COMP1-Desperation in the Heart of a Slum

Published on March 20, 2007 By lifehappens In Writing

This was a response to an excerpt of Gordon Parks' essay, "Flavio's Home". We were asked "How does Gordon Parks’ use of description affect his essay?" I decided to avoid the common answer as much as possible. He was very graphic and did lure you in with his descriptive narration, but I wanted to focus on WHY.

I found Gordon Parks’ essay, “Flavio’s Home” compelling. The graphic images drew me in and created a realistic world of sights and smells that was nearly tangible. His pity for Flavio is the only thing that tempers the fierce anger in Parks’ tone as he confronts the devastation of poverty. He points out the harsh life as starkly as one of his black and white photographs, forcing the reader to take notice of the sharp details. This was more than a callous reporter in search of a story; it was a cause.
His unforgiving description of the decrepit favela and Flavio’s behavior was uncompromising. He did not gloss over any unflattering traits in his portrait of their life. They were eking out a meager, almost futile existence with no visible redeeming feature. Their rough-hewn edges and harshness only served to emphasis the point that Parks was trying to make. Poverty is savage and destroys the lives of those least equipped to break out of the miserable cycle. Flavio himself was seemingly careless with his siblings, yet he had strength of will that was evident in the details. Even though he smacked his sister and threatened to beat her, he showed his character daily. He painstakingly cared for his siblings, struggling to clean and feed them, through his own dehibilitating illness. His responsibility towards them demonstrated more than his love. It demonstrated his character. He did not stop caring for them when faced with his own struggle for survival. Even faced with his own eminent death, Flavio was more concerned about his siblings’ plight. After his short life was over, who would ensure their survival?
Gordon Parks contrasted the cruel world of Flavio’s family with the carefree indulgent life of the Copacabana rich. The dark, dismal portrayal of the slums was almost a shock when juxtaposed with the clean white lace dress of the lighthearted lover on the elevator. He used this contrast to savagely attack the poverty, the struggle for life. He emphasized the affluence to force the reader to see and clearly understand that to be poor was like having a slow rot that ate away at the lives of those who could not escape. The detail in which Gordon Parks filled his essay served as a companion to the lens of his camera. It added intricate detail, texture, and life to the haunting black and white photo that drew people to his cause.

Note: When I saw that Gordon Parks had taken a photograph of Flavio, I researched and found an image online. If in the unlikely event that you could not allow yourself to be drawn into the world of the slums of Rio de Janeiro, I recommend that you check it out. It is also interesting to note that this was made into a short film in 1964, after the incredible outpouring of interest following his article in Life.

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