Poor families often have to make painful sacrifices to survive. In the 1980s, women in third world countries often had to put the needs of their families before their own. In Shilpi Somaya Gowda's novel Secret Daughter, through the use of flashbacks, negative tone, and painful diction, the author highlights the sacrifices and pain that poverty forces Kavita to endure in order to provide a better life for her family. the painful sacrifices that poverty leads Kavita to make to ensure the betterment of her family. After giving birth to another child, Kavita's fear surfaces as she recalls the pain of giving up her newborn daughters. In ancient Indian culture, daughters are of no use, and Kavita knows that hers are "drowned, suffocated, or simply left to starve" (7). Kavita's memory of her daughters shows the suffering she has to endure. Only the male children will be able to help provide a better life for her family and the use of flashbacks means that she still remembers the pain she has to endure every day over the loss of her daughters, as she is poor. Aside from her children, Kavita gives up her name, something she values ​​and often resents her husband for. After giving her daughter a name, on the way to the orphanage Kavita recalls the time when her husband's family changed her name because "it suited them better and the astrologer of Lalita's village, the only name that her parents had chosen… this was expected to change in that of her husband. But she resented Jasu for even taking her name,” (25). Kavita believes that names are powerful and this memory serves as a reminder of the girl she is about to lose and the pain and sacrifices Jasu causes her, including...... middle of paper......eing of her family even if he has to kill them. Therefore, Kavita often has to put her feelings aside to keep her family out of poverty and ensure their well-being. In conclusion, the author uses flashbacks as an indicator of the painful grievances Kavita faces due to poverty. Throughout the novel, the painful and sorrowful diction as well as the negative tone shows that Kavita puts her family's well-being financially, above her own feelings and emotions. Although she adores Usha, her duty is towards her husband and son and hence she puts her feelings aside and tries to make them happy and financially stable. Therefore, the use of flashbacks, painful diction, and a negative tone illustrate the brutality that poverty imposes on Kavita, forcing her to sacrifice herself for her family. Works Cited Gowda, Shilpi Somaya. Secret daughter. New York, NY: William Morrow, 2010. Print.