Poverty In Gordon Parks Flavio's Home

Paint a picture of poverty. What do you see and where does it take place? Is it in a city like New York? Maybe it takes place at the dried, barren lands in the continent of Africa. Now, imagine it a hundred times worse, with no proper housing, limited water and sewage system, and lacking food and other general necessities. You would get a picture of Catacumba, a favela located in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro. Also, this is where Gordon Parks meets a particular boy, who would inspire him to write about the atrocities of the favelas. In his memoir “Flavio’s Home”, Gordon Parks delineates a vivid picture of poverty through his faithful encounter of one of its denizen, Flavio, and his life in the favela. Parks’ portrayal of poverty begins

When Parks first entered Flavio’s home, he states, “It was leaning crumpled place of old plankings with a rusted tin roof” (par.4). In addition, Parks portrays the shack after closer inspection to have “grimy walls” with having “a patchwork of misshapen boards with large gap between them” (par.6). Furthermore, he describes the floor as “rotting under layers of grease and dirt”. He concludes his description of Flavio’s home by mentioning that “A large hole in the far corner served as a toilet.” (par.6). The dilapidating shack which the da Silvas call it “home” demonstrates how the “favelados” live in poor conditions. It is also painfully unfortunate when compared to the affluent people in Rio de Janeiro, who lives in “gleaming white homes” (par.2), they are virtually

In one instance, Flavio, when he notices Parks praying to the colossal sculpture of Cristo Redentor, he chimes in “‘Papa says El Cristo has turned his back on us’” (par.38). He seems to point out that, albeit El Cristo is a heavenly and benevolent figure, much of the “favelados” like Josè, his father, are disillusioned with him. Also, the fact that “desperate criminals [are] hiding out” (par.12) for strangers shows that the people of favela, under severe poverty, would indulgingly commit crimes to help themselves. In addition, due to lack of resources, people would often conserve necessities like water. The author uses Flavio to prove this as he was efficient and careful with what little he had. The boy would wash the rice in the water, then wash the feet of his baby brother, Zacarias, with the water and later command his other younger siblings to wash themselves with the same water. Parks recounts, “But even that dirty water wasn’t to be wasted. He [Flavio] tossed in a chunk of lye soap and ordered each child to wash up” (par.7). But even then Flavio did not throw out the water. He would “splash the water over the dirty floor” and would scrub the planks of the floor “until the black suds sank in” (par.7). Through Flavio’s actions, Parks portrays that people in poverty