Anguish and Desperation in Child of the Dark

The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus, in Dialogue with Paul Tillich

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze The trash Room: diary of a favelada, by Carolina Maria de Jesus, from the concept of anguish of the philosopher and theologian Paul Tillich. The study deals with three main issues: 1) anguish of destiny and death; 2) anguishing of emptiness and insignificance; and 3) despair. Because it is a thought that has always been built “on the border”, the philosopher/theologian’s texts bring fruitful elements for possible dialogues with other forms of knowledge. The conclusion points to a central element in the Diary, namely: although the literary work possesses its surpluses and its escape routes, hunger passes through the entire Diary, generating fear, anguish and despair to the narrator's existence.