Rukmani cries when she gives birth to her daughter because she wanted a boy. In this culture, boys were valued more because they could help their family prosper by working the land. A girl, on the other hand, was a financial burden. Girls could not do as much of the physically demanding work required on a farm, but more importantly, girls required dowries for a proper marriage. Being that Nathan and Rukmani were poor, this dowry would be extremely hard to gather. Also, in many cultures, having a boy was a point of pride for a man. Rukmani feels that she has let her husband down because sons continue the family name and line while a daughter only manages to "take with her a dowry and leave nothing but a memory behind." Rukmani loves her daughter and is glad that she is born healthy and strong; however, she knows that the families limited means will likely be stretched even further in the future in attempts to secure her daughter a stable future with a husband who can provide for her and make her happy.
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