1. When watching Brazilian telenovela shows about the elite, domestic workers often found themselves laughing at what a middle or upper class person would find tragic. These happenings fall on deff ears for domestic workers, considering the terrible conditions they live in. Brought upon the idea of the title of the book; "Laughter out of place."
1.1. Gloria's friend Elzineia had an 18 year old daughter who became pregnant with a white man's baby. He did not take responsibility for the child. Common assumptions when seeing a black grandmother and a white baby is that she is it's baba. (nanny) People with out hesitation assume she is a lower class black woman, and he is an upper class white child.
1.1.1. North Americans seem far more comfortable talking about race. Poverty is more easily discussed in terms of race then class. Leadin to a well known and mistaken assumption, that most mothers on welfare are African American. In Brazil, race is an uncomfortable subject. there is a lack of race based civil rights in Brazil. race there is ambiguous as races are defined as; black, white, brown, dark, light, closed, freckled etc.
1.1.1.1. Brazil's erotic paradise has been celebrated in the historiography of colonialism and slavery. It brings about the question of race as the primary icon of "hot" sexuality is the mulata. Begins from white male colonialists sleeping with the African American woman; "love affair." White plantation owners often raped their black slaves.
1.1.1.1.1. Difference in opportunities between black children and white children is evident in Gloria's discussion with her white friend Isadora. Isadora wanted to send her daughters to a modeling school where the members were typically blonde hair and blue eyed. Gloria said they should try to do that, but Isadora remained silent about the idea of Gloria's children ever having that opportunity.
2. Domestic work was one of the lowest paying jobs within the highly skewed and unequal Brazillian economy. Typically consisted of Afro-Brazillian women. Domestic worker: empregada
2.1. Gloria worked as a domestic servant for a middle class woman who worked as a social worker; Donna Beth in Rio de Janeiro in 1995. Earned 5 minimum wages per month for a 6 day work week. A significant upgrade from her previous job where her hours, amount of tasks and poor excuse for pay, was similar to that of a slave. Earned about $5 and had to use this to supports her family. Donna Beth allowed Gloria's pregnant daughter to live with her out of kindness.
2.1.1. Having a domestic worker is a defining feature of the middle class a fear that plagues the middle class is not being financially secure, and being forced to become a manual worker. Being in the middle class signifies not being in the serving class. Workers are compared to a good or service. The more workers a person employs, the more economic and social prestige they have.
2.1.1.1. The elite in Rio often viewed the masses of Afro-Brazilians who had migrated there in a similar way as the Europeans viewed their colonies; as areas obstructed by an inferior race and culture.