Even though poverty exists in Brazil, there are a number of factors that contribute to hardships in Bom Jesus. The idea of hunger, famine and disease are horrible epidemics and these issues are strongly political. In order to understand the significance of the conflict mothers endure in Brazil, we must examine the conditions in Bom Jesus and how they affect its people.

Within this "600,000 square miles of suffering" (Scheper-Hughes 1992:31), lies a deep parallel between violence and hunger. The ability to survive is a huge factor in Brazil; if the conditions are harsh and nourishment, as well as economic resources are unavailable, people resort to a type of survival mode. This desperation to cope with conditions provides two sides to the story. People of Bom Jesus will either fight for their survival or they will let their situation take control of them.

In situations were...