The Difference between a Son and a Daughter
- One of Lakshmi's stepfather's arms is crippled because it was broken as a child.
- Even though most men work for a living in factories, the stepfather drinks tea and plays cards with the old men of the village instead.
- Ama insists that having a man is better than no man, especially since the stepfather married her after her husband died.
- Lakshmi hears her stepfather compare having a daughter to having a goat—good for the things you can get from it, but not worth missing when it's gone.