Maneck's Downfall

What moved me the most about A Fine Balance was the way the emergency and the condition of humanity in general (the existence of horrific caste violence, all the cruelty and hatred engendered by the class structure, human beings being treated like animals in forced sterilization) effects not only those living through these atrocities but every individual in this society as well. The people who are not suffering directly suffer indirectly if they have any sense of compassion, which it is my belief that most people do. The characters in the novel who experience the most tragedy in a way accept this as a part of life and keep pushing through the obstacles with a sense of hope that things could get better. After all they have seen first hand how ugly the world can be, but this seems to have inspired them to pay attention to the beauty of the small things that most people take for granted. This echos Roy of course. And again the question arrises are the small things all we can hope to take joy in? In the character of Maneck we find a young man with so much intelligence, compassion, and potential to make the world a better place through his kindness of soul. Yet, he has been sheltered from how ugly the world can be growing up in a beautiful, loving environment. When he arrives in the city, his downfall begins as he learns bit by bit just how cruel the world can be and that "everything ends badly." In the end, the reality of the conditions that exist and the suffering that people endur overwhelms Maneck. He can not find joy in the little things, because there are too many devestating big things that occur in this world.