Alls well that ends well

The depiction of poverty that struck me as the most poignant at first glance was the condition Gudiya's family was reduced to upon entering life in the chawl. It is heartbreaking to see two women dependent upon a man who is slowly losing his mind to alcohol. We get the sense that there is no way out of this situation for Gudiya and her mother because in the grips of poverty there is nowhere to turn for help. Moreover, they have no way of supporting themselves without becoming more debased than they are presently and we already know that poor people can not appeal to authority figures for any assistance. Upon entering the chawl Mr. Shantaram unravels to such a great extent because of the unrewarding work he must endure just to keep his family in such a lowly condition and this results in his being overwhelmed with shame. Poverty can not be an excuse for his behavior but like many other characters it seems to spark his disintegration from a man into an animal. Poverty is so overwhelming for many that they lose a part of their soul in the daily struggle just to survive. However, this situation soon turns from tragic to romantic. Ram becomes Gudiya's savior by pushing Mr. Shantaram down the stairs and this not only doesn't kill him and leave his family to starve, it magically inspires him to have a change of heart. For Gudiya, just as for Ram, poverty is something that is temporary and their moral courage it seems one can transcend their circumstances. How Gudiya was able to afford to go to school to become a lawyer was never addressed. Perhaps her father got his job back as an astronomer. This is unlikely.