preview

Child Of The Dark Analysis

Decent Essays

Child of the Dark covers the time period between 1955 and 1960. It gives insight into the way that many Latin Americans lived during these times. The story takes place in Brazil and focuses on the life of Carolina De Jesus and her journey through countless obstacles of life. Like Carolina, many Latin Americans lived in rural areas known as Favela’s. Through Carolina’s experience and everyday life the reader learns the struggles of living in a society governed by the colonial legacy of a stratified society. Carolina has three children, Vera, Jose, and Joao. All this time they have lived in the favela, which was defined as a deprived area or a shantytown. Favelas were quite difficult to live in. The conditions were horrendous and many people …show more content…

She traded washed bottles for bread and sold paper for cruzeiros (De Jesus, 3) She spent most hours of day roaming the streets in search of paper to collect. Like many in the favela she had many concerns, the most prominent being her children. Carolina constantly worried about the safety and well being of her children. She doubted whether her ways of protecting them would be effective enough to keep them away from the bad influences in the Favela. Later in the journal she explains that her son Joao is accused of rape, she knows he’s innocent but once more she’s given another reason to worry. Carolina expresses her immense fear of not being able to provide for her children. This is made clear when she takes acknowledges the fact that she lives an extremely worrisome life. She carries paper, washes clothes, and rarely has time to be home, yet she still lacks so much. (De Jesus, 4) Although she was surrounded by what seemed like a never ending cycle of stress, Carolina had many hopes and aspirations. She hoped that one day she would find a home far from the favela environment. When Carolina writes she escapes the present. She is able to experience her dreams and aspirations. She dreams of a home in which she can live in peace with her family. She stated that when she wrote she thought of living in a golden castle that shined in the …show more content…

It seemed that Favelados had given up and settled for the life they were given. They either knew the politicians would never do much for the impoverished or secretly hoped that someone would eventually help them. If there had been a revolutionary leader similar to Fidel Castro, only then would the impoverished have a chance to rise against the extreme inequality. (De Jesus, preface Vll) Carolina could have represented that leader. If she had gained the support of all the favelados there could have been a potential revolution. She was strong but was also full of bitterness and discontent. It is as though she carried the displeasure of an entire population. It has often been stated that dissatisfaction usually leads to rebellion. The favelados were similar to the people of Mexico that expressed this discontent through revolution. (Charlip & Burns, 192) Child in the Dark also shows traces of The House of the Spirits. Much like Clara Del Valle, Carolina represented the missing piece of the puzzle. She represented the hope that so many favelados lacked. She showed aspects that others in the favela had stopped possessing. She was caring and giving towards others even if she herself had so little. This was seen when Carolina was on her way to sell the paper she collected and noticed the African American man that was on the ground. Even though she

Get Access