The paper analyzes the work, which claims that although these two projects were intended to bring India into the modern age;
they exposed arrogance and corruption on the part of the Indian
government. The paper gives a brief biography of Roy, mentions her most famous literary work, "The God of Small Things" and lists her essays. It discusses public support for "The Cost of Living" and looks at the controversy surrounding the work. Next follows a synopsis of each of the two essays that make up the work. The strengths of the work (such as the combination of intellectual rigor with an engaging personal style and a fusion of imagery and lyricism of poetry with a tight, engaging journalistic style) are highlighted and the paper concludes with the
political and social messages contained in the work.