--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What was unfolding in Mumbai was…" description: "\"“What was unfolding in Mumbai was unfolding elsewhere, too. In the age of global market capitalism, hopes and grievances were narrowly conceived, which..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/katherine-boo-7467_global-market_what-was-unfolding-in-mumbai-was-unfoldi_79575.jpg" --- # What was unfolding in Mumbai was unfolding elsewhere, too… ![“What was unfolding in Mumbai was unfolding elsewhere, too. In the age of global market capitalism, hopes and grievances were narrowly conceived, which blunted a sense of common predicament. Poor people didn't unite; they competed ferociously amongst themselves for gains as slender as they were…” quote by Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/katherine-boo-7467_global-market_what-was-unfolding-in-mumbai-was-unfoldi_79575.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/katherine-boo-7467_global-market_what-was-unfolding-in-mumbai-was-unfoldi_79575.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39e/katherine-boo-7467_global-market_what-was-unfolding-in-mumbai-was-unfoldi_79575.jpg) > ““What was unfolding in Mumbai was unfolding elsewhere, too. In the age of global market capitalism, hopes and grievances were narrowly conceived, which blunted a sense of common predicament. Poor people didn't unite; they competed ferociously amongst themselves for gains as slender as they were provisional. And this undercity strife created only the faintest ripple in the fabric of the society at large. The gates of the rich, occasionally rattled, remained unbreached. The politicians held forth on the middle class. The poor took down one another, and the world's great, unequal cities soldiered on in relative peace.”” [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that global capitalism fragments solidarity among the poor, leading to intra‑class competition rather than collective action, while elite structures stay largely untouched. **In simple terms:** Capitalism fuels division among the disadvantaged. Key Takeaway Economic systems can erode shared struggle. Themes global capitalism social stratification urban inequality class competition political distraction elite resilience Mood critical reflective cynical Type analytical sociopolitical observational When to use this quote - urban protests - community organizing - policy debates - social movements - neighborhood disputes Key Concepts class consciousness collective action economic disparity political rhetoric Practical Applications - sociological analysis - urban policy design Questions to Reflect On - How might shared grievances be reframed to foster unity? - What mechanisms can bridge the gap between elite and poor interests? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cities Soldiered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities-soldiered-1019011/) [Global market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/global-market/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Mumbai Unfolding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mumbai-unfolding-1019008/) [Poor people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-people/) [Undercity Strife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undercity-strife-1019010/) [Unequal Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unequal-cities-1019012/) [Unfolding Mumbai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfolding-mumbai-1019009/) ## Related quotes > [“In the age of global market capitalism, hopes and grievances were narrowly conceived, which blunted a sense of common predicament. 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Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [We Germans are particularly aware that you can only be successful on the global market over the long term if you offer energy-efficient products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/we-germans-are-particularly-aware-that-you-can-only-be-successful-on/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [Using cold facts and figures, leaders throughout the West must become more transparent with their citizens in explaining their decisions and their choices in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-ponta/using-cold-facts-and-figures-leaders-throughout-the-west-must-become/) [Victor Ponta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-ponta/) > [Benchmark has threatened to block investments that could bolster Uber's competitive position in global markets by bargaining over board seats and its own control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shervin-pishevar/benchmark-has-threatened-to-block-investments-that-could-bolster-uber/) [Shervin Pishevar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shervin-pishevar/) > [We entered the global market only in the end-'80s, and that was because imports became more liberal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azim-premji/we-entered-the-global-market-only-in-the-end-80s-and-that-was-because/) [Azim Premji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azim-premji/) > [The collapse of the global marketplace would be a traumatic event with unimaginable consequences. Yet I find it easier to imagine than the continuation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/the-collapse-of-the-global-marketplace-would-be-a-traumatic-event/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [Blitzscaling is what you do when you need to grow really, really quickly. It's the science and art of rapidly building out a company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/blitzscaling-is-what-you-do-when-you-need-to-grow-really-really/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [GE's businesses turned in a terrific first quarter. Our products and services are being well received in unusually robust global markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/ge-s-businesses-turned-in-a-terrific-first-quarter-our-products-and/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [I know things like a 20% corporate tax rate will allow us to be more competitive in the global marketplace. That's what our competitors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-muilenburg/i-know-things-like-a-20-corporate-tax-rate-will-allow-us-to-be-more/) [Dennis Muilenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-muilenburg/) > [If you opened up every single potential drilling opportunity in the United States, it would have the effect of lowering gas prices three cents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-granholm/if-you-opened-up-every-single-potential-drilling-opportunity-in-the/) [Jennifer Granholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-granholm/) > [“Samsung still needed to refashion its brand image. There was a worrisome phrase floating around the business world in the 1990s, the “Korea discount.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euny-hong/samsung-still-needed-to-refashion-its-brand-image-there-was-a/) [Euny Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euny-hong/) > [Worker and worker protections, figuring out how someone can have a better shot in a global marketplace, has always been the stepchild of trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bullock/worker-and-worker-protections-figuring-out-how-someone-can-have-a/) [Steve Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bullock/) > [“In the twenty-first century, the winners will be those who stay ahead of the change curve, constantly redefining their industries, creating new markets, blazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-gibson/in-the-twenty-first-century-the-winners-will-be-those-who-stay-ahead/) [Rowan Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-gibson/) > [With all of its defects, the global market makes war less likely, even between the USA and China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/with-all-of-its-defects-the-global-market-makes-war-less-likely-even/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## More by Katherine Boo > [“In places where government priorities and market imperatives create a world so capricious that to help a neighbor is to risk your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/in-places-where-government-priorities-and-market-imperatives-create-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“The forces of justice had finally come to Annawadi. 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Now she wished she had raised Manju to be worldly enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/for-years-asha-had-hoped-that-her-daughter-wouldn-t-guess-about-the/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [I was spending a lot of time in Mumbai after I met my husband, who is Indian, and while parts of the city were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/i-was-spending-a-lot-of-time-in-mumbai-after-i-met-my-husband-who-is/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [One thing that was very clear to me is that the young people in a place like Annawadi aren't tripping on caste the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/one-thing-that-was-very-clear-to-me-is-that-the-young-people-in-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“that the only Indians who went on trial were”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/that-the-only-indians-who-went-on-trial-were/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Besides, this was the gentle-going hour in which he hated Annawadi least. The pale sun lent the sewage lake a sparkling silver cast, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/besides-this-was-the-gentle-going-hour-in-which-he-hated-annawadi/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [There's some way in which we would prefer not to see very clearly the immense gifts and intelligence of some of the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/there-s-some-way-in-which-we-would-prefer-not-to-see-very-clearly-the/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“No onlooker asked, Why fix a house when the airport authority might demolish it? Almost everyone here improved his hut when he was able,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/no-onlooker-asked-why-fix-a-house-when-the-airport-authority-might/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [Everyone in Annawadi talks like this: 'Oh, I will make my child a doctor, a lawyer, and he will make us rich'. 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Being terrorized by living people seemed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/though-abdul-had-been-afraid-of-ghosts-as-most-annawadi-boys-these/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [But if writing about people who are not yourself is illegitimate, then the only legitimate work is autobiography; and as a reader and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/but-if-writing-about-people-who-are-not-yourself-is-illegitimate-then/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [I'm not squeamish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/i-m-not-squeamish/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Abdul hadn’t previously thought of policemen as people with hearts and lungs who worried about money or their health. The world seemed replete with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/abdul-hadn-t-previously-thought-of-policemen-as-people-with-hearts/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) [Explore all 90 Katherine Boo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) ## More Global market quotes > [With all of its defects, the global market makes war less likely, even between the USA and China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/with-all-of-its-defects-the-global-market-makes-war-less-likely-even/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“In the twenty-first century, the winners will be those who stay ahead of the change curve, constantly redefining their industries, creating new markets, blazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-gibson/in-the-twenty-first-century-the-winners-will-be-those-who-stay-ahead/) [Rowan Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-gibson/) > [Worker and worker protections, figuring out how someone can have a better shot in a global marketplace, has always been the stepchild of trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bullock/worker-and-worker-protections-figuring-out-how-someone-can-have-a/) [Steve Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bullock/) > [“Samsung still needed to refashion its brand image. There was a worrisome phrase floating around the business world in the 1990s, the “Korea discount.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euny-hong/samsung-still-needed-to-refashion-its-brand-image-there-was-a/) [Euny Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euny-hong/) > [If you opened up every single potential drilling opportunity in the United States, it would have the effect of lowering gas prices three cents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-granholm/if-you-opened-up-every-single-potential-drilling-opportunity-in-the/) [Jennifer Granholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-granholm/) > [I know things like a 20% corporate tax rate will allow us to be more competitive in the global marketplace. That's what our competitors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-muilenburg/i-know-things-like-a-20-corporate-tax-rate-will-allow-us-to-be-more/) [Dennis Muilenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-muilenburg/) > [GE's businesses turned in a terrific first quarter. Our products and services are being well received in unusually robust global markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/ge-s-businesses-turned-in-a-terrific-first-quarter-our-products-and/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [Blitzscaling is what you do when you need to grow really, really quickly. It's the science and art of rapidly building out a company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/blitzscaling-is-what-you-do-when-you-need-to-grow-really-really/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [The collapse of the global marketplace would be a traumatic event with unimaginable consequences. Yet I find it easier to imagine than the continuation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/the-collapse-of-the-global-marketplace-would-be-a-traumatic-event/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [We entered the global market only in the end-'80s, and that was because imports became more liberal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azim-premji/we-entered-the-global-market-only-in-the-end-80s-and-that-was-because/) [Azim Premji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azim-premji/) > [Benchmark has threatened to block investments that could bolster Uber's competitive position in global markets by bargaining over board seats and its own control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shervin-pishevar/benchmark-has-threatened-to-block-investments-that-could-bolster-uber/) [Shervin Pishevar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shervin-pishevar/) > [Using cold facts and figures, leaders throughout the West must become more transparent with their citizens in explaining their decisions and their choices in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-ponta/using-cold-facts-and-figures-leaders-throughout-the-west-must-become/) [Victor Ponta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-ponta/) > [We Germans are particularly aware that you can only be successful on the global market over the long term if you offer energy-efficient products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/we-germans-are-particularly-aware-that-you-can-only-be-successful-on/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [“One of the advantages of living in a constitutional federal republic is that we have the ability, if not the duty, as citizens to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/one-of-the-advantages-of-living-in-a-constitutional-federal-republic/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [We must ensure that the global market is embedded in broadly shared values and practices that reflect global social needs, and that all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-must-ensure-that-the-global-market-is-embedded-in-broadly-shared/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) [Browse all 123 Global market quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/global-market/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What was unfolding in Mumbai was unfolding elsewhere, too. In the age of global market capitalism, hopes and grievances were narrowly conceived, which blunted a sense of common predicament. Poor people didn't unite; they competed ferociously amongst themselves for gains as slender as they were provisional. And this undercity strife created only the faintest ripple in the fabric of the society at large. 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