Child of the Dark: The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus

by Carolina Maria de Jesus

Book Overview

A powerful and gripping memoir depicting the harsh realities of life in the favelas of Brazil in the 1950s, and one woman's resilience in the face of poverty, racism, and social inequality.

Living in poverty in a Brazilian favela, or "slum," Carolina tried to scrape together a living by collecting recyclables. Among the trash, she found notebooks and papers that she salvaged to write on, and she used these found papers to...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451529103
• ISBN13: 9780451529107
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Triumph of the Human Spirit

Caroline Maria de Jusus was born a[...] in poverty and went to only the second grade. She lived most of her adult life in poverty and her children were labeled [...]. She wanted to write and did. She became a writer of international reputation. Her book has been read by people around the world and in the United States. Her work stands with that of Victor Frankl in "MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING," and "BLACK ELK SPEAKS" an American Sioux, and with Frederick Douglass' NARRATIVE LIFE. CHILD OF THE DARK, is a must read for anyone who wants to understand and to challenge the values and standards of a civilization (ours) that degrades human life for fun and profit.

I'll think twice before throwing food out again

This book is truly an eye opener as to what it really means to be poor and hungry. I can't believe that someone with only two years of schooling could churn out such a masterpiece, the language and thought processes involved will leave you wondering with amazement. What suprises you is that in and amongst all the squalor, deprivation, fights and hunger she still admires the night sky, the birds, the stars, the beautiful weather. What a woman ! Most people in her position wouldn't have time to be thankful for these "free" beautiful things and that is what I found so touching. Her dedication to her children and indeed her neighbours will teach all us other mortals in the devleoped world what being humble really means. At times this woman cannot find a meal but when she has money and food she shares it with her friends and neighbours, wondering little if she will have a meal the next day. Her ability to keep going despite her adversities will shock you. Please read this book, you will aspire to be a better person afterwards.

Hard life of favelados people in Brazil

the daily diary of the Carolina De Jesus describes a daily hard life of a woman, who picked up paper and metal everyday just to get enough money to feed her children. Also, in her diary she describes the horrible realatioship of the government to the people of the lower class.. The hunger and poorness of these people clearly illustrates in this book. The contest of these book clearly reflevt it's title, "Child of The Dark."

A sad look at the reality of life in Brazil.

The dairy of Carolina Maria de Jesus described the daily routine life in a favela- a human garbage dump, house of the poor, the hungry, the desperate. The author illustrated the way daily life threatened these poor favelados.The hunger that invaded every shack, particularly hers, drove her to hunt for paper and metal in order to acquire just enough money to keep her and her children alive. The black population in Brazil was treated as none human beings. They were descriminated against by most of the white majority population. It clearly reflects the title of the book " Child of the dark."

Poverty and ignorance still exist today

This book is both an uplifting and depressing work. For anyone who has ever visited the third world, and especially for those that never have; this book is a must read. It is uplifting and inspiring in showing the heroine's sheer strength of character that gets her through a life that would most certainly kill most of us. Written without pretense, it is a brutal indictment of the negative forces that constantly try the human spirtit. Here the enemy is not one person, or an army or even the poverty that wreaks havoc on the lives of these people, but rather the world's tolerance and acceptance of the pain, hunger suffering and injustices that are created by a world where the the rich can justify their greed by demoninzing their own creation: the conditons that make people live in utter desperation. Poverty and ignorance are not romantized here but instead like in Buñuel's film Los Olvidados, Child of the Dark shows us that hunger and loss of dignity brings out the worst in people. It is depressing because we all know that places like this exist not only in Brazil, but in almost all countries on earth, and that we all share in the guilt of allowing such horror to exist.