowledge based trivia show), power (Salim, Jamal’s brother, earns top-dog title when he kills their captor), popular culture and advertising (the children are lured by a man with a bottle of Coca-Cola), Athos and Porthos (in mythology and an allusion to The Three Musketeers), Indian and worldly architecture (the change of India, as well as the relation to England), language and communication (there is British English, Indian, and sign language), cultural traditions and customs, work (Salim ends up working for an infamous and well-known gangster), family (the relationship between the brothers is a strained and difficult one), money (anything and everything is exploited and sold for a price), Truth (the protagonist always tells the truth when asked a question), violence (seen throughout the movie), and destiny (the final scene makes life seem like it has already been written for us). Some of the difficulty of teaching this film would be the diction, which may be difficult for those not used to accents and dialects, as well as the subtitles, which flash quickly and are extremely small and difficult to read. This can be faced and overcome by discussion and exposure to the difference in language, as well as by having the subtitles written out for the students to read in a clearer, and larger, print. The language is at times harsh and profane, as is the subject matter of the entire film. In my opinion this film would be most suitable to be studied by senior grades, either grade 11 or 12, as at that age and maturity level, they will be able to grasp the concepts the film presents to the viewers. The film is rated 14A in Canada and 15 in England, making me believe that although some students may be able to understand and appreciate the film at that age, there still may be some students that are unable to grasp the ideas and themes, or handle the violence and graphic nature of the film. Senior students could be asked to write a paper on some of the major themes faced in the film, possibly a research assignment in which they are asked to explore one issue, such as inequality in race/sex/class/religion, or the stereotypes/connotations that accompany certain images, such as (Blood) money, poverty and ignorance, the symbolism found in the text (Latika is always clothed in yellow, what can this mean?). A variation of this could be that the students are given the opening question (How did Jamal win the money?) and asked to predict the answer. They will research the locale of the film, and some of the history of Mumbai and Bombay, as well as historical figures, and have to explain why they chose the answer that they did, giving specific examples and reasoning backing up their response. After watching the film, the students can compare their predictions with the outcome of the story, discussing the discrepancies and similarities between the two. The students will meet many of the curricular requirements, as they must read and listen to understand and interpret the film and the different dialects and modes of communication, gather and organize information and ideas, as well as editing and proofreading their work, in the writing of their paper, and they will have the opportunity to explore media and news coverage researching the topic that they chose. The film is an excellent film that has so many rich messages and images that can spark critical thought and discussion. It is an eye opening experience and vision of some of the poorer nations in the world, and can be studied for not only English, but Social Science, Geography, History, Civil and Human Rights, and Economics. I believe that the students can learn a lot from the movie, and it is not only educational and culturally rich, but enjoyable and interesting. Novel Study Part B