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Chapter 10

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Chapter 10

Uploaded by

Aspect
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 10 of How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia

Chapter 10 of How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, titled "Dancing with Debt,"
explores the protagonist's growing entanglement with financial obligations as he
navigates the challenges of sustaining and expanding his bottled water business. This
chapter focuses on the precarious balance between ambition and risk, emphasizing
how leveraging debt can serve as both a tool for growth and a potential downfall.
The protagonist's success has allowed him to scale his business and acquire wealth.
However, his increasing reliance on loans and credit introduces significant
vulnerability.

Mohsin Hamid uses the protagonist's struggles to critique the broader economic
systems of developing nations, where rapid urbanization and growth often compel
entrepreneurs to adopt unsustainable practices. The chapter reflects the
protagonist’s constant negotiation with lenders, the pressures of competition, and
the moral compromises required to sustain profitability.

In parallel, Hamid continues to develop the personal dimensions of the story. The
protagonist’s relationships, particularly with his family, become strained under the
weight of his ambition. His marriage suffers, and his disconnection from his son
grows, mirroring the personal costs of his financial pursuits. The betrayal by his
Brother-in-Law also leaves him in a financial wreck which ends in his form going
bankrupt.

The protagonist suffers a second heart attack, underscoring the physical toll of his
lifestyle and the stress of his ambitions. After losing consciousness, he awakens in
the intensive care unit, surrounded by machines and medical apparatus that keep
him alive. The description of his transformation into a "cyborg," tethered to life-
support systems, highlights his vulnerability and dependence, serving as a metaphor
for his precarious reliance on external support in both life and business. This health
crisis forces him to confront his mortality and the frailty of his success.

Parallel to the protagonist’s health struggles, the story of the “pretty girl” unfolds.
Her assistant becomes the victim of a violent robbery, initially appearing to survive
with minor injuries. However, delayed medical complications result in her death,
triggering a profound shift in the pretty girl’s relationship with the city. This tragedy
serves as a turning point, severing her attachment to the metropolis where she built
her career. Her decision to leave, though gradual, signifies a deep sense of
disillusionment with the urban chaos that once represented opportunity.

Hamid's use of the second-person narrative remains striking in this chapter. It pulls
the reader into the protagonist’s experience, encouraging introspection about
personal ambition, risk-taking, and the cost of success in a hyper-competitive
economic environment.

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