Death Without Weeping

848 Words4 Pages
The author highlights the appalling living standards of people living in shantytowns of Brazil. The author describes their state of life as death without weeping. The author notes that people living in these towns have accepted their lives, and they do not weep. The people of Brazilian shantytowns have held to their roots and beliefs in religion. For instance, the author notes the constantly ringing church bells, which call people to go to church. Additionally, the author notes that people living in these towns live in abject poverty as shown by their shanty homes. The author experienced their live while operational at the Peace Corps as a volunteer. During this period, the country underwent numerous political upheavals, which disrupted the social and economic life of its citizens. The political and social upheavals witnessed in Brazil during this period led to the death of many people especially children and women. The author notes that her host had sent her share of angels to heaven signifying the death of her child. The host Nailza could not recall the number of children she had as they died in close succession. Other than the political and social problems in the country, the death of children in Brazil has attributions to the poor economic state and healthcare systems, during this period. The author also notes that many children in Brazil had died because of unprofessional and inappropriate health practices. This included the lack of antenatal and prenatal care for the pregnant mother, which led to still births or the death of children at highly premature ages. This affected the mental health of the parents of these children. For instance, Nailza exhibits odd behaviors such as speaking to the photo of her dead child. The author visited Brazil for a second time in order to study anthropology. This trip took her to Alto do Cruzeiro, a densely populated region in
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