In desperate times, often, desperate measures are taken, or so the hackneyed phrase goes. Out of complete and utter desperation individuals are forced to make decisions and take actions that are entirely out of character —lying, cheating or stealing. Conversely, in these conditions people become stagnant, sinking deeper and deeper into despair. These situations are often cyclical and any glimmer of hope is short-lived and quickly rejected. In this course the type of desperation that is examined is a result of destitution, or extreme poverty. These books and films depict dire circumstances, stark realism and deeply distressing situations predominantly concerning financial and economic states. It is in these deepest realms of agony and darkness that individuals and groups compromise their morals and wallow in their miseries.
For many of us that are privileged enough to be utilizing these resources, it is impossible to imagine what it is like to reach the level of desperation and anguish portrayed in these narratives. These stories shed light into the despair and poverty that most of us, thankfully, will never face. Although the list is comprised of several classic literary works, the novelty lies in their grouping alongside the lesser-known works, positioning these cultural items within this context and connecting theme, and as reflections of one another despite the time period, language, nationality, etc. Before indulging, bear in mind that there is no grandiose happy ending, no triumph, nor resolution. Desperation and destitution trudge on, in each of these selections, through until the end.
- Umberto D. (1952), Vittorio De Sica (Italian neo-realism film)
- Transit (2013), Hannah Espia (Filipino independent drama film)
- Hunger (1890), Knut Hamsun (Norwegian philosophical/psychological novel)
- Vagabond (1985), Agnès Varda (French drama film)
- Crime and Punishment (1866), Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Russian philosophical/psychological novel)
- Ratcatcher (1999), Lynne Ramsay (Scottish film)
- Grapes of Wrath (1939), John Steinbeck (American realist novel)
- The Outside Circle (2015), Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Canadian Aboriginal graphic novel)
- Kes (1969), Ken Loach (British drama film)
- The Colour Purple (1982), Alice Walker (American epistolary novel)
- Los Olvidados (1950), Luis Buñuel (Mexican surrealist/social-realism film)
- The Dollmaker (1954), Hariette Arnow (American novel)
- Salaam Bombay! (1988), Mira Nair (Hindi film)
- Oliver Twist (1838), Charles Dickens (British novel)
- Pixote (1981), Héctor Babenco (Brazilian drama film)
- Dead Souls (1842), Nikolai Gogol (Russian novel)
- Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975), Chantal Akerman (Belgian arthouse film)
- Les Misérables (1862), Victor Hugo (French historical novel)
- Newspaper Boy (1955), P. Ramdas (neo-realist Mayalam-language film)
- Under the Hawthorn Tree (1990), Marita Conlon-McKenna (Irish historical novel)
